When it comes to asking Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter tough questions about his past, the music mogul’s former business partner Damon Dash claims some Black media outlets abandoned their journalistic duties years ago.
Carter and Dash co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Kareem “Biggs” Burke in 1994.
But Jay-Z and Dame’s relationship soured years ago and they went their separate ways.
Now, amid the “Empire State of Mind” rapper’s legal troubles, he is making headlines and Dash is speaking out.
In an interview posted to YouTube on Dec. 21, Dash told the “Art of Dialogue” podcast that Jay-Z got “a pass” from Black media outlets for “25 years straight.”
Related: Judge Hands Jay-Z Setback in Assault Case and Insults Mogul’s Lawyer
Dash made the comments after Jay-Z was accused of rape in a civil lawsuit on Dec. 8.
In the complaint filed by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, an anonymous “Jane Doe” accuser alleged Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs took turns raping her when she was 13-years-old at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.
The lawsuit was initially filed in federal court in October in the Southern District of New York.
The complaint listed Diddy as a defendant and said an unnamed male celebrity participated in the alleged rape, while an unnamed female celebrity watched. Then, Buzbee filed an amended complaint on Dec. 8 alleging Jay-Z was the male celebrity.
Jay-Z and Diddy both vehemently denied the now 38-year-old woman’s allegations.
Dash reacted to the woman’s claims during his interview with the “Art of Dialogue.”
“I hope that s–t didn’t happen,” the music executive said.
Dash then claimed “The Breakfast Club” co-host Charlamagne Tha God and “Drink Champs” hosts N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN helped protect Jay-Z’s reputation for decades.
“He can control Black media because a lot of them either work [for] or do business with him, but ‘Drink Champs’ can’t get him out of this one and neither can Charlamagne, ’cause those are the guys that hold him down no matter what he does,” Dash claimed. “He’s got to get to People magazine and Entertainment Tonight right now, ’cause they’re on his head like that.”
N.O.R.E. quickly responded on his Instagram Stories by suggesting Dash is broke and bitter.
“So you know what I’m gonna do? Tomorrow, I’m gonna wind up in Paris. The next day after that, I’m gonna wind up in Saint Barts, Saint Martin, Anguilla, the things you used to do. We’re trying to show you love but you keep coming at everybody,” he said in the video captured by AllHipHop.
“If you got beef with one person you supposed to keep that beef with one person. You got beef with everybody around.” N.O.R.E. continued. “We don’t want to disrespect you and I’m trying not to as much as I can because I actually respect the s–t out of you, but you became the lame chatty patty person that you said you were against. Get your life together my number is the same if you wanna work it out.”
The day Jay-Z’s name was added to the lawsuit, the Roc Nation boss released a statement calling Buzbee “deplorable” and urging the accuser to file a criminal complaint with police.
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?,” Jay-Z’s statement read in part. “I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over. I’m more than prepared to deal with your type.”
You can watch Damon Dash comment on the case in the video above and N.O.R.E.’s reaction is below:
