Dame Dash reacts to Jay-Z’s Hall of Fame shout-out after years-long feud
"We should not be divided," Dash told Page Six, referring to his dispute with Jay-Z. "We have accomplished too much to be beefing."
Damon Dash is responding to getting a shout-out from Jay-Z, his former business partner, during the rapper-mogul’s speech at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in Ohio.
In his speech Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter said, “Shout out to Dame,” pausing for applause from the audience. “I know we don’t see eye-to-eye,” he added, “but I can never erase your accomplishments. And I appreciate you, and I thank you for that.”
Jay-Z also thanked Kareem “Biggs” Burke, who was the third co-founder of Roc-a-Fella Records, calling Burke “one of the most honorable people” he’s met. The trio founded the legendary rap label in 1995, and built the brand to iconic status with spinoff companies, including Rocawear.
After hearing his former business partner acknowledge him during the speech Saturday, Dash told Page Six, “It was beautiful. I’m glad he said it for the culture. We need to squash everything. So hopefully if that was an extended [olive branch], I’ll spin one back.”
“I have no beef with [him] if [he has] no beef with me,” Dash added. “Let’s get the lawyers out of it then. Let’s talk like men, but I definitely appreciate it.”
The two are currently embroiled in a lawsuit over Dash’s attempt to sell Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt, as a NFT.
“I would never want you to think that we have to go to the court to resolve anything,” Dash maintained. “We can talk it out, and the culture needs to see two strong Black men working out a problem. Even if they worked together, they can go their separate ways; they can still be cool.”
“We should not be divided,” Dash continued. “We have accomplished too much to be beefing … There ain’t no way I’m never gonna [not] consider [him] my brother — it’s just that we don’t see eye-to-eye.”
Dash admitted that seeing Jay being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was a touching moment for him as well. “That means I’m in the Hall of Fame,” he said, “Whether we cool or not, him getting in the Hall of Fame is major. So congratulations to us, congratulations to him, and thank you [to him] for keep working so hard to where he got to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Anything he can do to make me great, so thank you for even continuing to strive. He keeps my name alive.”
Dash recently partnered with Fox Soul to air original content created by Dame Dash Studios, his film and television production company based in Burbank, California.
Saturday’s event in Cleveland joined Jay-Z with a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction class that included fellow rhymer-actor LL Cool J, rock goddess Tina Turner, spoken-word icon Gil-Scott Heron, plus Kraftwerk, Foo Fighters, Carole King, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren.
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