Dame Dash’s disputes with his Roc-A-Fella Records co-founders are nowhere near resolved, as disagreements over ownership of the legendary label continue to persist.
During an interview on The GAUDS Show that premiered last week, the 52-year-old mogul talked about regaining control of the Hip Hop empire he helped build. He also discussed being ousted from it by the same people he kickstarted it with, namely JAY-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke.
“I’m taking back Roc-A-Fella; I don’t need no paperwork,” he said. “Roc-A-Fella never dies. It’s not dead; I just fuckin’ took a vacation. I’m the CEO of Roc-A-Fella Inc. and JAY-Z knows it, and so does Biggs. Not Roc-A-Fella LLC — we sold that; Roc-A-Fella Inc. — I’m still the CEO.”
Last year, Dash was sued by his former business partners over an alleged NFT auction of Hov’s 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. Just months later, they reached a settlement that took away his legal right to sell his portion of the record as any token.
“They took me to court saying I tried to sell all their interests, knowing I didn’t,” he explained. “I was only trying to sell mine, but they did that to fuck my sale up […] We don’t go to court. You call me, and then you wanna lie on me? That was last year. I’m bothered about it.”
Just a few months back, Dash said he’s ready to have a sit-down with JAY-Z to discuss their falling out, but not before his conditions are met. During a mid-October interview on The CEO Show, he talked about his former Roc-A-Fella partner and said that he’d be willing to “have a conversation” to hash out their differences.
He did, however, make it clear that he would only be open to it if the rap superstar agrees to “talk about the people that didn’t make the money, and try to help.” Those people, while not named explicitly, are most likely former Roc-A-Fella artists, given the context of the conversation.
Dame Dash, Kareem “Biggs” Burke and JAY-Z launched Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994, but the parntership infamously split up in 2004 when The Island Def Jam Music Group purchased the label. While Dame took credit for helping put Hov on, the rap legend didn’t agree with those sentiments and addressed the idea on Kingdom Come’s “Lost One.”
“I heard muthafuckas sayin’ they made Hov/ Made Hov say, ‘Okay, so? Make another Hov!’/ N-ggas wasn’t playin’ they day role/ So we parted ways like Ben and J-Lo/ I shoulda been did it but I been in a daze though/ I put friends over business end of the day though,” he raps on the 2006 track.
Their relationship has gone through several ups and downs since, and even though both have expressed a mutual admiration for each other’s work, tension remains between them.
Once you get to a guy like his stature unless you are personally producing and engineering sessions they can always scoop your talent. Having an eye for talent and style is cool but it’s hard to keep loyal people in the industry and that is the general downfall for the good urban rap labels. A guy like Dame might be better off looking at his time in the rap game as a success and move on.
This dude is delusional. Like he has any leverage to be setting conditions with a multibillionaire. And if the artists “didn’t make no money” Dame could have come out his own pocket if he cared so much. But he didn’t. He spent it as soon as he got it, then his cash cow left and he’s been down ever since. This happened damn near 20 years ago. He would’ve BEEN back on top again if he was as boss as he claims to be. But he’s always been a bad businessman who got lucky, while Jay is the opposite. Dame is just bitter but the sooner he owns his BS, the sooner he’ll learn from it. Maybe then he can be successful again. Till then…he’s just screaming into the wind.
I think people are interested in Dame Dash just because every good record Jay Z made was when they were hanging out together. Those records got people through a lot of hard times in the late 90s and Y2K. I’m not even talking about when Ye linked with them I’m talking the whole Irv Gotti era and before. That’s when it was really Hov.
Surely Dame is popular with a lot of people and nostalgia is appealing. Just wish the dude would accept some responsibility for how he got where he is today. He and his fans would benefit a good deal.
Yeah well maybe he could have had a better attitude in general when he was on top. I’m being charitable to him today guaranteed he wouldn’t be cutting me the same slack if the situations were reversed. Maybe if he had a little more a generous spirit it might turn around for him. I remember him coming across as a prick back in the day
I know how it is – sometimes you gotta come across heavy especially in places where people feel like they can be who you are and take what you have. Unfortunately Jay Z was a ride he could not leave at that point in time and end up looking super tough. I don’t know dude to call him any names and all his people from the roc days other than hov stuck by him.
Who? LoL
He can’t just find a hot rapper off the street link him with a producer and get some spins on the radio to make money. In 1998 that’s how you make a star in 2024 that’s how you turn 5K into 5 cents in streaming revenue.
Him and Hov could prob do business from a distance this time if Hov gives him some kind of job at Roc Nation. It would be enough $ to make peace.
Hov would never do that and get his ass kicked all over town why?
Hov gave a DJ who doesn’t make beats and says we the best a Multimillionaire. Stranger things have happened
But I thought you did dame dash music group after the fallout ? Wasnt that your attempt and you failed
Everyone failed at music if you tried to make it in the last 20 years. The industry made a generation of failures. Now we’re seeing the results. Looks like folks are on the run. Looks like folks are feeling the heat. Guess all these industry “failures” hanging around with money in their pockets are inconvenient for y’all
The funniest part of this article is Jay-Z ONLY response to Dame was 17 years ago, on one verse of a song (Lost Ones). Meanwhile Dame has mentioned Jay-Z at least 100 times since then. Dude needs to move on
Interview tours mean you’re broke. Can’t wait for the day he dies🍾
you won’t see that day. Happy New Year
“Making it” in the music business today MEANS YOU ARE BROKE. Don’t get it twisted. Not making it in the music business today means you are bitter – and have a swole up bank account rent and car note paid. Just saying.