Damon Dash

Template:Short description Template:Pp-semi-blp Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and record executive.<ref name="Village Voice">Template:Cite news</ref> He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke in 1994,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and co-founded the fashion retailer Rocawear with the former in 1999.

Early life

Born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barbershop and sold newspapers in order to buy sneakers and shirts as a teenager. Dash "learned to hustle", in his own words, from the example of his mother, who died of an asthma attack when he was 15.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, Dash was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.<ref name=onedrop>Template:Cite web</ref> "Before I was diagnosed... I went about a month or two just going to the bathroom non-stop and losing weight", Dash recalled. "Magic Johnson had just been diagnosed with AIDS, so that's what I thought I had. I was scared to even go to the doctor. I thought I was going to die."<ref name=onedrop/>

Career

Template:Expand section Dash served as Jay-Z's manager and business partner at Roc-A-Fella Records, and in 1999, he organized a tour for Jay-Z which made $19 million.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Their relationship soured as a result of two subsequent events. The first was when Roc-A-Fella Records was purchased by Def Jam Recordings (which had previously only owned half of the company) in 2004, after which Jay-Z agreed to take a job as Def Jam's president. Then, in late 2005, Jay-Z bought Dash out of his stake in Rocawear.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2014, it was announced that Dash is involved with Blind Debit, a fingerprint payment application being developed by Dez White.<ref name="KTLA">Template:Cite web</ref>

Dash founded DD172, a media collective which encompasses: America Nu, a magazine; VNGRD79, a web design firm; BluRoc Records, a record label division.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also includes an art gallery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2018, Dash released the album Culture Vultures (Audio Experience) alongside Kenyatta Griggs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album saw a series of interviews with Dash about his life, put against a musical backdrop; subjects Dash discussed include his relationships with Jay Z and Aaliyah, his mother's death, and being diabetic. A book was also released, coinciding with the audio commentary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 21, 2025, Dash's rock group The Black Guns released the album 365, in collaboration with rapper Freeway. Of the release, Dash stated, " I’m usually a businessman, but I wanted to be an artist and I wanted to pay homage to real rock and roll".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Dash met R&B singer Aaliyah in New York City in the summer of 2000 through his accountant,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and dated her until her death on August 25, 2001, in a plane crash in The Bahamas.<ref>Damon Dash Remembers Aaliyah: "Every Time I Was With Her, I Felt It Was The Place To Be" Template:Webarchive August 25, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2019</ref> Though they were not formally engaged, in interviews given after Aaliyah's death, Dash stated that the couple had planned to marry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2005, Dash married fashion designer Rachel Roy, whom he had dated prior to his relationship with Aaliyah. They met when she was working as an intern at Rocawear. Together they have two daughters, Ava Dash (born December 7, 1999) and Tallulah Dash (born May 14, 2008).<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Following their divorce in 2009, they had a bitter custody battle.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Dash has a son, Dame "Boogie" Dash (born November 28, 1991), with former girlfriend Linda Williams.<ref name=":1" /> Boogie stars in the reality television show Growing Up Hip Hop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also has another son, Lucky, born in 2004 with Cindy Morales.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Dash and his fiancée Raquel Horn have a son, Dusko Dash, born on November 14, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Dash is a first cousin of the actress Stacey Dash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 5, 2025, he announced that he had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with over $25 million in debt.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legal issues

In 2012, rapper Curren$y sued Dash for $1.5 million for releasing his music without permission.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Dash's attorney released a statement that Dash released the music on fair grounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2014, Dash was ordered to pay Linda Williams, the mother of his son Boogie, $50,000 for causing her to be prosecuted on harassment charges in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2015, Dash's ex-wife, Rachel Roy, accused him of domestic abuse and filed for a restraining order.<ref name=":0" /> Roy was awarded sole custody of their daughters. The court granted Roy and her daughters with a three-year restraining order against Dash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Days later, Dash filed a $2.5 million claim against Roy in asserted damage for allegedly mishandling their joint fashion business, Royale Etenia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, Dash settled a suit he filed against director Lee Daniels requesting $5 million to recoup a $2 million investment with interest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lee had received financial support from Dash early in his career, and reportedly failed to repay him despite his subsequent success.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2019, Dash was arrested for failing to pay more than $400,000 in child support. Dash was in New York City for an unrelated Federal Court appearance when he was arrested for two warrants. The first warrant was issued in April 2015 in the Supreme Court in New York County case of Cindy Morales; he owed $62,553 since 2012.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> The second warrant was issued in March 2019 in the Bronx Family Court case of Rachel Roy. He was ordered to pay her $341,991 and $25,000 for attorney fees in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3" /> Dash reportedly paid more than $1 million to be released.<ref name=":1" />

External links

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