Damon Dash Music Group Partners with Koch Entertainment

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  62 Comments

damondash.jpgAfter months of public speculation about the future of Damon Dash’s ventures in the recording industry, the former Roc-A-Fella co-CEO has inked an agreement establishing his own Damon Dash Music Group and Koch Records as label partners. Dash created the label along with longtime partner Kareem “Biggs” Burke after a public falling out with Jay-Z left the Brooklyn MC in control of Roc-A-Fella Records, the highly successful label the three partners built from the ground up. According to Koch, the first project to be released through the new partnership will be Dancehall artist Sizzla’s latest, titled The Overstanding. Other artists on the DDMG roster include Southside Queens rapper Grafh and R&B crooner Rell. Koch Records reportedly is the largest and fastest growing independent record label in the U.S.

  • http://www.baseea.com WATEMA(4BY4)

    am an upcoming writer from uganda-i’ve been covering hiphop in uganda and east africa-would you guys need some storie about the culture in africa.
    find mo of my work here-www.hiphopcanvas.com

  • mr. undisputed the mogul

    I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR DAME’S AMBITION & WHAT HE’S ACCOMPOLISHED HOWEVER, THE SITUATION HE’S IN NOW IS OF HIS OWN DOING. THE WAY HE & BIGGS HAVE HANDLED THE “BREAKUP” IS RIDICULOUS, TELLING “KING MAG” BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES. IT’S TOTALLY APPARENT THAT DAME ASSUMED THAT THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD AS A WHOLE ONLY RESPECTED JAY-Z AS A RAPPER/MC & NOT AS A SMART BUSINESSMAN ON A COMPLETE ALL AROUND GLOBAL LEVEL. CO-SIGNING CAM’S VIDEO DID’NT HELP EITHER, BY ULTIMATELY SIGNING WITH KOCH (WHICH IS’NT THE END OF THE WORLD)IT SHOWS THAT OF ALL THE 8 MULTI-MILLION & BILLION DOLLAR MAJOR LABEL DISTRIBUTORS NONE WANTED ANY PART OF HIM!!!!

  • pena capital

    guess they all sell out eventually
    independant my @$#$#%

  • Ian

    That’s what he gets for the way he handled the break up. He went from being on top to Koch. Best of luck to him, but I hope he learned his lesson. You are a label head, not a rapper. sp don’t get involved in a rap beef. Taking Cam side was a mistake and I think Jay had something to do with him not getting a label deal with another big company, b/c Dame isn’t stupid.

  • INTERSCOPE JACKSON

    KOCH damn how the mighty have fallen that sucks, it’s like going from riches to rags not a good look

  • Koch is a great look

    He’ll get make money on each project he does. And the artist will make more money also.

    Why not?

  • Cellus

    Big ups to Dame for landing a new deal! Although i like Jigga as an artist, thats fucked up how he played his boys who really believed in him when he couldnt get a deal! Dame and Kareem and Jay built Rocafella and this is tha thamks they get?

    Dame is gonna have to get some credible talent to rebuild to where he got Rocafella, and use new tricks of tha trade because everyone is hip to how he buiolt Tha Roc. Jigga is just foul though!

  • http://xxlmag.com Bol

    >am an upcoming writer from uganda-i’ve been covering hiphop in uganda and east africa-would you guys need some storie about the culture in africa.

    God no.

  • john cochran

    Something shady went down between them 3 niggas nobody knows about. I’m waiting to see will dame fade away without jigga or will he break another king of ny.

  • H-man

    Da thrown is mine all day all da way all da while smile. Im da best fisherman period. Fishins all about hooks!! And i catch big ones!! 550 #

  • ReDiCuLouS

    Yo Koch is the muthafuckin place to be yall!!!! You get major market distributing PLUS you get make hella dough off the sales…shit, if I could, I’d sign to Koch too. Look at B.Gizzle…my nigga made more money off a 4 album deal with Koch then all them shits with Cash Money. Dame is on it…& yall cant stand it a nigga makin money. ~Holla~

  • Fruiti Fruit

    What the fuck are u talking about? B.G. Is gonna sign 2 Atlantic records and have T.I. producing his next album Ps Gezzy would knock those bitch ass Baby and Wayne out who they think they are disrespecting a rapper like B.G. there will be a a hell of a war when B.Gezzy finds Wayne, B.G. is the heart of the Streetz and one of my favourite rappers.

