Suge Knight's name evokes a history of violence. Just yesterday, the Death Row Records co-founder was scheduled to stand trial for charges related to a fatal hit-and-run. And now it seems Eminem has previously been a potential target of his violence.
While promoting his new book Shady Bizzness: Life as Marshall Mathers’ Bodyguard in an Industry of Paper Gangsters, Eminem bodyguard Byron "Big Naz" Williams recounted an incident at the 2001 Source Awards.
He was responding to the interviewer's question if he had ever at any point felt his and Eminem's lives were threatened.
At the awards ceremony, Williams noticed Eminem being surrounded by a group of men in red shirts, indicating that they were possibly Bloods, the gang with which Suge Knight is affiliated.
He recalls Eminem's face "turning like tomato red" and having to interfere. When the bodyguard asked the men "what the hell's going on", they said, "Death Row, motherfucker, Death Row...Suge Knight sent us to strongarm Eminem; it's going down".
Williams spent the rest of the night on top alert and contacted Dr. Dre and his bodyguards to plan a fast evacuation for Eminem.
With the box office success of Straight Outta Compton, Williams says there has been interest for his book's film rights, with directors Danny DeVito and Ron Howard both reaching out to him.
Listen to Williams recount the Source Awards incident below.