Early Life
Marion Hugh Knight was born in Compton, California. His name, Suge, derives from "Sugar Bear", a childhood nickname. He attended Lynwood High School in nearby Lynwood, California where he was a football and track star. He graduated in 1983. From 1983 to 1985, he attended El Camino College on a football scholarship. In 1985, he transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and played there for two years.
After college, Knight was not drafted by an NFL team, but was cut during training camp by the Los Angeles Rams. However, he became a replacement player during the 1987 NFL players' strike, and played two games for the Rams. Later, he found work as a concert promoter and a bodyguard for celebrities including Bobby Brown.
Knight was arrested in October 1987 for domestic violence - he assaulted his girlfriend and cut off her ponytail on the street. On Halloween Night 1987, Knight was arrested in Las Vegas for auto theft, carrying a concealed weapon and attempted murder. He had allegedly shot a man three times while stealing his car. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge, and received two years probation.
Two years later, Knight formed his own music-publishing company. His first big profit in the business came when Vanilla Ice (Robert Van Winkle) agreed to sign over royalties from Van Winkle's smash hit "Ice Ice Baby, because the song included material written by Knight's client Floyd 'Earthquake' Brown. Knight and his bodyguards confronted Van Winkle several times. On one occasion, Knight entered Van Winkle's hotel room, and allegedly dangled him by his ankles off the balcony. (Van Winkle said only that Knight threatened to throw him off the balcony.) The claim was resolved in court.
Knight next formed an artist management company and signed prominent West Coast hip hop artists The D.O.C. and DJ Quik. Through the former, he met several members of the seminal gangsta rap group N.W.A.
In 1991, Suge had a son, Taj, who is said to be living in Atlanta with his mother, Davina Barnes. In 1993, Andrew, born April 19, sharing the same birthday as him. Andrew now lives in the Greater Los Angeles as well as his mother, Tia. He also has daughters named Posh and Bailei, the latter with R&B singer Michel'le.
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