  • Devante

    Dame Dash will make his paper from Koch as far as breaking Phenomenal talent well only time can tell he’s held back pple like Nicole Wray, and Rell on the R and B front lets see what he does with Grafth…by the way Koch does have the ability to make u major numbers and a top billboard chart position B GIzzle can testify to that…So lets wait and see

  • mr agee

    a lot a people are saying koch is the end but if dame made a deal with them, he sees a profit. that nigga is a hustler.

  • B-187

    >am an upcoming writer from uganda-i’ve been covering hiphop in uganda and east africa-would you guys need some storie about the culture in africa.

    God no.

    Hahahahahaha
    U african booty scratcher!!!!!

  • Capostatus

    I keep hearing every body say Dame is wrong for the way he handle the situation. How? Jay decide he wants to leave an sell his shares of the company to Def jam. So def jam becomes majority owner of the company that Dame an biggs help create from ground up an Jay once to take the name Roca fella from him to. Owe also he doing all of this with out talking to them.I am not mad at either one of them i hope the both keep making money an hope one day there will be a roca fella reunion.

  • http://www.anannzi.co.za PHONY YAYO

    YEP!!!! DIZ IS IT RITE HERE…THE FALL OF DAME DASH! NIGGA CUDNT U GO SEE JIMMY..OH I 4GOT..DAME HATES 50..LYOR AT WARNER…OH..VIBE MAGAZINE JAN 2004(BLUE COVA WITH JAY-Z) ISSUE DAME SAID “I WOULDNT PISS ON HIM EVEN IF I FOUND HIM BURNING..” REFFERING TO LYOR COHEN..SONY..WELL DATZ STIL DA HOUSE OF NAS EVEN THO HE LEFT..DAME I GOT AN ADVISE FOR U..NAME UR COMPANY TWIGD..WICH STANDS FOR..THE WELL IS GETTING DRY..DAT WAY PEEPS WIL FEEL SORI 4U EN GIV U BIZ…LOL..OHH HEZ ANADA SUGGESTION..GET KIMORA 2B DA PRESIDENT..LOL..HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    GGGGGGGGGGGG-UNOT

  • Capostatus

    An about the Koch deal, its great opportunity for Dame. What people are not realizing is that dame had a deal through Island def jam for DAME DASH MUSIC GROUP an jay was fucking with him an his money so he left. If you think dame is fina fade out you stupid as hell. Koch will allow dame to keep more of his money that he would usually not see. Ask B.gizzle,scarface,goodie mob,Dj khaled, Sheek Louch, an even rich ass Master p. All of them have been in the game for awhile now an would not sign with jus anybody. Master P is still one of the smartest business minded niggas in the game he has, screwed niggas out of money on record deals so he know what the hell to look for. By Dame going to an independent label such as Koch he does not have to worry about the record company trying to run him or even worst take over what his built like what happened to him an biggs with roca fella.

  • http://www.anannzi.co.za PHONY YAYO

    CUM ON Capostatus…DAME FUCKED! ADMIT IT
    STOP SNICHIN STOP LYIN
    GGGGGGGGGGG-UNOT

  • Capostatus

    We will see how fucked dame is going to be. You niggas forgetting dame dash music group was created to give label deals, so going with an independent label company would be an ideal for what dame is trying to do. He is giving other niggas a chance to run there own record label an still making money of them by being the parent company.

  • villa

    Jay is KING…DAME IS A REAL BUSINESS man …LOOK OUT FOR SIZZLA …..REAL REGGAE SUPERSTAR

  • Pingback: » Don’t Call It A Comeback - XXL

  • bhillboy

    Dame is NOT the Ultimate Hustler.

  • god

    very smart move dame dash, keep watching the industry. the majors or losing to a more digital model of doing business and independent labels and artist are getting more empowered. stay independent and free from the slow boring major labels. congrats

  • SUSPICOUSE

    fuk dame dash he wouldnt be shit if it wasnt 4 jay z and he aint no fukn husla hov iz so ask about him

  • WI$EGUY

    ALL I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT IS IF ITS GOOD ENOUGH TO BUY, CUZ FUCK ALL THEEZ LAMES NOW DAYZ ARE SOME SORRY MUTHAFUCKERS! ITS LIKE THE LAMES WON!! OR SOME SHIT BECAUSE AINT NO COKE IN THE CRACK NOMORE ITS ALL BLOW UP!!! OR STRAIGHT BRY WALL,THEY SELLIN IN THIS MUSIC

  • skdamc

    I wonder if he’s gonna move his Pro-Keds line over to Payless and his “”Team Roc” over to J.C. Penney. Dame is over. There’s no room in this business for emotions and Dame caught feelings…..

