What's Really Going On With Damon Dash And Jay-Z?
Damon Dash and Jay-Z are one of the most prominent cases of besties falling out in the music industry. Co-founders of Roc-A-Fella records alongside Kareem Burke, the rap icons launched Jay-Z's debut album "Reasonable Doubt" under the label in 1996, per Hot New Hip Hop. Dash took a risk because, as Jay-Z divulged to MTV in 2009, "nobody would sign me." Now, 102 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (and four No. 1's) later, Jay-Z no longer has Dash in his corner  not since the early 2000s, according to Hot New Hip Hop. Many trace this back to managerial disputes between the two over Roc-A-Fella. Although Dash told MTV (via HNHH) in 2004, "It's Roc-A-Fella for life. I would never pass the torch or leave any of my artists," he ended up selling the 50 percent remaining shares of the label to its parent company, Island Def Jam, per the outlet. Shortly after that, the "99 Problems" rapper was appointed president of said-parent company and the two have seemingly been on the outs since. Dash clearly still held bitterness in 2019, explaining on No Jumper that Jay-Z was "all about the bag. We all know that ... It's just that the people he does it to don't have Beyonc next to 'em." Biting words, and sadly, it looks like a June lawsuit by Jay-Z has revealed the former friends and partners' feud is going strong. Read on for the latest drama unfolding in their saga.