Damon Dash

Damon Dash
Born	(1971-05-03) May 3, 1971 New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, music executive, music producer, talent manager
Years active	1994–present
Known for	Co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear; founder of DD172

Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is a prominent American business figure and music executive. In 1994, he co-established Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Kareem Burke, and later, in 1999, he partnered again with Jay-Z to launch the clothing brand Rocawear.

Early life

Hailing from New York City, Dash took on jobs such as working in a barbershop and selling newspapers during his teenage years to finance his purchase of sneakers and apparel. He attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to his mother, who passed away due to an asthma attack when he was 15. That same year, Dash was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Prior to this diagnosis, he endured intense symptoms and initially feared having AIDS, reflecting the social fears prevalent at that time.

Career

Dash managed Jay-Z and acted as his business collaborator at Roc-A-Fella Records, orchestrating a 1999 tour that generated $19 million in revenue. Their professional relationship concluded after Def Jam Recordings acquired Roc-A-Fella entirely in 2004, with Jay-Z stepping into the role of Def Jam president. In 2005, Jay-Z purchased Dash’s share in Rocawear.

In April 2014, Dash became affiliated with Blind Debit, a fingerprint-based payment application created by Dez White.

Dash is the founder of DD172, a collective encompassing America Nu magazine, the web design agency VNGRD79, BluRoc Records, and an art gallery.

February 2018 saw the release of Culture Vultures (Audio Experience), an album Dash produced with Kenyatta Griggs. This work combined musical elements with interviews reflecting on Dash’s personal and professional journey, accompanied by a book publication.

On June 21, 2025, Dash’s rock ensemble The Black Guns launched the album 365, collaborating with rapper Freeway. Describing the album as a tribute to authentic rock and roll, Dash emphasized this as a transition from entrepreneur to musician.

Personal life

Dash met R&B artist Aaliyah in New York City in 2000 through his accountant and maintained a relationship until her tragic death in a 2001 plane crash in The Bahamas. Although they were not officially engaged, Dash stated they had intended to marry.

In 2005, Dash wed fashion designer Rachel Roy, whom he met during her internship at Rocawear. Together they have two daughters: Ava (born 1999) and Tallulah (born 2008). Their divorce in 2009 led to a contentious custody dispute.

Dash has a son named Dame "Boogie" Dash (born 1991) with former partner Linda Williams; Boogie appears on the reality television series Growing Up Hip Hop. Additionally, he has another son, Lucky (born 2004), with Cindy Morales.

With fiancée Raquel Horn, Dash fathered Dusko Dash in 2020.

Dash is also a first cousin to actress Stacey Dash.

Legal issues

In 2012, rapper Curren$y filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Dash concerning unauthorized music releases. Dash's legal representative asserted that these releases were legitimate.

In 2014, Dash was mandated to pay $50,000 to Linda Williams for causing her prosecution on harassment charges dating back to 2009.

In April 2015, Rachel Roy accused Dash of domestic violence and secured a three-year restraining order as well as sole custody of their daughters. Shortly thereafter, Dash initiated a $2.5 million lawsuit against Roy alleging financial mismanagement of their shared fashion enterprise, Royale Etenia.

By 2018, Dash resolved a $5 million legal dispute with director Lee Daniels, aiming to recover a $2 million investment plus accrued interest. Although Daniels received early funding from Dash, repayment did not occur despite Daniels' subsequent success.

In November 2019, Dash was apprehended in New York City over unpaid child support exceeding $400,000 related to two outstanding warrants: $62,553 owed since 2012 in Cindy Morales’s case and $341,991 plus $25,000 in legal fees owed to Rachel Roy since 2015. Reports indicate that Dash paid over $1 million for his release.