Dame Dash Explains Why L.A. Reid Can’t Bail Out Bobby Shmurda

Dame Dash sat down with Dr. Boyce Watkins to discuss why Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid hasn't bailed out Bobby Shmurda from jail. Shmurda is currently behind bars with bail set at $2 million. Dame says that Shmurda's situation is unfortunate and he the young MC should of been instructed on how the industry works.

“I think it’s unfortunate when someone is as young as he is and people make money off of him, that no one explains to him exactly what the business is,” Dame Dash said. “And not understanding that when people are making money off you, once they can’t make money off you anymore, they’re not your friends no more. They’re not looking out for you no more. You understand what I’m saying? I know there was an expectation that L.A. Reid should have bailed him out or at least Epic should have bailed him out. And what I was explaining earlier was, number one, when someone in the music business—An artist is always in debt. They’re always giving you an advance against what you’re gonna sell. So, what I can see—And again, I don’t know exactly what it is. But if you were to ask me and I could give you an educated guess…When you give someone an advance. And then you have to put money into selling the record.”

The former Roc-A-Fella Records co-owner goes on to say that L.A. Reid can't just bail out Bobby because he is not in charge. Instead Reid has to make to make the request to the higher ups at Sony, who would then have to put in the request with the owners of Sony.

“You gotta understand something, L.A. Reid works for Epic,” he said. “And Epic is run—Well, number one, Epic is owned by Sony. Sony is a Japanese company that uses British people to run American people. So, L.A. Reid will probably have to go and ask…whoever it is that runs Sony…who then has to ask someone who’s Japanese…And I don’t think someone Japanese gives a fuck about somebody black through a British, a L.A. Reid, down to the hood, to give more money. And they may have not recouped their money yet.”

Earlier this month, Bobby Shmurda once again saw his bail denied by a New York judge. The 21-year-old rapper was arrested alongside more than a dozen associates last December on a series of drug and weapons charges. Earlier this month, L.A. Reid spoke last month about why Epic Records hasn’t paid Bobby Shmurda’s bail.