In a video posted by TMZ, Mr. Knight appears to be getting into a sheriff’s car after the shooting and waiting for an ambulance. TMZ and other websites reported that Mr. Knight was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was said to be recovering from surgery in intensive care. Citing privacy laws, a hospital spokeswoman, Laura Coverson, said by email that she could not provide any information.

Mr. Knight was shot in the upper torso, Mr. Tatar said, but he would not elaborate.

The party where the shooting occurred was held to celebrate the MTV Video Music Awards, which take place on Sunday. Numerous celebrities are reported to have attended, including Justin Bieber, apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas and the model Tyson Beckford. Mr. Brown appeared to respondto the event on his Twitter account Sunday morning, writing, in part, “It’s disappointing that we as a society can’t have fun or enjoy ourselves without any altercations sometimes.”

The shooting seems to mirror an episode in 2005, when Mr. Knight was shot in the leg at a party in Miami hosted by Kanye West before that year’s Video Music Awards.

Mr. Knight founded Death Row Records in 1991 with Dr. Dre, and the label went on to discover some of the biggest rappers of that decade before filing for bankruptcy in 2006.

Mr. Knight faced trouble along the way. He served nearly five years in jail for violating probation during a 1996 fight at a Las Vegas hotel. Hours after that incident, the rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot while riding in Mr. Knight’s car.

In a statement to the Revolt Television website, Mr. Knight’s family asked that the public pray for him and avoid negativity: “He’s done a lot of things for the community and the culture as a whole, so we ask that you respect that.”