REASONABLE DOUBT Archives - New Hip Hop News

Dame Dash Roc-A-Fella Auction To Move Forward Despite Jay-Z Allegedly “Poisoning It”

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, Judge Robert Lehrburger denied New York City’s motion to stay the auction of Dame Dash’s Roc-A-Fella stake. According to court docs obtained by AllHipHop, Lehrburger’s decision means that the question of whether or not Jay-Z will be able to terminate the label’s Reasonable Doubt copyright will not be answered ahead of the auction.

“Intervenor NYCDSS’s motion to stay the auction for purposes of having this court determine the validity of the copyright termination notice filed by Shawn Carter a/k/a Jay-Z in connection with the work Reasonable Doubt, an asset owned by [Roc-A-Fella], is denied,” the judge said. “The asset that is the subject of the auction is Dash’s one-third interest in RAF itself, not the work owned by RAF. The court does not presently have jurisdiction over the validity of Carter’s copyright termination notice.”

Judge Denies Motion To Stay Dame Dash Auction

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The ruling comes after Gerald Singleton, attorney for the city, accused Jay-Z of having “poisoned the environment for the auction.” Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, later argued that it wasn’t the right time to work out Jay-Z’s rights to the album. “Put simply,” he explained. “This is not the appropriate time, forum, or case to litigate any issues relating to Jay-Z’s notice of termination.” Spiro also added that there was “no merit to NYC’s accusations.”

Judge Lehrburger additionally denied NYC’s motion to compel discovery of Roc-A-Fella before the Dame Dash auction. “The only subpoena directed to RAF of which the Court is aware is the one served by NYCDSS in state administrative proceedings,” he wrote. “No discovery subpoena has been served by intervenors in the instant action, nor should there be.” What do you think of a judge denying New York City’s request to stay Dame Dash’s Roc-A-Fella auction? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Reasonable Doubt: City of New York Calls Out Jay-Z’s Attempts to Devalue Damon Dash’s Share of Roc-A-Fella Prior to Auction

September 24, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The New York City Department of Social Services (NYCDSS) has called out Jay-Z in a federal court filing, accusing him of making “false” claims that have “poisoned” the upcoming auction of Damon Dash’s one-third share of Roc-A-Fella Records, which Dash planned to pay his substantial debts, including unpaid child support to two women.

In 1994, Roc-A-Fella Records was founded by Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. With an $823,000 judgment against him in federal court and $ 145,096 in unpaid child support, and an unpaid New York state tax bill of $8.7 million, Dash recently announced that he would auction off his one-third share in Roc-A-Fella. Although the auction is being held as part of the federal court proceeding, NYCDSS has priority to recover the unpaid child support amounts. Roc-A-Fella’s primary asset is Jay-Z’s album “Reasonable Doubt,” other entities now own the rest of the music initially released by Roc-A-Fella and not part of this dispute.

Jay-Z and Burke previously sought to derail the auction by intervening in the federal lawsuit and attempting to block the auction by arguing that changes to Roc-A-Fella Inc.’s bylaws required their approval of any sale. The court rejected their arguments, ruling that the changes to the bylaws were unenforceable because they had been made without Dash’s input and suggesting that Jay-Z and Burke participate in the auction and place their own bid.

Thereafter, Jay-Z made public statements claiming that he personally has a “termination right” under copyright law to take back ownership of the copyright in the album in seven years, so any purchaser’s rights would be strictly limited to that period.

On September 20, counsel for NYCDSS filed a motion in the federal court proceeding, writing that:

Jay-Z’s statements to the press have poisoned the environment for the auction. He has claimed that he has a termination right under the Copyright Act and that the rights to Reasonable Doubt will revert to him in six years. In fact, he has no such termination right and [Roc-A-Fella] is entitled to the renewal term, which is now 67 years, meaning it will own the copyright rights until the year 2098. In other words, the highest possible auction price could be more than ten times higher than is likely now, given Jay-Z’s and [Roc-A-Fella’s] actions.

