Damon Dash dished on his disdain for Jay-Z because he claims the rapper was well aware R. Kelly “raped his girl” before collaborating with him.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder chatted with the hosts of the That’s F***ed Up podcast on Wednesday. After co-host Alejandro González Charles asked Dame if he had “any opinion on the R. Kelly situation,” the music executive didn’t hold back.
Dame said, “Yeah, I think he is where he belongs. I know Aaliyah so I know what he did. I can’t be objective about that.”
The entrepreneur added, “He definitely seemed like he needed some help”.
The disgraced singer was found guilty of not only sex trafficking but also racketeering and child pornography.
Charles then asked if he ever had any beef with R. Kelly, considering he reportedly abused Aaliyah. Dame says the “One In A Million” singer asked him to “leave it alone completely.”
“When Jay was doing videos with him, I would be in the video but I would be like ‘yo what do you want me to do?’” He claims Aaliyah told him, “Don’t start nothing just don’t be in no shots with him.”
Dame confirms he kept his word because there is no evidence of him in a photo with the fallen star.
The 52-year-old stated he cut ties with Jay-Z after he recorded The Best of Both Worlds with the Chicago crooner and wanted no part of the project.
“I couldn’t believe [Jay-Z] did a project with R. Kelly knowing he had raped my girl,” he shared.
Dame says he wasn’t on the album as an executive producer “to squash the beef [between Jay and Biggs], and either way, I was like, ‘well, just don’t put my name on that. I don’t want no money from that if it is put it to the Aaliyah Foundation.’”
Co-host A.D. Dolphin noted, “You was right, to be honest. Because once the s**t came out on R. Kelly, Jay-Z fled the scene.”
The record exec seemingly dismissed his statement, responding, “Yeah, whatever. But the point was he knew the whole time.”
Joshua Engle pivoted and asked, “Didn’t they say “Fiesta” was filmed on Epstein Island or some sh–?”
“Nah, no, it wasn’t,” Dame quickly replied. He stated he forgot the music video’s location, but “it wasn’t on no island.”
The host admitted that his source wasn’t credible. He found the information in a video as he scrolled on Instagram, but he was “just checking.”
Source: Gregory Bojorquez / Getty
Jay-Z and Dame were once a dynamic duo. The entrepreneur championed Jigga after no record labels would sign him. They eventually started Roc-A-Fella Records. In 1994, released Jay’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt. They went on to secure a deal with Def Jam Records for 20 million dollars. Yet their success came with mismanagement and distrust amongst leaders and labelmates.
The two would subsequently part ways, but Dame seems to have a lingering salty taste in his mouth. Fans clocked that he criticizes Jay whenever he gets an opportunity, especially when Jay gets new accolades like “The Book of HOV” exhibit. Could it be because Jay-Z has hit billionaire status while Dame’s reported net worth is a mere $100,000?
Is Dame in a position to criticize Jay-Z for collaborating with R. Kelly when he looked just as complicit, dancing alongside Jay in the video?
What do you think?