  • DA Bangem

    yall niggaz are really showing your ignorance. I guess i cant really get mad since obviously yall dont know shit about business. what the fuck are you dumb ass bitches talking about, if you think dame through then that means you really are worthless piece of shit.

  • http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=1897 A.C.E. Jones

    Now B4 throwing stones Dame Dash is A fucking Genius. His brain was 50% or more of the sucess of the R.O.C.

    BUT…………… The jealousy did come out after the break up which was evident long b4 it actually happened. But like any other business man the plan is to turn nothing into something. Good luck dame!!!!!

    A.C.E. and the A~Dream Family

  • http://MINDSTATELA.COM ARSANIC

    I MIGHT ROCK A FELLA LIKE DAMON DASH

  • http://www.xxlmag.com iceberg slim

    I’m sure if dame apologizes hov will let him dance in his videos again

  • Glyn

    You can buy Team Roc T-shirts at Wal-Mart.

  • Dame for President

    Dame is rich we shouldn’t worry too much about him. I love Dame, but he did fuck up by jumping in between that beef with Jay and Cam. Still, all he needs to do is get some talent and some hits. Hits shut everybody up. As for his ace, Cam’ron, all you have to do is understand what he is trying to do. He knows he can never compete with Jay on the national level. I’m sure he isn’t even trying, he is just making music for his cult like fan base. You know, those kids who went out and got pink shirts. I’m a Jay fan, and the only thing I have against both Cam and Dame is that a lot of the stuff that comes out of there mouth is hate. And if rappers can’t be snitches they can’t be haters either, cause in my book they are both the same thing.

  • Devante

    Hey Like ACE jones said Dame brought to the ROC …..Kanye West ( Jay wasnt feeling his skills Dame gave hima shot when no one did!),Nicole Wray,Beanie Sigel,Camron,the whole dipset to the ROC,….NORE,etc ….and all of them had success for those that had albums out …hehehe except for Rell and Nicole Wray!…I reckon Dame is going to make his money ,,he a smart guy and Koch undeniably is the biggest Indepedent label even Scarface ditched Def Jam South …and he a legend on Koch ..so are the biggest names in other Genre’s …even Boyz II Men hehehe!

  • Trueog

    Mad its sad how many of you people have street hustler mentality, usually these people never get rich! You chase the dollar not relizing other factors that could make you millions. Listen, Kock pays you 6-7 dollars an album, and its up to you to fund you’re promo’s and music video’s. So now this 6.50 an album has to pay for a $500 000 dollar music video and perhaps half million dollar advertising campaign and second single video shoot if you want to compete with “real major labels”. Koch is just a distributor who’s reach is very limited beyond the major markets of North America. Now a hit album on koch might sell 200 000 copies. That’s 1.3 Million! That’s it, Dame Dash if you take away all hidden costs, walks away with $300 000 Bling Bling to share with his ARTISTS!!! pay production costs, pay his company staff….while on a major that same album would be supported fincially by the parent company and recieve a hit timbaland or Dr.Dre single to boost sales, have advertising costs shared amoung other parent company releases, get you global reach with ditribution and get you on special privlage sales lists….and this same album could sell inexcess of 1.5 million copies and the label would recieve 3 million dollars after covering expenses. So you street hustlers got to wake up and figure out you’re nickel and dime strategy gonna keep you in you right there in the ghetto cuz you know how to see a picture for that day not the rest of you’re life.

  • 11:59

    shit is real from the corner to the board room/nigga dame keep complaining fuck around and be poor soon lol. Nothing against DD i likes the dude but the reality is you ain’t got no friends in this bizness. of cours they try to blackmail him, he done screamed on so many people and most niggas in the game are cowards, they can’t deal with confrontation. all he could do is get back on his grizz on prove all the haters wrong, and if jig really done him wrong we gonna know about it cuz god don’t like ugly.

  • BWEBB80′sBaby

    Dame, get your cheese pimp! Koch records, we need to build Koch West Music Group. B. Webb for vice president, first DDS/VP/ Producer, ya dig!

  • Sqweekyright

    Man u trippin the money that the parent company sees will fade after some time (p.diddy label money) bcuz usually when the parent company walks away with that much money the artist walks away too. dame isnt responsible for paying anyone but the people that work for him and the label for what theyve accomplished. and u dont have to spend alot for marketing. u just have to market right.