The motion further characterized Jay-Z’s statements as “false and extremely damaging to the City’s interests in ensuring that the auction will generate sufficient funds to satisfy all existing child support arrearages and secure future child support payments.” NYCDSS attached to its motion a copy of Jay-Z’s 1995 recording agreement, pointing to language that it claims to expressly contradict his claim of a “termination right” under copyright law.

NYCDSS’s motion seeks a court order staying the auction until the Court issues a ruling on whether Jay-Z possesses any termination right and ordering Roc-A-Fella to provide royalty records for the “Reasonable Doubt” album and to produce a witness for a deposition. The City of New York appears to have had enough of Jay-Z’s campaign to devalue Dash’s share of Roc-A-Fella before the auction, at the expense of all those to whom Dash owes money, including the mothers of his children, the plaintiff in the federal lawsuit, and the beneficiaries of Dash’s many millions owed in tax revenues.

The full court filing can be read here.

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JAY-Z’s Handling Of Dame Dash’s Roc-A-Fella Sale Slammed As “Extremely Damaging” By NYC Lawyers

September 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

JAY-Z is facing legal backlash from The City of New York through its Department of Social Services for his handling of Dame Dash’s attempt to sell off his stake in Roc-A-Fella. Gerald E. Singleton, an attorney for The City, has requested a pre-motion conference and stay of the auction sale. The move comes after JAY’s bombshell claim that copyright ownership of Reasonable Doubt will revert back to him in 2031 regardless of who buys Dame’s shares.

“JAY-Z has issued widely publicized statements warning potential bidders that copyright ownership will revert back to him in 2031,” Singleton wrote in a letter to Judge Robert W. Lehrburger, as caught by AllHipHop. “Those statements are false and extremely damaging to the City’s interests in ensuring that the auction will generate sufficient funds to satisfy all existing child support arrearages and secure future child support payments.” Additionally, lawyers for Roc-A-Fella are allegedly withholding critical royalty information, for which Singleton said The City will likely file motions for turnover orders against the company. “The auction should be conducted in a manner that will bring the highest price for the benefit of affected judgment creditors,” Singleton added.

JAY-Z & Dame Dash During The Launch Of The 40/40 Club

Damon Dash and Jay-Z during The Launch of Jay Z’s 40/40 Club – Inside Party at 40/40 Sports Bar in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Dame weighed in on the latest update on Instagram on Sunday night, denying the validity of JAY-Z’s recent claims. “The State of NY has stepped in and filed the following to the courts… Jay-Z’s statements to the press have poisoned the environment for the auction,” he began. “He has claimed that he has a termination right under the Copyright Act and that the rights to Reasonable Doubt will revert to him in six years. In fact, he has no such termination right and RAF is entitled to the renewal term, which is now 67 years,meaning it will own the copyright rights until the year 2098. In other words, the highest possible auction price could be more than ten times higher than is likely now, given Jay-Z’s and RAF actions. RAF is complicit by its inaction in pushing back against such false statements.”

Dame Dash Calls Out JAY-Z

Dame is attempting to sell his shares in an effort to cover a judgment against him to film producer Josh Webber over the film Dear Frank. Check out Dame’s full comments on the situation below. Be on the lookout for further updates on JAY-Z and Dame Dash on HotNewHipHop.

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Can Dame Dash Actually Sell His Share Of Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt?’

September 17, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Dame Dash The Prince Of Detroit Premiere 2024 (1024x437) — Getty Image

For years, Dame Dash has led both a public and legal battle with his former business partner Jay-Z. Recently, Dame claimed to have made headway in offloading a piece of hip-hop history.

According to Dame Dash, his plan to sell his share of Jay-Z’s highly acclaimed debut album, Reasonable Doubt. During a recent appearance on America Nu Network (viewable here), Dame even claimed that Drake expressed interest in purchasing his stake. However, there appears to be some confusion over who actually owns the shares. Continue below for more information.

