After being hit by a number of financials woes and a recent divorce Hip Hop mogul Damon Dash seemed to have strayed away from the spotlight.

But despite his recent burdens Dash has moved on to create DD172, an artistic space located in Manhattan’s wealthy Tribeca neighborhood.

Described by rapper Mos Def as a mix of “Hitsville, Andy Warhol’s Factory and a little bit of the Algonquin roundtable” DD172 serves as an art gallery, rehearsal space, photo studio, and much more.

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In a feature story for The New York Observer, Dash gave writer D.M. Levine and photographer Matt Rodigheri an inside look at DD172.

“I’m a pretentious hippie,” Dash told The Observer. “This is what I should be doing…Regardless of how I got here, I’m exactly where I want to be.”

It may seem a little ironic that after dealing with a number of financial issues Dash chose to open a space right in the middle of one of New York City’s most priciest areas. When asked about his financial issues Dash responded with the following: “Look, you don’t come out of financial troubles over night. But, I guess, if this is financial trouble, I like being broke.”