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Damon Dash is best
know for his involvement in the Roc-A-Fella empire. Since
the big split, Dash has been busy working in fashion and
becoming a better CEO. He recently produced the Lee Daniels
film Shadowboxer (Cuba Gooding Jr., Mo'Nique) which arrives
on DVD this November 7th.
How are you doing? We don't always see you as much as
before, so how are you doing?
Damon Dash-Good. Everything
is everything.
You have been doing this movie thing for awhile. I
remember the first movie I saw that you were involved
in was State Property. What was it about Shadowboxer that
made you want to produce this project?
Damon Dash-I had worked
with Lee Daniels with The Woodsman and he executive
produced that. So when he was working on The Woodsman
he gave me the script for Shadowboxer. I just kind
of trust Lee as a film maker so I was like the next project
you do I'll work that out with you because I was so happy
with The Woodsman, so I basically trusted Lee as
a film maker and I liked the script.
What exactly does Dash films do? Are
you all just into production?
Damon Dash-Everything
under the umbrella. I executive produced Ultimate Hustler.
I direct every now and again I've done about three or
four movies. We executive produce, we write, we do everything.
Speaking of Ultimate Hustler will there be another
season?
Damon Dash-I doubt
it. I did that once.
Are you pleased with the results of the project?
Damon Dash-Oh yeah.
Of course when you do something you always look at it
and think about things you could have done better but
overall I thought it was positive. Why did you like it?
I'm always curious because a lot of reality shows you
see one season and you don't see another one. So I'm always
curious if the people involved do they want to do it again.
Sometimes it gets stale after too many times, that's why
I just wanted to know.
Damon Dash-It
takes a lot of time. I'm more or less in my business trying
to be a proper CEO and run companies where I don't have
to be in front of the camera anymore. As I get older,
I start to feel a little foolish running around like that.
It's not necessary anymore.
What businesses are you still involved with? I remember
the Armandale vodka and the clothes. What are you still
involved with?
Damon Dash-These last
twelve months I've been mainly focused on my fashion with
Rachel Roy going into high fashion. It's a whole 'nother
area of business because I'm used to urban fashion. Pro
Keds trying to go up against Nike and be a 10 billion
dollar company and I think we are doing a good job at
that. I'm launching The CEO Collection in January, my
version of urban fashion and State Property, stuff like
that. I've been doing these movies and building this watch
brand and the Armandale Vodka and we are also launching
something called Black Saavy which is a social network.
It's launching soon. It's kinda hot.
Speaking of social networking, you know at one time there
were like a million Damon Dash Myspace pages. Do you have
a Myspace page?
Damon Dash-I'm sure.
I know I have Dash Enterprise.
But no personal page?
Damon Dash-No, I'm a
grown ass man I can't be on Myspace.
You know I had to ask because people try to make them
look so official.
Damon Dash-No, I'm really
concentrating on evolving as an individual. I did the hip-hop
thing and I'm a hip-hop dude but I'm 35 now I've got to
do things a little different. I have to step my game up
and I can't be chasing the same dollar as everybody else.
As a business man and an entrepreneur I have to sharpen
up my business and the way I go about doing business.
Back to fashion, now are you still going to have urban fashion
for women? Because when you were involved with Roc-A-Wear
they made really good quality clothes. I still have my pink
velour suits from two seasons ago hanging in my closet.
Damon Dash-That will
be through CEO.
They were really good quality clothes because they still
look new.
Damon Dash-That's because
Rachel was the creative director. Now she's doing her thing.
She's at Bergdorf on the third floor which is the highest
level for a designer and all of us are really surprised
and proud of her. We didn't think that she would be accepted
into that whole little realm so quick and be validated so
fast being in Vogue and shit like that. It's a whole 'nother
world for me because I'm used to urban fashion.
So you all did the whole fashion week thing?
Damon Dash-I did that
when I was doing urban fashion. I would go support friends.
Again, this side of fashion is a real different thing.
I guess I should get back to the movie. How can an up and
coming screenwriter contact your company with fresh ideas?
Damon Dash-Just call
Dash Films, our office and I give it to Beth.
As far as Shadowboxer is concerned were you real involved
and on the set or did you just let Lee do his thing?
Damon Dash-I was on
the set sometimes not as much. When you do a film with Lee
Daniels you let him do what he's gotta do. I trust him as
a film maker. To me he's easy. He's an easy project to work
with with. When I did Paid In Full I had to be there
every second because one slip and that looks bad on my brand,
but with Lee I don't even know what he's thinking while
he's doing what he's doing till it's actually edited up
so its hard for me to have too much input.
Does Dash film have any projects for this upcoming winter
season?
Damon Dash-We're just
developing several different things; some movies we are
working on. We're doing a movie with Tribeca films and were
doing a movie with Mission films. We are in the writing
process right now. We should be shooting in about a year.
Are you going to put your cousin Stacey in any films any
time soon?
Damon Dash-If she can
act correct. She's always doing something.
Have you ever thought about writing an autobiography or
bringing your life story to the big screen?
Damon Dash-Eventually,
but I don't feel like the last chapter has been written.
I'm still hustling, I'm still fighting, I'm still on thin
ice. I'm still really working. Once I accomplish one thing
I feel like there is another thing that's bigger that I
have to attack. I'm always looking for the big lick and
I don't think I had it relatively speaking. I'm doing good
for a dude from my neighborhood but not doing great for
another billionaire outside in the marketplace.
Everybody wanted me to ask you this question but you
pretty much always told me the answer, everyone can't be
chasing the same dollar. Everyone wants to know are you
going to get back into the music thing?
Damon Dash-I doubt it.
If I do it wouldn't be anytime soon. Right now there is
nothing really inspiring me or motivating me to get back
in the game. I was promoting a movement and something that
I believed in 100% and whole heartedly that I would fight
and do anything for. Until I see that, its almost like,
the music business is in such a bad place right now in terms
of being lucrative. It takes a lot of energy but it doesn't
reflect in a lot of money. If I do something it probably
wouldn't even be hip-hop to be honest. I just signed a classical
violinist and this little girl I'm working with. She's like
a brand. It takes me years to really build a brand. Before
I put out any records for Roc-A-Fella I was on the road
for five years. I don't really have the time to do that,
but until somebody that's worth that I doubt I that I get
into it so deep.
Overall, your happy with the way things are going with your
career right now?
Damon Dash-Oh
yeah, right now its beautiful. Besides Roc-A-Fella and the
way that ended, that's a big thing, but I think despite
all of that I'm in a really good place. It almost was a
blessing because it made it where I could do other things
and go act my age.
Shadowboxer arrives on DVD this
November 7th!
Shadowboxer
DVD Review (with purchase link)
Damon Dash-interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2006
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is
the founder of Thabiz.com
and Imissthe80s.com
and writes for the Rap,
Teen, and 1980s
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Damon
Dash-interview may not
be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission. You
may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler,
thabiz.com October 2006.
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