Can Dame Dash Actually Sell His Share Of Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt?’

Based on an investigative piece conducted by Rolling Stone‘s Andre Gee (viewable here), Dame Dash doesn’t appear to be the rightful owner of the stake. Technically speaking, Dame Dash can not sell his stakes. According to the outlet, in order to “satisfy an $823K judgment” in his Josh Webber and Muddy Waters Films lawsuit, Dame was ordered to turn over his shares of Roc-A-Fella Inc (which own stake in Jay-Z’s album) over to the US Marshals.

Now, Christopher Brown, the attorney of Webber seemingly controls the stakes as in an effort to recoup the judgment on behalf of his client. So, it appears that the reports of an auction supposedly held on August 29 might have been true. But, Dame Dash having a deciding factor is allegedly a fallacy.

Dame Dash Claims Drake Offered To Buy His “Reasonable Doubt” Share

September 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Like many other of his hip-hop relationships, Drake shares a pretty rocky history with Jay-Z. They’ve sent supposed subliminals at each other, collaborated, and gone back and forth on this dynamic at least twice now. Moreover, many folks think that Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl halftime show over Lil Wayne is Hov’s way of slighting Young Money (and by extension, the 6ix God) through his NFL partnership. Some folks think that Jay offered it to Drizzy in the past to no avail. But Dame Dash recently threw another wrench into this history, as he claimed that The Boy reached out to him to respond to Dame’s sale offers for his one-third share of Reasonable Doubt.

“As for battle rap, there’s never been a battle rap where, you know, the record becomes a hit, puts another artist in a very uncomfortable position – pause – and then they get to perform it at the Super Bowl,” Dame Dash said of the Toronto superstar’s Kendrick battle and the Super Bowl debate. “I’m thinking, like, what I would do if I was Drake. I’d be like, ‘Well, a big W would be to come to the Super Bowl with one of these Roc-A-Fella chains.’ Drake hollered at me through a DM and made and offer. I’m not quite sure what happened. But I thought that he had got with Jay on something, but I don’t know.

Dame Dash Makes Bold Drake & Jay-Z Claim

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“But it would be a good time to close if you got it,” Dame Dash continued. “You know, I wouldn’t do it if you don’t got it. If you want to own Reasonable Doubt, if you want to own a third of it, have a say at the board meeting for at least the next seven years and make money off of it, I would get these chains. Or one, you get one. And I’ma make it even better. I spoke to Alligator Jesus and I was like, ‘Yo, if somebody does buy it for this price, now I got to give some Roc-A-Fella grills.’ So I guess I’ll put up some Roc-A-Fella grills as well if you have the bread.”

Meanwhile, one of the producers for the Super Bowl halftime show, Jesse Collins, recently claimed to Variety that Jay-Z is the one who picks its artists. “It’s a decision that Jay makes,” he remarked regarding the decision-making that goes on behind the scenes. “Since we’ve been on board with that show, he’s made it every year, and it’s been amazing. He’s always picked right!

[via]

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Dame Dash Promises Roc-A-Fella Chain To Highest “Reasonable Doubt” Bidder

August 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Reasonable Doubt saga continues. 2024 has been defined by beef on record, but the tension between Dame Dash and JAY-Z regarding the latter’s debut album has been just as dramatic. Dame Dash owns 1/3 of the album. He’s openly campaigned to sell his portion to the highest bidder, and gone out of his way to make the deal appealing. Dame Dash further sweetened the pot on August 19, when he announced that he would gift a Roc-A-Fella chain to whoever agreed to purchase a third of the album (and by extension, Roc-A-Fella, Inc).

