Jay-Z sues Damon Dash for trying to sell his album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ as NFT
Jay-Z recently sued his ‘Reasonable Doubt’ album cover photographer Jonathan Mannion for exploiting the hip-hop icon’s image after the latter used it on his website for selling merchandise despite the rapper not giving him permission to do the same. Now, the hip-hop mogul is suing his former colleague Damon Dash in order to stop the album’s NFT sale.
Jay-Z, who co-founded the former Roc-A-Fella Records with Damon Dash, is suing his former partner for trying to steal and sell the copyright to Jay’s debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’, as reported by Page Six. According to the documents obtained by the publication, the attorneys for Jay-Z alleged that Dash was trying to sell the album as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). The Roc-A-Fella Records was founded by the two in the year 1995 and the Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ sold more than a million copies under the same label in 1996. The label got defunct in 2013 after Jay and Dash apparently did not see each other due to creative differences over the years.
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Days after Jay-Z sued Damon Dash over selling his album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ as NFT, the latter hit back at the rapper saying the lawsuit is full of inaccuracies. He also told TMZ that it is not the album that he is trying to sell as NFT but the entire stock in Roc-A-Fella. Dash also revealed that Jay-Z tried to buy his 1/3 share at Roc-A-Fella at, "a price I deemed unacceptable.” Dash told TMZ, “Under the terms of the deal with a potential buyer, the buyer would buy my share of Roc a Fella Records and Jay-Z will have exclusive administration rights." Dash also claimed that the lawsuit was only a scare tactic to stop selling ‘Reasonable Doubt’ as NFT.
Why is Jay-Z suing Damon Dash?
The paperwork for the new complaint was filed on Friday, June 17, and speaking on the same, Jay-Z’s lawyers asserted, “Dash had planned to sell at a SuperFarm Foundation online auction on Jun. 23… the copyright to Jay-Z’s album Reasonable Doubt, recognized as one of the greatest recordings in history”, as reported by Page Six. The complaint further said, “That auction was cancelled and Dash is frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale” adding, “The sale of this irreplaceable asset must be stopped before it is too late, and Dash must be held accountable for his theft.”
According to the paperwork filed, Dash saw an opportunity and “sought to cash in by auctioning the copyright to Reasonable Doubt as an NFT.” The paperwork also states that the 51-year-old rapper feels that Dash has already minted the album as an NFT and intends to sell it “as soon as possible.” According to Page Six, the lawsuit concludes, “Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own. By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties. The court should stop Dash….and hold him accountable for his brazen theft.” The complaint also revealed that Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella co-founders Dash and Kareem Burke each own one-third of the shares in the record label along with the rapper’s 1996 hit album ‘Reasonable Doubt’.
‘Damon Dash is broke and nothing without Jay Z’
A few social media users reacted to the news of Jay-Z suing his former colleague Damon Dash days after suing the photographer over the ‘Reasonable Doubt’ album cover. One user said, “Hov suing anyone doing anything related to reasonable doubt huh?” Another added, “But dame does own a percentage of the album.” One claimed, “Damon Dash is broke and nothing without Jay Z. Zero.” Meanwhile, another made fun of the rapper and asserted, “Hov not playing about Reasonable Doubt lol.” One chimed and in and concluded, “Jay Z really don’t care about nobody.”
Hov suing anyone doing anything related to reasonable doubt huh?😭
— 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒐 𝑽𝒂𝒓𝒊㊗️❤️🔥 (@javariwill) June 19, 2021
But dame does own a percentage of the album
— Sports 🏈🏀⚾️ Movies 📽🎬 and Music 💿📻 (@CityBoy_MD) June 19, 2021