NEW YORK (Island Def Jam
Music Group) - Island Def Jam
Music Group (IDJ) has inked a new joint venture partnership, Damon Dash
Music Group, to be headed by Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, founders and former principals of Roc-A-Fella Records, it was announced today by Antonio "L.A." Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam
Music Group.
Initial artists assigned to Damon Dash Music Group will include former Roc-A-Fella signings Nicole Wray as well as the legacy of O.D.B. (Ol' Dirty Bastard). Under terms of the joint venture partnership agreement, Mr. Dash will also serve in a consultancy role at IDJ, working with Roc-A-Fella artists Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel , N.O.R.E. and others.
News of Damon Dash Music Group joint venture follows December's announcement that IDJ had concluded the purchase of the remaining fifty percent of Roc-A-Fella Records from its three principals: Mr. Dash, Mr. Burke, and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.
"This is a great new beginning for Damon, Biggs, and all the artists involved," said Mr. Reid. "We are casting our sights on the future with Damon Dash Music Group, while respecting the impact and recognition that RAF has built up within the hip-hop community. What has been accomplished over the past decade with the careers of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Young Gunz, Memphis Bleek, and many others, has set an entirely new standard of achievement throughout the industry.
The popularization and mainstreaming of rap and hip-hop into the pop world owes a monumental debt to the vision and courage that RAF put forward on behalf of its roster of artists. Now, a new generation of performers will benefit from their trailblazing. Everyone at Island Def Jam is enthusiastic over the opportunity to continue working with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke."
"I am so very proud of what we built in Roc-A-Fella Records," said Mr. Dash. "It was an amazing, fulfilling ten years. Now, with the launch of Damon Dash Music Group, my partner Kareem 'Biggs' Burke and I have the unique opportunity to develop, distill, and nurture our vision for another great record company. Damon Dash Music Group will be dedicated, of course, to producing the hottest, most cutting-edge music on the market, but will also be unique in its encouragement and development of entrepreneurship in its artists, executives and staff. We will continue to advise and consult the artists whose careers we helped launch and watched flourish, but we also welcome the challenge of working with a new family of artists - both new and established - to build Damon Dash Music Group into one of the industry's finest."
Damon Dash is an icon of the hip-hop world, starting with his partnership with Jay-Z that led to the formation of Roc-A-Fella in 1995. In addition to his achievements in music and film, 33-year old Dash has gone on to launch a number of influential brands in the fields of apparel, entertainment, publishing, consumer electronics, and spirits, as well as a non-profit community outreach program.
In addition, Dash recently launched a luxury watch company Tiret, America magazine, and ROC Digital.