“I’ve gotten a lot of calls, a lot of offers from people I don’t know,” Dash told his Instagram followers. He then threw some shade towards those who have tried to talk down the $10 million asking price. “It would be because they wanna buy it,” he asserted. “If you do wanna buy 1/3 of Roc-A-Fella, Inc,” Dame Dash noted. “Anything over ten million, I’m gonna sweeten the pot. You get an original Roc-A-Fella chain from around my neck.” The co-founder claimed to be the only one who gave out Roc-A-Fella chains during the label’s heyday. “If I don’t give you the chain, it’s not a legit Roc-A-Fella chain,” he decreed.

Dame Dash Promises A Roc Chain From His Own Neck

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Dame Dash, ever the businessman, evoked an iconic Roc-A-Fella moment during his pitch. He reminded fans of the moment when he gifted Kanye West a chain during a concert in 2003. “Kanye, Cam’ron,” he added. “If you’re gonna call, please have the intention of spending some real money.” Dame Dash’s post comes days after the music executive threw shade at JAY-Z’s legal reps. A filing from the rapper’s lawyer claimed that the rights for Reasonable Doubt will switch to his possession 2031. Dame Dash fired back and denied these claims on Instagram.

“They can say what they want, this sh*t is still for sale,” Dash stated. “You’re not buying a copyright, you’re buying a piece of a company ROC A FELLA INC. Please only serious inquiries only!” Big names like Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been mentioned as potential buyers, but none have seriously made bid attempts. Lupe Fiasco suggested Drake should purchase a share of the album. Fans, meanwhile, urged Lamar to step in since he considers Reasonable Doubt to be one of the best releases of all time. Either way, Dash will keep the world posted.

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Dame Dash Fires Back At JAY-Z For His Latest Move Regarding “Reasonable Doubt”

August 14, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Dame Dash isn’t fazed by JAY-Z’s attorneys filing a notice that the rights to his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt will switch from Roc-A-Fella to his possession in 2031. The label’s co-founder is still trying to sell off his shares of the company and reaffirmed his plans in a post on Instagram on Tuesday. “They can say what they want, this sh*t is still for sale,” he clarified. “You’re not buying a copyright, you’re buying a piece of a company ROC A FELLA INC. Please only serious inquiries only!”

Fans shared their support for Dame in the comments section of his post. “Rocafella wouldn’t be a household name if it wasn’t for Dame!! Marketing genius! Shout out to #Harlem,” one user wrote. Another top comment added: “Jay Z can’t break bread, he has to have the whole loaf, crust & crumbs.”

Dame Dash & JAY-Z Pose Together At The 40/40 Club

It’s unclear whether anyone will actually step up and buy the shares from Dame. Lupe Fiasco recently suggested that Drake has the means and should do so in a post on social media. “@champagnepapi will keep it safe for generations to come,” he wrote. “This is grail and influenced an innumerable amount of rappers to see it peddle such a lack of grace genuinely hurts my feelings a little bit. But also on savages st fk it…either donate it to a museums for safekeeping or seriously let Drake make an offer so he can put in where it needs to be. Or just keep the s**t OG you should be infinitely proud of this. Without it there is no me as I am and I’m sure other MC’s will agree.”

Dame Dash Still Wants To Sell His Shares

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Dame will use whatever he makes from the sale to cover a massive $823,000 judgment he owes to Josh Weber for copyright infringement and defamation over the 2016 film Dear Frank. Be on the lookout for further updates on Dame Dash on HotNewHipHop.

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Jay-Z Will Reportedly Regain The ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Album Rights, Even If Dame Dash Sells His Stakes

August 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Jay Z The Book Of Clarence LA Premiere 2024 (1024x437) — Getty Image

As Jay-Z declared on his 1996 classic with Mary J. Blige, you can’t knock the hustle. Dame Dash’s attempted sell of his stake in Jay’s debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, will reportedly move forward.

According to TMZ, a public auction will be held for Dame’s one third percent interest in the project. However, a source close to the matter told the outlet that even should the sell successfully go through, it won’t hold much value.

In a filing, Jay-Z’s attorneys reportedly submitted a notice to make parties aware of copyright ownership. The alleged document states that, although his famed record label, Roc-A-Fella, is the current copyright holder, that will change in 2031.

