Russell Simmons: "Damon Dash Is A Genius"
Posted by Media Outrage on March 27th, 2009
Russell Simmons had some more than kind words for his friend and fellow entreprenuer Damon Dash. Last night Russell attended the showing of Dame Dash and Jim Jones’ “Hip Hop Monologues”, and was thoroughly impressed with what he saw.
Via AHH:
Sitting in the audience last night inside the crowded 37 Street Arts Theater in Manhattan Off Broadway, I witnessed another great Damon Dash contribution, one that takes hip-hop culture to another significant level of accomplishment.
Sony Entertainment and Damon Dash produced, “Hip-Hop Monologues: the Life and the Mind of Jim Jones.” It was a fantastic show that portrays the evolution of hip-hop through the life Jim Jones.
I have to say, Damon Dash is a hip-hop genius who should never be underestimated. I have watched Dame’s growth, development and entrepreneurship over the years–not from a distance but from first hand observation. He was one of the creative forces behind Roc-a-fella Records, the architect of Rocawear Fashions, he’s made significant culturally relevant films with Dash Films and made other creative cultural installments through Dash Enterprises.
On another great note… He’s the only husband beside one other that I know, who spent a small fortune developing a major talent and women’s brand by supporting his women to the hilt!!
In our early days, Lyor Cohen and I used to shout at Damon and he would shout back. Then we would hug and go handle our business. That was our way of communicating. Eventually, Lyor got old and I did more yoga and we both stopped shouting so much. Dame eventually made a few bad choices and a few things went sour. We know haters love a man who’s been hot to catch a lil cold. Hate spreads. But like Tony Montana in “Scarface” said, “two qualudes ….. And they gonna love him again.”
So haters, it really doesn’t matter about your blogs from the sidelines. Dame’s gonna help heat the economy again!! If he got hit by a truck today remember this, Dame’s a giver by nature. That’s why he has already received so much. He was the biz leader, architect and one of the creative forces that built Rocafella Records into an empire. I remember that it was Damon who came on my office after we signed Jay-Z to be on the “Nutty Professor” soundtrack with a bag of cash ready to put his money where his mouth was 
. But the record “Ain’t No n*gga” didn’t need his cash. It was a masterpiece and so was his artist, Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time.
I saw countless displays of vision and faith all the way up to and beyond his struggle to convince everyone (no one believed) of the artistry in Kanye West. In this business, in order to be successful you have to have both business sense and great creative instincts (The latter is intuitive and cannot be learned). Damon has once again proven that he is a great innovator with amazing vision.
Now, he is helping Jim Jones in a powerful manner that combines their collective experiences–from being born and raised in Harlem. They’ve taken that culture to Broadway theaters with a live hip-hop band, dance routines, multimedia use and the dynamics of theatrical stage presentation to show the struggles of life through the lens of hip-hop.
I have 2 responses:
1) Respect Dame’s gangster.
2) Go see the play immediately.
Mediaoutrage- Those are some very kind words from Russell. We must say that Dame Dash was definitely an architect behind one of the biggest hip hop empires to date. We believe he can bounce back, because most successful entrepreneurs possess tremendous resilience. We might have to peep this play to see what all the hoopla is about. Way to stand up for Dame, Russ, while he’s getting done in one of the most viscous Media Drive By’s we’ve ever witnessed. That’s a true friend.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I really like what Russ had to say about damon dash, i respect and honor russ to the fullest, and its true he will come back, god only lets us drop so far, it sound like dude helped alot of people and that is a blessing on his part, because he will be blessed triple times by god, and I still say his wife should of stuck by him, and yes that is what a husband is suppose to do , take care of his wife, but that wife also suppose to do her part to, which is stick by him thru thick and thin, and was the words in holy matrimony thru the eyes of god, and if he helped her , then she should help him, if she is doing well. selfish people always hit a brick wall in the end,
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March 27th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
he will be fine, like i said in my past posts, he will be ok, i dont wish that on anyone, i always wanna see my black men do very well, if that was my husband and he helped me , i would walk thru fire to stand by him and help him back on his feet, and thats real
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I wish him much success in the future! Go head Dame! Big ups to Russ for his kind words!
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Well I hope he bounces back quick and stay off Jay Z DICK
!!!
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Im glad he has someone powerful 2 back him up. Ummm if he is what Russ said about him, I wonder why he didn’t help the man get on another job. Dame could’ve been part of BabyPhat!
He was smart, but not smart enough 2 manage his money.
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March 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Of course at a time like this you don’t wanna wish Dame’s situation on anyone. And yeah I hope he’s able to get back on his feet too. But I think the reason everyone has had something to say is because if he’s doing all this “helping others”, how did he forget about #1? I know plenty of people how have helped other people, myself included, and still managed to make ends meet for themselves. This man had millions of dollars and couldn’t do that. How do you fuck up that kind of money?! That’s what I think everyone is trying to understand. Dude couldn’t get that right somehow and it should’ve been easy.
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March 28th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
@ CrystalShine you are right so many kind words for the fool but no actions to help him get back on his feet.one question though ;where were dame’s finacial advisers through all this ?! considering the that he was an ‘enterperneur who should have some financial help at all times.
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March 30th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Dame needs new and fresh artist to work with, he needs to go out to country’s like South Africa and the UK and discover some new artist that will put him back on the Map this Jim Jones Business he need to give it a bit of a break
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March 30th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I need Dames contacts somebody please Post it on the site
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August 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 am
Upon further deliberation I would have to say that the reversed observation of this gives light to a whole new view. Typically I am very opinionated but today I?m in a very different view. Try it. What do you see in the opposite of this?
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May 18th, 2010 at 11:30 am
cool picsxxx
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