According to Pitchfork, Damon Dash, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, has filed lawsuit against Jay-Z in the New York Supreme Court over the streaming rights to his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt. This comes nearly a month after Roc-A-Fella, which was co-founded by Dash, Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) in 1994, sued Dash for allegedly attempting to auction off the album as an NFT (non-fungible token).
In the suit filed by Dash, it is alleged that Jay-Z wrongfully claimed the streaming rights for himself. The suit states that Jay-Z allegedly transferred the streaming rights to the album to S. Carter Enterprises LLC. This was allegedly done so without authorization from Roc-A-Fella.
Dash is reportedly suing the rapper for unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, replevin and conversion. He is reportedly seeking a minimum of $1 million in damages.
After his attempted sale of Reasonable Doubt digitally as an NFT last month was canceled, Dash was reportedly still “frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale.” In a statement, Dash claimed that he was not trying to sell the entire album as an NFT. “I am selling my one-third share which I own through my one-third ownership of Roc-A-Fella Records,” he said. “I, along with Jay Z and Biggs own in equal shares the Reasonable Doubt album.”
Soon after Dash was sued by Roc-A-Fella, Jay-Z sold his own NFT of Reasonable Doubt, which was a piece of artwork made for the album by artist Derrick Adams.
Reasonable Doubt was removed from Spotify by Jay-Z in 2018 and moved to his own streaming service Tidal.
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
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