Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon “Dame” Dash is not letting up on his public clapback aimed at former business partner Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. There is reported a legal battle taking place between the two men over the Reasonable Doubt album.
Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z’s debut studio album, came out in 1996 under the Roc-A-Fella umbrella. In 2004, 50% of the label was sold to Island Def Jam Music Group which effectively ended the Roc’s run as a collective.
Roc-A-Fella’s attorney, Alex Spiro, recently filed a lawsuit against Damon Dash claiming he did not have the ownership rights to auction Reasonable Doubt as an NFT. Dash fired back by telling TMZ he is actually attempting to sell his stake in the record company.
Damon Dash insists he owns part of Reasonable Doubt. The New York native gave comments directed to Page Six at Jay-Z. Dash said, “He’s lying. That’s a whole lie. Jay owns one-third of Reasonable Doubt.”
The music executive/film producer also claimed that Jay-Z offered to purchase Dash’s share of Roc-A-Fella this year for $1.5 million. He speculates that Jay-Z filed the lawsuit as a way to prevent the sale to someone else.
“They just said that I tried to sell an NFT of Reasonable Doubt and … it’s not true. I’m not running around to different places trying to auction off Reasonable Doubt,” Dash revealed to Page Six. He added, “And the thing is I own a third of Roc-A-Fella Records and I can sell my third if I feel like it.”
Damon Dash also suggested that Jay-Z was “mad” about him making money. The 50-year-old entrepreneur believes his former friend has “only one man to eat’ syndrome and “kiss the ring and we’re gonna mess up his reputation” syndrome.
“It is f##### up for one Black man to do that to another Black man in front of all these people and whoever believes that s### is a sucker. I got a bridge I can sell you too,” said Damon Dash. Representatives for Jay-Z have not publicly responded to Dash’s comments.
Roc-A-Fella Records was co-founded in 1995 by Damon Dash, Jay-Z, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. Besides Reasonable Doubt, Jay also dropped albums such as In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, The Blueprint, and The Black Album via the NYC-based label.