The mogul opens up about the personal reasons behind his fallout with Hov
Dame Dash has shared new details about the dispute that ultimately led to his departure from Roc-A-Fella Records and the dissolution of his business partnership with JAY-Z. In a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, Dash explained how his decision to leave the label was sparked by JAY-Z’s continued collaboration with R. Kelly, whose infamous marriage to Dash’s ex-girlfriend Aaliyah when she was just 15 deeply troubled him.
“The fact that Jay was working with him is what used to blow my mind more than anything,” Dash said, reflecting on his feelings at the time. “I don’t know why he wanted to work with this guy so much. Like, why? I’ve never understood it.”
Dash revealed that he confronted JAY-Z directly about the situation. “Everybody knew R. Kelly married Aaliyah at 15. So was the conversation had like, ‘Yo, how you gonna go and do something with this dude?’ Hell yeah that conversation was had!” Dash emphasized that it wasn’t just business—it was deeply personal.
He added, “I was like, ‘Yo, how you gonna do a project with someone who was involved in that situation?’” Dash made it clear that the situation made it impossible for him to continue with Roc-A-Fella. “That alone was the nail in the coffin for me. I was outta there, I was gone. I knew that shit was gonna blow up. I wanted no parts of that shit.”
The fallout between Dash and JAY-Z intensified when Dash learned that JAY-Z continued to work with R. Kelly on the Best of Both Worlds album shortly after Aaliyah’s tragic death in 2001. Dash expressed that he found this even more disrespectful, given the rapper’s rumored romantic feelings for Aaliyah.
Dash was unequivocal about the end of his relationship with JAY-Z, stating, “It wasn’t that I got kicked out of Roc-A-Fella; I left Roc-A-Fella. I was done. I said, ‘Forget all the money, forget all this stuff, I’m out.’ I was left no choice.”
The tension between Dash and JAY-Z has recently resurfaced in the public eye following the sale of Dash’s shares in Roc-A-Fella, Inc., reigniting interest in their fractured relationship.