  • http://xxl da brain child

    did you a-holes not see the lifestyle of the rich and famous hip hop addition..dame dash net worth was 300 million before the split..that was more than jay z net worth at the time..im not saying jay wont end up with more money..but dame is not stupid stupid!!this nigga got film companys,sneaker companys and his own liquor..the dude will never be broke..before you ignorant bastards wanna comment on chit you dont know..learn a little about the business first..obviously dame dash did..thats why hes above 300 million..

  • http://xxl da brain child

    dame if ever read this holla at the brain child…ill bring your label back from the dead…trust me.graph is good money..everybody else needs to be re-evaluated..thats real talk..

  • http://niggaplease.com Nashvillian

    DAME DASH NEEDS STIX.TALK OF DA TOWN.FROM NASHVILLE TN…FUCK DA REST OFF THEM NIGGA…STIX IS ABOUT 2 PUT NASHVILLE ON DA MAP BIGGER THAN ANY OTHER SO CALLED RAPPER

  • Capostatus

    that nigga Trueog did fairly good attempt of tryin to break down numbers to show what Dame is going to make. But once again… Dame is to smart to sign with someone who is goin fuck him over with his money. All industry niggas who rappin dont maken shit of there album sales. Most of the niggas are not even make millions like u think. Those niggas who rich make money off all there other hustles an tours an shit. Plus those numbers that nigga gave was what Koch probally gives artist. Dame sign to them as record company so they could distribute his shit

  • CLASS CLOWN

    AYO I MET OL BOY WHO WON ULTIMATE HUSTLER … HE WORK AT POPEYES NICCA MAKE A MEAN RED BEANS AND RICE…YUMMM

  • tronixx

    All ya’ll niggas is idiots.. Dames artist will do 200,000 to 500,000 records strong everytime.. Even after promo and video costs dame will still walk away with about $4 a record he can give his artist $1.00-$1.50 a record and everybody still walks away happy. Dame was never big on advancements and shit and now a days dudes his hungry and will sign for nothing! Not to mention he has so many other avenues where he can cross promote to save costs. He’ll be good with koch.. Like everything else, it takes another nigga to do it 1st b4 everybody hops on ya dick.. It’ll only take 1 artist to become a star on koch and everybody will all of sudden say koch is a great place for artists to sign! Ya’ll remind me of NY sports fans I remember 10 yrs ago the Nets had about 1,000 people in the stands now they’re the dominate basket ball team and nobody’s a knick fan all of sudden get ya mind right.. SWITCH SIDERZ/ DICK RIDERZ!!!

  • H-man

    Dash and Koch. Could it be a dynasty? Sounds like an awesome blend of new and old to me. Kut out da middlemen. Koch da largest growin dude out here. Watch him go. Dash da man.

  • nino

    WELL I DONT KNOW IF ANY OF YOU PEOPLE HEARD OF SLIZZA BUT HE IS ONLY THE JAY-Z OF REGGAE HE WILL DO 500,000 IN ENGLAND EASY THATS POUNDS NOT DOLLORS REAL MONEY AND THE WAL-MARK THING MARTHA SELLS AT WALMARK AND WE KNOW THE BREAD SHE MAKES.IF YOU DONT LIKE DAME THATS COOL BUT REMEMBER HE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE JAY A CAR WHEN THAT NIGGA WAS JUMPING ON THE 4 AND 8 TRAIN. AND THE REASON NO ONE IS THE BUSINESS WANTS TO WORK WITH DAME IS BECAUSE YOU CANT FUCK HIM WHEN THEY WAS TRYING TO FUCK JAY AND JAY WAS COOL WITH IT DAME SAID NO AND NOW JAY IS WORTH MAD DOE BUT THE NIGGA FORGOT HOW HE GOT IT. AND WHO GOT IT FOR HIM

  • http://www.socalelectronics.com Greg Antoine, CEO & Founder of www.socalelectronics.com

    I think all three men are brilliant, however you have two egos. Dash built roc as well as Jigga. You can’t have two presidents, two mayors, two governors, etc., thus one had to leave. I truly believe Dash will be back on top after he get some talent. Jay-z has corporate backing and a nice roster of talent. That’s my take, Greg from LA of http://www.socalelectronics.com

  • Gutta

    keep it real, i feel bad for dame….none of the big dogs in the industry will mess with him,he must have done somethin or else all this wouldnt be happening but most of all i feel bad for the fact that he got a deal with koch probably really thinking he will do somethin with sizzla,grafh,and rell as his top artists…”dame” shame

  • Alex Brown(G.B. Bahamas)

    Its amazing. D. Dash on Koch?
    Hip Hop is changing fast. Its a great day for hip hop. Dame is a smart black man and he was a plus to his former company( rocafella) and I would like to see this venture work. I hope he gets multi plat records sold. Big up to Sizzla yall need to get the album when its release in stors.

