According to history, hip-hop originated in New York in the 1970s. Despite early detractors and skeptics, the genre took off and grew with early acts like DJ Cool, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa.
The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim, The Lox, Diddy, Wu-Tang Clan, and Damon Dash were among the many rappers, executives, and producers that made their way into the scene as a result of the people’s unwavering will.
According to history, hip-hop originated in New York in the 1970s. Despite early detractors and skeptics, the genre took off and grew with early acts like DJ Cool, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa.
The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim, The Lox, Diddy, Wu-Tang Clan, and Damon Dash were among the many rappers, executives, and producers that made their way into the scene as a result of the people’s unwavering will.
Born in New York, Dash gained notoriety for founding Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke. Jay-Z’s debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” was released on the label, which enjoyed some early success after being formally created in 1995, according to TIDAL.
After achieving great success in the 1990s and 2000s, according to Variety, Roc-A-Fella Records sold $1.5 million for 50% of its ownership stake to become a part of Def Jam.
Artists including Cam’ron, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Dipset, and a teenage Kanye West would be signed by the label under Dash’s direction.
But according to MTV, Dash, Sean Carter, and Burke sold Def Jam the remaining portion of their ownership in 2004 for $10 million.
Carter and Dash continued to be associated with the label in some way, even though this marked the end of an era in hip-hop. In 2021, Dash sold his remaining stake in the business.
According to an earlier AfroTech article, Jay-Z’s debut album was attempted to be sold as an NFT, which led to a dispute between Dash and Carter. Following this argument, Dash further stated that he thought the financial offer for his residual stake in the record company the two co-founded was insulting.
According to AfroTech, he claimed, “I was offered a certain amount of money for my interest in Roc-A-Fella Inc., which owns ‘Reasonable Doubt.'” Jay-Z: “They made me an offer of about $1.5 million. “That’s some disrespectful sh-t,” I said. I suppose I’ll have to sell it somewhere else.
Few can dispute Dash’s cultural influence on the hip-hop business despite the back and forth. Dash has made multiple entrepreneurial moves after leaving Roc-A-Fella, and he hopes to pass on this trait and heritage to his kids.
The 2002 drama “Paid in Full,” starring Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, and Regina Hall, was produced by Life Beyond The Roc Dash.
The creator of Roc-A-Fella launched Dame Dash Studios, his own streaming service. He then used that knowledge to create fresh Fox Soul programming, drawing inspiration from a Black Enterprise report.
Additionally, Dash founded the lifestyle company Rocawear. As to Forbes, he established “Creative Control, a digital media platform that explored the intersection of music, art, and culture, and opened DD172, an art gallery and creative collective in New York.”
