{"id":5397,"date":"2025-09-23T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/october-london-is-reviving-death-rows-original-multigenre-vision\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:30:00","slug":"october-london-is-reviving-death-rows-original-multigenre-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/october-london-is-reviving-death-rows-original-multigenre-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"October London Is Reviving Death Row\u2019s Original Multigenre Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/lead1200-e1758288927148.jpg\" width=\"\" height=\"\" alt=\"October London. (Courtesy of October London)\"><\/figure>\n<p>South Bend, Indiana-born singer-songwriter October London might be the closest we\u2019ve come to seeing the full aspiration of the original Death Row Records, founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, Dick Griffey, and Harry-O. For all the legendary rappers\u20142Pac, Snoop, and the heat that trailed them\u2014Death Row was always reaching for something bigger: a multigenre home where The Lady of Rage\u2019s lyricism stood shoulder to shoulder with Danny Boy\u2019s crooning, and where mighty movie soundtracks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=above+the+rim+spin&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS973US973&amp;oq=above+the+rim+spin&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg80gEIMTk0MGowajeoAgCwAgA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Above the Rim<\/em><\/a> and even a Christmas album with a gangsta twist were all part of the culture.<\/p>\n<p>A Grammy-winning singer and Snoop protege, October blends vintage soul, modern R&amp;B, and now even country under his \u201cSam Nash\u201d alter ego. It\u2019s a throwback to old-school storytelling with a contemporary twist and it\u2019s happening under the banner of a label still synonymous with West Coast hip-hop.<\/p>\n<p>More from Spin:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/09\/4-non-blondes-reunion-new-lp\/\">4 Non Blondes Extend Reunion, Plot New LP<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/09\/bones-owens-collects-everything-but-dust\/\">Bones Owens Collects Everything but Dust<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/09\/why-we-need-oasis-right-now\/\">WHY WE NEED OASIS RIGHT NOW<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>London\u2019s best-known track, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vB9ywDqaFdc&amp;ab_channel=OctoberLondon\" target=\"_blank\">Back to Your Place<\/a>,\u201d topped the Billboard Adult R&amp;B Airplay chart and earned him three Soul Train Music Award nominations. Pulled from his 2023 album <em>The Rebirth of Marvin<\/em>, the record\u2019s bold title drew some early criticism, but as London tells me, he ultimately won people over. \u201cPeople listened to the music and were like, \u2018this isn\u2019t half bad,\u2019\u201d he said with a laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since then, London\u2019s profile has only grown. This summer, he appeared on Snoop\u2019s breezy single \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k4b7al0CXf4&amp;ab_channel=SnoopDoggTV\" target=\"_blank\">Must Be Summer<\/a>,\u201d dropped a new track under his Sam Nash alias called \u201cCountry Man,\u201d and just released his latest Sam Nash album, <em>Duallys and Damsels<\/em>, on Sept. 19. SPIN caught up with him to talk about his artistry, his bond with Snoop, and what it means for a new generation to carry Death Row\u2019s torch and fulfill the label\u2019s original vision of a house big enough to hold it all.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"(Courtesy of October London)\" class=\"wp-image-472638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG-340x510.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9430.JPG-498x747.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Courtesy of October London)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Early beginnings and an early Snoop assist\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Born Jared Samuel Erskine, London grew up in a household where music wasn\u2019t just played, it was made. His mother was a singer, his father a guitarist, and family gatherings often turned into jam sessions. Alongside the original songs, there was always soul and funk in the air including Ronald Isley, Frankie Beverly and Maze, and Marvin Gaye.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this background, London considered many careers before music, including designing cars and being a truck driver. \u201cI guess I could always sing,\u201d he said. \u201cI would sing for my grandmother in front of her \u2014 audience of one \u2014 singing Michael Bolton\u2019s \u2018When a Man Loves a Woman,\u2019 and she loved that. She would clap and be really proud of me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After graduating from high school, he decided not to pursue college and instead commit to music full time. One of his earliest hits was 2016\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Wq1FLL58YIc&amp;ab_channel=WORLDSTARHIPHOP\" target=\"_blank\">Black Man in America<\/a>,\u201d which features a fiery music video where London gets shot. \u201cIt was kind of made on a whim,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI was kind of just in a mood, because I was just seeing so much injustice.And I was seeing so much wrongdoing, whether it was police brutality, or, not to get too political, I just saw a lot of wrong in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>London found the courage to go all in with the track thanks in part to Snoop Dogg, whom he first crossed paths with after a friend in Indiana connected him to producer-hookman Jazze Pha. London sent Pha a wide-ranging batch of tracks and Pha, impressed, passed some along to Snoop. What many people don\u2019t realize is that his business relationship with Snoop wasn\u2019t immediately formalized. \u201cWe were on a shaking-hand basis from 2016 all the way up until right after he acquired Death Row,\u201d London said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/9B913D95-7624-465F-A69F-39411D38EEBC.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: Chris Enriquez and Michael Griffin)\" class=\"wp-image-472639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/9B913D95-7624-465F-A69F-39411D38EEBC.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/9B913D95-7624-465F-A69F-39411D38EEBC.JPG-340x340.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/9B913D95-7624-465F-A69F-39411D38EEBC.JPG-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/9B913D95-7624-465F-A69F-39411D38EEBC.JPG-498x498.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: Chris Enriquez and Michael Griffin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Joining the Family<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Snoop\u2019s purchase of Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group in February 2022 was a full-circle moment for the Long Beach rapper, whose 1993 debut <em>Doggystyle<\/em> helped define the label. For London, it was the moment everything changed for him, too. He remembers being in the room when Snoop ended a call finalizing the deal, and later that night during the celebration, Snoop pulled him aside. \u201cHe was like, \u2018You\u2019re going to be the flagship of Death Row,\u2019\u201d London recalled.