  • H-man

    Koch Records reportedly is the largest and fastest growing independent record label in the U.S.

  • steelcityreppin

    Dats whats good Joe Beast aka Sloppy signed with dame dash, Burgh city bout to be on da map. PITTSBURGH STAND UP

  • Group 2

    Dame needs to get that new kid out of Brooklyn named John Sportin and sho
    Jay Z THAT HE CAN ALSO FIND GREAT AND NEW TALENT OUT OF THE BK.

    This kid is the truth he sounds like The Notorious B.I.G. its really scary when you hear his voice but the boy can flow.

    SPICE

  • oba

    yo dam forget about all dat crab u went throw wit jay life is hard enuff and people just make it harder but look i got dis company and we created a music program its da boom trust me u could make trillions if u ever get this or read dis im black and looking for a better life please contact me rastaagent@yahoo ps all i need is 5 min

  • Purlee9

    If Damon Dash puts God first in all he does, he will always be on the top. More power to you Damon Dash
    and I hope and pray more success to you and your new crew.

  • http://xxl big inf

    big ups to the big homey big inf

  • http://xxlmag.com solo130

    shyt ill sign wit dame he makes empire’s wit out him rocafella is a memory cus real ni ggas not on there accpet tru-life and memphis bleek young gunna??are u serious gay rappers??foxy brown???are u serious a bytch who got her as s whipped numerous of times.?Nore???are u serious a ni gga that wont claim his black race worth shyt and raps worst than e-40 lmao holla backwhen ni ggas get real the dynasty is over good luck praying for it kanye

  • theo

    DAME DASH? He’s done…Nobody cares about who is on his label. Nobody every heard of them ‘rappers’. Dame is arrogant, and doesn’t produce anything good, thats why Jay left. He does all the work. Dame and Biggs are just people who hang in the background looking dumb…

  • http://www.theofwgroup.com OFW Group Dean Okai

    Thats a lot of talk to follow, but don’t discount a dog yet because every dog has his day. You can work on the plantation of a major, that as soon as political decisions need to be made as in the case of ICE T and Warner will drop your arse or have a degree of independnce with power.

    Jay and Dash are where they are but they have a lot of history and I for one wouldn’t discount them killing the beef at some stage, however bad it feels now. Unfortunately in this business soldiers are always waiting for those meteoric partnerships to collapse to make their strategic moves with either party and Lyor Cohen was in that position.

    Everyone who says Dash put himself in the position is right and with an honest introspective he would have to agree, but as a human being I understand how easy it is for our ego’s to run away from us and brothers on the payroll lack the courage to step up and say “nigga check yourself”, we all got mortgages but you have to pull your brother back from this Michael Jackson Shit.

    Jay, Dash keep making money and keep it business

  • http://www.myspace.com/gopentertainment Sayso is Donny Slaughter

    I keep hearing every body say Dame is wrong for the way he handle the situation. How? Jay decide he wants to leave an sell his shares of the company to Def jam. So def jam becomes majority owner of the company that Dame an biggs help create from ground up an Jay once to take the name Roca fella from him to. Owe also he doing all of this with out talking to them.I am not mad at either one of them i hope the both keep making money an hope one day there will be a roca fella reunion.
    ————————————–
    Well let’s see, I think all of tha riffin’ probably started when Dame’s dumb ass tried to make Cam VP of tha Roc, without consultin’ J, who by tha way wuz majority owner of tha label, how much since do that make, and muphuckaz wonder why tha rug gits snaatched from unda them

  • Chris

    Why is everyone worried about Jay’s, Dame’s,Koch’s and everyone else’ money. Get off the computer and make your own paper .

  • Chris Clarke

    Yo Dame need to be worried botu that nigga Jay-Holly from cashville!! Y’all niggaz check out his myspace it’s crack!! Cashville bout to take ova tha scene on niggaz man… Word

  • http://NONE KILLA BLACK

    No what yall need to is worry about that nigger Blu-Black from the Bronx, Real HipHop is in the Building.
    (MYSPACE.COM/BLU-BLACK)