Jay-Z isn’t letting the rights to his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, fall from his hands because Dame Dash has to sell his share of Roc-A-Fella Records.
According to TMZ Hip-Hop, Jay’s lawyers have filed a legal notice that ensures the rights to Reasonable Doubt will return to him in 2031. Dame was ordered to sell his 1/3 share of Roc-A-Fella Records in February, and the most valuable asset that the label owns the copyright of is Jay’s debut.
Last month, Dame announced he would be selling his share of Reasonable Doubt, and just weeks later, TMZ revealed Dame’s 33.3-percent interest would be sold at an auction through the U.S. Marshals Service. The minimum bid for the share is reportedly at least $1.2 million, but Hov and his team weren’t going to make the sale go off just like that.
Jay’s contract with Roc-A-Fella highlighted that the rights to his debut would go back to him 35 years after it was released in 1996, and his legal team filed the notice to make that happen. It’s 2024 now, and there are seven years left on that deal, so what that means is whoever wins the 33.3-percent share at the auction will have it until 2031, when it will then go to the Brooklyn rap legend.
Jay, Dame, and Roc-A-Fella co-founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke reportedly tried to fight against Dame’s being forced to sell his remaining shares. However, their attempts resulted in nothing because Judge Robert W. Lehrburger resisted the argument and determined the shares were considered personal property.
