In a significant legal setback for hip-hop entrepreneur Damon Dash, a federal judge has directed him to turn over a substantial portion of his business assets and the copyrights to several films after he failed to pay more than $823,000 of court-ordered damages. The ruling, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger, is just the latest installment in Dash’s years-long legal battle with filmmaker Josh Webber and Muddy Water Pictures.
The core of the case amounted to Dash’s defeat in a lawsuit filed by Webber, who had sued for copyright infringement, defamation, and related claims based on accusations and recriminations that arose from a bitter falling out over the film Dear Frank. After he was taken off the project, Dash purportedly attempted to put the film out without permission and then took to social media to throw the movie under the bus. The latter of his actions got him a default judgment.
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The price tag? $705,400 in damages, plus $117,884.71 in legal fees and interest. But since Dash ponied up the cash, Webber and his legal team returned to court, asking the judge to start seizing whatever they could to collect.
Dash’s business, Poppington LLC, is now in full ownership, and Dash must transfer full ownership of several entities, including Dash Films Inc., Bluroc LLC, and Blakroc LLC. He is also set to lose his interests in Lebanon Improvements LLC, Ocean East Improvements LLC, and 1996 Songs LLC. Poppington also has to transfer the copyrights associated with a few of Dash’s film projects, including Honor Up, Too Honorable, We Went to…China, and Welcome to Blackrock.
It’s not just that those assets will be frozen; they face being put up for auction by the U.S. Marshal, who has been given 180 days to do so unless Dash files his objection between now and June 16, 2025. Whatever is left over will be returned to him, but not until the total judgment is collected.
It’s a sobering moment for a mogul once feted as a business visionary. Dash, who co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, has recently struggled with legal and money woes. In 2019, he told a judge that he was broke after being sued multiple times, indebted in child support, and with outstanding tax liens.
This decision is the latest in a series of setbacks for Dash, who was stripped of his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella Records earlier. That stake went to auction, too, but owing to other government claims, the proceeds didn’t help the plaintiffs.
Under the judge’s most recent directive, Dash has two weeks to furnish ownership certificates for the seized businesses and 10 additional days to supply the Marshal with signed assignment documents.
For now, the courts are through playing waiting games, and if Damon Dash can’t or won’t fork it over, his empire will be sold to the highest bidder, piece by piece.
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