The event was going smoothly, with Quincy Jones and Snoop Dogg on stage to introduce Dre, when an unidentified man walked up to Dre’s front-row table and attempted to punch him in the face, according to reports. Dre’s bodyguards went after the assailant, sparking a chaotic, chair-throwing brawl that resulted in at least one man being stabbed.
One stabbing victim, also unidentified, was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Once local police were able to sort the situation out, the crowd of 1,000 returned to their seats and the awards show continued and Dre received his award.
No reason was given for the attack, characterized as a “disruption” by a Vibe spokesperson, who said the show was interrupted for about five minutes, though others said the fighting went on for 20 minutes. Dre rival Suge Knight, who was also on hand at the ceremony, denied having anything to do with the altercation, according to reports. “It’s really important we don’t take a negative incident like this and do away with the awards,” Knight told reporters, according to AP.
Observers noted that Death Row Records (currently called Tha Row), which Dre founded with Knight and became a hugely successful rap enterprise, hasn’t recovered since Knight went to jail in the late ’90s. Dre, who had previously left Death Row to form his own label, Aftermath, has had major success with signings including Eminem. When Knight was released from prison in 2001, Dre got a restraining order to keep Knight away from him. The Times report said it was unclear if that order was still in effect.
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