At that time, “those rights will revert to one Shawn Carter/’Jay-Z,’” according to the document. The highly revered album first kicked off a legal spat between the duo in 2021, when Dame Dash tried to offer up the body of work as an NFT for hip-hop head to collect. But, that was supposedly shut down with the court’s intervention by 2022.

Now, that back-and-forth fight seems trivial considering Dash would eventually move forward in another way.

On August 29, Dame Dash’s stake will reportedly be sold off at a public auction in New York City.

Jay-Z Files Notice About Future “Reasonable Doubt” Rights Before Dame Dash Auction

August 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Dame Dash had been trying to sell his Roc-A-Fella shares for some time, but earlier this month, it was revealed that the U.S. Marshall would publicly auction off his 33.3% interest in the company. The auction is scheduled for later this month, according to TMZ, and it looks like Jay-Z is getting prepared. Recently, the hitmaker’s attorneys filed a notice that the rights to his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt will switch from Roc-A-Fella to Shawn Carter come 2031.

The outlet also notes that the rights would have gone back to Jay-Z 35 years after the album’s release anyway. The filing simply makes it official. This means that whoever ends up winning the auction later this month will get one-third of Reasonable Doubt revenue for only about six years. The minimum bid is $1.2 million.

Reasonable Doubt Rights To Revert To Jay-Z In 2031

Jay-Z Files Notice About <a href= — Jay-Z and Damon Dash backstage at the Z100 Jingle Ball 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Thursday, December 13, 2001. Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect.

Anyone interested in the auction has been encouraged to email Christopher Brown, Josh Webber’s attorney. Webber and Muddy Waters Pictures won a massive civil suit against Dash back in 2022 over defamation and copyright infringement. He’s accused of telling people he owned the rights to the film Dear Frank, which Webber and Muddy Waters Pictures produced, despite having been dropped from the project. Reportedly, the auction is intended to cover the judgment.

Again, this comes after Dame Dash unsuccessfully tried to sell his Roc-A Fella shares for years. Last month, Lupe Fiasco even hopped online to suggest that Drake buy them. What do you think of Jay-Z filing a notice that the rights to Reasonable Doubt will be his in 2031? What about them going up for auction later this month to cover a civil suit judgment? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Dame Dash Is Seemingly Looking To Sell His Interest In Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Album (Yet Again)

July 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Jay-Z isn’t a businessman, he’s a business man. Sadly, his former professional partner Dame Dash appears to still have a vested interest in the “Public Service Announcement” rapper’s musical dealings.

Over on Instagram, Dame seemingly announced his plans to sell his interest in Jay-Z’s debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt. With the wave of artists selling off the rights to their catalogs, this shouldn’t be a big deal. However, in this instance, it is major considering the pair were once tied up in a legal battle over it.

“This shit is for sale 1/3,” he wrote. “Only real inquiries only.”

Users on the platform immediately flooded Dame’s comment section with mixed reactions to the post.

“As much as I like Dame and a lot of what he stands for, I can understand why Jay cut ties,” wrote one user.

“‘This sh*t is diabolical. Crazy how y’all were once looked up to in hip-hop to ‘this sh*t,’” penned another addressing Dame’s reference to the revered album.

“Not ‘this sh*t.’ Smh. Sounding bitter my boy,” chimed another.

“I love u Dame but this corny, respectfully,” added another.

“Hate it had to come to this. Wish you and Jay could talk it out like grown men. Smh I’m just a disappointed fan at this point,” remarked one user.

“It was all good just a week ago,” penned another referencing Jay-Z lyrics.

One user even offered a suggestion on who Dame should sell his interest to. “Sell it to Ye. Keep it in the family,” wrote the user.

In 2022, Dame Dash and Jay-Z reportedly reached a settlement that barred Dame, Jay, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke from selling the project. Could things have changed?