Dame Dash is without question an anomaly. He appeared in a controversial interview on The Breakfast Club Radio Show a week ago about hip hop music culture and how black people create it but don’t own enough of it.
These are certainly conversations that urban industry people have had with each other or in groups but are often not brought to the surface to maintain harmony and balance or simply an acknowledgement of it’s how the industry has been and will always be.
Dash also talked about the lack of entrepreneurship and the weaknesses of Black men who he often feels can’t be trusted. On his Instagram account, he attacked Marc Ecko calling him “The fashion version of Lyor Cohen” indicating Echo’s mission is to also make money from urban culture (see quotes below). He goes on to talk about Echo’s boss Complex media investor Rich Antoniello with the same distaste.
Since most industry people both black and white rarely respond to Dame’s outbursts, attacks or perspectives, he has no qualms in admitting he could care less if people like him or what they think about him. There are those who quietly agree with his controversial perspectives and there are others who are waiting for him to talk himself out and fade into the sunset. “This is Marc Ecko to me he is the fashion version of Lyor Cohen his Buisness model is make money of urban people.
He did it in fashion but Ecko got corny fast now he thinks he’s gonna do it again with content. . . when @complex plays artist videos on their sites and all of the artist content on @complex and@vladtv how come they get paid and the artist don’t?
. . . . They are commercials. . . I asked @vladtv and he said he was doing us a favor promoting our stuff while they got paid. . . Please don’t try to play the millennial generation I’m gonna at least give my culture the information so they don’t get robbed early and he doesn’t own @complex a hedge fund does he’s a nerd with a hedge fund whose Buisness model is Rob our culture #culturevulture no disrespected to complex staff yall always been cool wit me but your man is out of line and he’s a lame and I’m not just gonna talk about it I’m going to make a move on you and your whole company watch. .
I walk it like I talk it. . .
This is a fight a lot won’t understand but trust me you will thank me later business is war everyday I’m just gonna let yall see it first hand”
“By the way this is Marc Ecko’s boss he runs the hedge fund this is the guy controlling all that cool Urban content hey rich I hope your fund enjoys all this great press I’m about to give you for trying to play me and make sure you put some money to this side for legal fees. . .
I’m sick of guys like you thinking you can steal guys like me from my cultures ideas so you can put your kids through College eat off your own culture and I’m going to do my best to make sure you never rob one of us again. . .
#onyourheels@complex I know whoever works there is sick of being told what to do by lames. . .
let me know I may have work for you” Some criticise Dash’s take on the industry even labeling him as disgruntled and bitter since his business break up with Jay-Z many years ago. His recent lawsuit against filmmaker and now television executive Lee Daniels for 25 Million has been dropped.
Dash claims he gave Daniels money as investments for several of his films and there was no return. In addition, Dame shows a more sensitive side from The Breakfast Club Radio Show interview admitting his feelings were hurt when director Spike Lee refused to work with him. No one can deny his level of intellect even if they do question his political savvy.
It’s very hard to have an opinion or perspective on any of this since I have never met Dame nor do I know about his business dealings but one is left to think whether he is right or wrong in his statements, are these people at fault for wanting to run successful businesses that involve black people? Should he be questioning, attacking or teaching? Finally, Complex wrote an excellent article about Steve Rifkind and LOUD records here.
