Jay-Z has officially submitted a legal notice seeking to regain the master recording of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, by 2031. Roc-A-Fella Records, an iconic American hip-hop record label, was co-founded by Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem “Biggs”Burke in 1994. The Brooklyn rapper released Reasonable Doubt through Roc-A-Fella, one of the few significant assets of the label prior to its dissolution in 2013.
Recently, Jay-Z filed a legal notice against Roc-A-Fella to revert to the original agreement stipulating that the rights to Reasonable Doubt would return to him by 2031—35 years after the album’s initial release.
While this development is promising for Jay-Z, it poses significant challenges for Damon Dash, whose $1.2 million stake in Roc-A-Fella is set to be auctioned. If Jay-Z successfully secures ownership of the master recordings for Reasonable Doubt in 2031, it will provide him with seven years to generate revenue from Roc-A-Fella’s most valuable asset.
According to a report by All Hip Hop, Jay-Z is accused of undermining Damon Dash’s auction sale of Roc-A-Fella Records through statements he allegedly made to diminish the auction’s impact and lower the value of Dash’s shares.
Jay-Z Accused of Intentionally Lowering the Auction Price of Damon Dash’s Roc-A-Fella Shares
The City of New York, represented by the NYC Department of Social Services (NYCDSS), has requested a stay order on the auction of Damon Dash’s one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella Records due to the purported comments made by Jay-Z.
This request was submitted to United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger, alleging that the Brooklyn rapper made remarks that devalued the recording label’s shares and deterred potential buyers.
Moreover, the allegations assert that Jay-Z’s notice to demand ownership of Reasonable Doubt‘s master recordings is misleading, as explained by attorney Gerald E. Singleton, who is representing the City in a letter to the judge.
“JAY-Z has issued widely publicized statements warning potential bidders that copyright ownership will revert back to him in 2031. 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,” wrote Singleton in the letter.
According to Singleton, Reasonable Doubt was classified as a “work made for hire,”as allegedly indicated in the agreement between the Brooklyn rapper and the recording label. This designation reportedly grants Roc-A-Fella Records ownership of the album until 2098.
Additionally, Roc-A-Fella’s legal team has been criticized for not supplying crucial royalty information about their assets—information essential for potential bidders to accurately assess the value of the shares.
Damon Dash Criticizes Jay-Z Over the Roc-A-Fella Situation in Recent Instagram Post
Damon Dash recently faced a legal setback against film producer Josh Webber regarding the film Dear Frank and was ordered by the court to pay $823,000 as a settlement. Consequently, Dash is aiming to auction off his share in Roc-A-Fella to cover this financial obligation.
In a September 23 Instagram post, Dash criticized Jay-Z for allegedly sabotaging the auction and causing him financial hardship. He stated:
“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 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 Records is entitled to the renewal term, which is now 67 years, meaning it will own the copyright rights until the year 2098.”
Damon Dash continued:
“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. Roc-A-Fella is complicit in its failure to contest such false statements.”
The auction was initially scheduled for August 29, with a starting bid of $1.2 million and a $240,000 security deposit. However, Judge Lehrburger approved a request to extend the timeline, enabling a higher potential bid to be reached.
If the auction proceeds total more than $10 million, most of the funds are earmarked for the state of New York to resolve Damon Dash’s $8 million tax liabilities and other financial obligations.
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