<\/p>\n<p>At first, London bristled. He thought of the countless legends who had come before him, and the fact that he was an R&amp;B singer, not a rapper. But Snoop was clear: He wanted to steer Death Row in a new direction, and London was the artist he trusted to move that forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>London is grateful that over the years he\u2019s been able not only to release R&amp;B projects (2023\u2019s <em>The Rebirth of Marvin<\/em> and 2024\u2019s <em>October Nights<\/em>) but also to branch into pop, country, reggaeton, and EDM. He even appeared on Snoop\u2019s<em> <\/em>\u201c<em>Funky Christmas,<\/em>\u201d a successor to the label\u2019s holiday-themed compilation, <em>Christmas on Death Row <\/em>(1996).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As part of the family, he\u2019s crossed paths with Death Row legends like Daz Dillinger, with whom he recorded \u201cWhen Life Calls,\u201d a reimagining of a Michael Franks track from the \u201980s where London sounds uncannily like Nate Dogg. \u201cThat was interesting because they were kind of looking at me like, \u2018OK, this new kid, he ain\u2019t Nate, but Snoop brought him in, let\u2019s see what the hell he can do,\u2019\u201d London said. \u201cI just wanted to show I could deliver like Nate could. I wanted to be that kid they\u2019d call and be like, \u2018Yo, come on man, we need you on this record.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That call has come more than once. London has been tapped by West Coast mainstays from Tha Dogg Pound to the Game, where he says he recently cut a track for the Compton rapper\u2019s long-teased <em>Documentary 3<\/em> album.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1801\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: Chris Enriquez and Michael Griffin)\" class=\"wp-image-472642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG-340x510.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG-768x1153.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG-1023x1536.jpg 1023w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/IMG_3205.JPG-498x747.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: Chris Enriquez and Michael Griffin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Dual identities\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some know him as October London, the smooth R&amp;B singer with the jet black suit and shades. Others recognize him as Sam Nash, his country-singing alter ego. London likes to shapeshift to keep things interesting. \u201cI like to do this whole skip to my lou thing through different genres. I don\u2019t want to get too bored,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His passion for country also speaks to the year he spent in Texarkana, Texas, a place with \u201cnothing but rich oil money,\u201d and where he decided to devour every kind of music out there. London says he gets excited about contemporary country, as well as artists like Kenny Chesney and Reba McEntire, drawing particular inspiration from McEntire\u2019s lyrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What draws him most, though, is the storytelling power of the genre. \u201cCountry is like a soul food, like a gumbo,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like I can be vulnerable in country. I feel like there\u2019s no judgment\u2026 there\u2019s just something about an acoustic guitar or a pedal steel that tells a different story and shows a different scenery and makes me write differently when I hear those songs and those elements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Nash\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DrckF1xHGSY&amp;ab_channel=OctoberLondon-Topic\" target=\"_blank\">Tennessee Whiskey<\/a>\u201d featuring original songwriter Dean Dillon is a nod to earlier generations of the country staple while staking new ground in a world increasingly aware of Nearest Green, the first African-American master distiller on record.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>London says shifting between his two personas usually happens without a hitch, with fans willing to follow him across genres. Still, there can be moments of confusion, like when he casually mentioned to his October London audience that he was \u201cswitching genres.\u201d What he meant was that he was stepping into his Sam Nash persona for a while, not leaving R&amp;B behind. He\u2019s quick to clarify that there\u2019s plenty more to come on the October London front, true to a Death Row label that was a platform for artists like fellow Midwesterner Danny Boy, as well as Jewell, Val Young, and Nate Dogg. But, barring Nate, you can\u2019t help but wonder what would have happened if those singers were given even more of a chance to shine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"(Courtesy of October London)\" class=\"wp-image-472641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG-340x510.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/08\/DSCF9305.JPG-498x747.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Courtesy of October London)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Snoop himself was a devoted fan of Detroit group the Dramatics, and was thrilled when Dre\u2019s bassist Tony Green\u2014who had played with the group for decades\u2014helped broker their appearance on the iconic \u201cDoggy Dogg World,\u201d as Green once recalled to me. George Clinton made his way onto several Death Row tracks and Suge Knight <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Yz_-BmW-_cg&amp;ab_channel=TheArtOfDialogue\" target=\"_blank\">recently revealed<\/a> that 2Pac was campaigning to get Aaliyah signed to the label, too. Now, under Snoop\u2019s leadership, Death Row is fully embracing R&amp;B, as well as many other genres, too.<\/p>\n<p>Inspired by Snoop\u2019s constant movement, London is building beyond music and bringing value to the label in different ways. \u201cI\u2019m going to retire with Death Row\u2026 movies, podcasts, TV shows\u2014anything I can bring to the table other than just music,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to keep it big because that\u2019s what Snoop\u2019s been doing all these years,\u201d he adds. \u201cA lot of artists coming up behind him didn\u2019t see that. But me and Snoop, we\u2019re both Libras.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>London says some of Snoop\u2019s best advice is to forget the algorithm and ignore the rules. In today\u2019s R&amp;B scene, crowded with artists like Bryson Tiller and Migos, it\u2019s tempting to follow the mold, but Snoop told him to find his own lane.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s been zero traffic,\u201d London said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m doing 80 all the way home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2021\/07\/the-greatest-rock-stars-of-all-time\/?utm_source=yahoo&amp;utm_medium=bottomlink&amp;utm_campaign=yahoolink\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Bend, Indiana-born singer-songwriter October London might be the closest we\u2019ve come to seeing the full aspiration of the original Death Row Records, founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3856,31,3857,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-death-row-records","category-features","category-october-london","category-pushly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5397\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}