Damon Dash Preps ‘Brutally Honest’ Roc-A-Fella Records TV Show
Damon Dash is developing a new TV series that will delve into the rise of Roc-A-Fella Records, the juggernaut label he co-founded with Kareem Burke and Jay Z, Deadline reports.
Dash and producer Lemuel Plummer (Preachers of L.A.) said the show would offer a “brutally honest account” of the Roc-A-Fella story, starting with Dash’s journey from street hustler to Jay Z’s manager, the label’s launch and release of Reasonable Doubt and its forays into fashion and film. The series, however, will also look at Dash’s relationships with Aaliyah and designer Rachel Roy, as well as the infighting and rumors that ultimately led to Dash and Jay cutting business ties around 2005, effectively causing the label to stagnate.
Dash is optimistic that the show will be suitably soundtracked as well. Along with Jay Z, Roc-A-Fella’s lineup boasted Kanye West, Cam’ron, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleak and DJ Clue.
“I know what I own, and there’s a lot of different artists that would probably not have a problem with participating,” Dash said. “And hopefully Jay doesn’t either, but as of yet we haven’t crossed that barrier. I’m not worried about that.”
However, Plummer said of the series, “It’s not about the music that you hear. It’s about the actual [behind-the-scenes] story that’s never been told.” He and Dash said the show would not be a straight biopic either, and instead likened it to HBO’s historical drama Vinyl and FX’s dramatized true crime series, The People v. OJ Simpson.
Dash’s experiences, however, will be the driving force behind the show. “My experience is colorless,” he said. “The reason why Roc-A-Fella crossed and became so essential to pop culture is that we were probably the most authentic people that were also so sophisticated. My experience doing white people shit is just as heavy as my experiences doing black people shit. Actually I think I’ve done white people shit better than white people.”