It seems that Dame Dash has just dropped a major bomb on the hip-hop world about a potential move that could have reshaped the landscape of music ownership. According to the Roc-a-Fella Records co-owner and co-founder, Drake expressed interest in purchasing his portion of Roc-a-Fella Records.
Inside the Dash Court Oder
Dash is under a court order to sell his stake in Roc-A-Fella Records to pay off a judgment in a lawsuit.
According to Dash, Drake reached out to him directly, offering to buy his stake in Roc-a-Fella— a transaction that would have given the Canadian rapper temporary co-ownership of Jay-Z’s landmark album “Reasonable Doubt.”
Dash made the revelation during an interview on his America Nu Network YouTube channel but did not explain why Drake reached out to him instead of contacting the lawyers involved in the sale of his Roc-A-Fella stake. But, according to Dash, Drake contacted him through direct messages.
Roc-a-Fella Records was co-founded by Jay-Z, Dame Dash, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke and continues to have a highly respected catalog.
“I’m not quite sure what happened, but I thought that he had got with Jay or something,” Dash commented, noting that the deal did not move forward or even if he was allowed by the courts to make the deal.
Adding, “If you want to own ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ you have to be willing to participate in board meetings for at least the next seven years to make money off it.”
“Reasonable Doubt” holds significant cultural and financial value as the album that launched Jay-Z’s career in 1996.
The rights to the album have been a focal point in the ongoing business disputes between Dash and Jay-Z. Dash’s remaining Roc-a-Fella shares, which include his stake in “Reasonable Doubt,” arguably the company’s most valuable asset.
In July, Dash confirmed on social media that he was selling his Roc-a-Fella shares.
He posted a photograph of the “Reasonable Doubt” album, according to Complex, “This s—t is for sale 1/3 … only real inquiries only.”
While the idea of Drake owning part of Jay-Z’s seminal album may seem appealing, the financial upside is limited.
According to legal filings from Jay-Z’s team earlier this year, the rights to “Reasonable Doubt” are set to revert to Jay-Z in 2031.
This means that any potential buyer of Dash’s Roc-a-Fella shares would only have seven years to profit from the album’s revenue before ownership shifts back to Jay-Z. As a result, the short-term nature of the deal may have reduced its attractiveness for Drake or other investors.
To complicate this matter for Dash, perhaps presenting a reason around his urgency to identify a high-stakes buyer, is his court-ordered auction of his stake to satisfy his debt to filmmaker Josh Webber (he owes him a judgment of $823K), back taxes and back child support. This auction was scheduled for August 2024, but delayed until Sept. 21.
