KEY POINTS

  • Jay-Z is suing Damon Dash, alleging the latter is attempting to sell the copyright to his album "Reasonable Doubt"
  • Lawyers for Jay-Z alleged Dash is trying to auction off the album as an NFT without permission
  • The lawyers claimed Dash "has no right to sell the album or any rights to it"

Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records are suing Damon Dash, alleging he is trying to steal and sell the copyright to the former's debut album "Reasonable Doubt."

Jay-Z's attorneys alleged that Dash, one of the record label's co-founders, is trying to auction off the album as an NFT — a non-fungible digital token — without permission, according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight. Jay-Z's lawyer refused to comment on the filing.

"Dash had planned to sell at a SuperFarm Foundation online auction on Jun. 23," read the documents filed late Friday in New York’s Southern District Court.

"Dash does not even own Reasonable Doubt or its copyright and, therefore, has no right to sell the album or any rights to it," the complaint stated. "Instead, RAF, Inc. owns all rights to Reasonable Doubt. The sale of this irreplaceable asset must be stopped before it is too late, and Dash must be held accountable for his theft."

The documents explained that Jay-Z, Kareem Burke and Dash each own one-third of the shares in the record label and "Reasonable Doubt." The lawyers claimed, "Dash’s status [as] a minority shareholder in RAF, Inc., gives him no right to sell a company asset."

The complaint alleged that Dash saw an opportunity in the market and "sought to cash in by actioning the copyright to Reasonable Doubt as an NFT."

"The bottom line is simple: Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own. By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties," the lawsuit stated.

Jay-Z's album "Reasonable Doubt" was released in 1996 and catapulted the artist to fame after it sold over a million copies. The lawyers alleged that Dash has already minted the album as an NFT and is trying to sell it "as soon as possible."

The lawsuit also included an auction announcement from SuperFarm, a platform that allows the sale and auction of NFTs.

"SuperFarm is proud to announce, in collaboration with Damon Dash, the auction of Damon‘s ownership of the copyright to Jay-2's first album Reasonable Doubt. This marks a new milestone in the history of NFT's, entitling the new owner to future revenue generated by the unique asset," the announcement read, according to the complaint. "The monumental event will last for two days starting on June 23 and concluding on June 25. SuperFarm is excited to host this truly remarkable auction and immortalize one of the world’s greatest artists on the blockchain!"

According to the lawsuit, after Jay-Z's lawyers sent a letter to SuperFarm, the auction was eventually canceled, "but Dash is currently frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale."

"The end of cannabis prohibition is here," says Jay-Z (shown at the Grammys in 2018)
"The end of cannabis prohibition is here," says Jay-Z (shown at the Grammys in 2018) AFP / Jewel SAMAD
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