Former Roc-A-Fella Records co-owner Dame Dash recently shed some light on why a music video for Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt record, “Brooklyn’s Finest” was never filmed. While appearing on the Hip Hop Motivation Radio Show, Dame revealed that a video for the song, which also featured The Notorious B.I.G., was never created because Puff “wouldn’t clear the video.”
When Dame was asked if being up-and-coming at the time was the reason why the Bad Boy Records founder didn’t clear the video, the Hip Hop entrepreneur quickly shot down that possibility. He explained that he “was never up-and-coming” and stated that those at Roc-A-Fella were “always bigger than everybody in the room.”
“And the real messed up thing about it was we was going to do the video, and Puff wouldn’t clear it,” Dame Dash said. “So, I always hated that about Puff. Wouldn’t clear the video, man. I don’t know. Ask him…I wasn’t up-and-coming. I was never up-and-coming. I was always there, trust me. I was doing it my way. We was always bigger than everybody in the room. Trust me. Cause we had our own money. So, we always had more money than all the rappers. They was getting it from other people. We was getting it from ourselves…He’s alive, man. Somebody just ask Puff why he didn’t clear that.”
Prior to speaking on the lack of a “Brooklyn’s Finest” music video, Dame spoke on the records featured on Reasonable Doubt being his favorites, since Jay Z was allegedly speaking about him directly on those songs.
He later dubbed “Brooklyn’s Finest” his favorite record out of those featured on Reasonable Doubt, partly due to his contribution to the song.
“Well, as for Roc-A-Fella days, all my first records that I loved the most were Reasonable Doubt,” he said. “And the reason why was because everything Jay said was basically about us. Everything he said I felt like he was speaking about me directly. The things he said were things I was saying directly out my mouth. And it was the spirit. There was a circular success thing where we were all trying to make each other rich. And that was the thing, keep each other rich, so we could never worry about going broke. And my favorite record was the one I produced with Clark Kent…It’s called ‘Brooklyn’s Finest.’ And it’s featuring Biggie Smalls.”
Dame Dash’s interview on the Hip Hop Motivation Radio Show can be found below (via AllHipHop).
For additional Dame Dash coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
for someone sooooo visionary, i just don’t see why PUFFY wouldn’t okay the video, for ‘BROOKLYN’S FINEST’. :-/
I’m sure there is more to the story than Dame’s side, especially if he was in a room with Puffy thinking he was the biggest deal in the room..
I’m sure Dame’s ego came into play back then as well..
wow Dame is an OG Puffy a sucker for not co-signing this. I mean what kinda man don’t wanna let Dame or Biggie shine?