Jay-Z to Gain ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Masters as Damon Dash’s Stake Goes to Auction

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is asserting his legal claim to the masters of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” This announcement comes amid the ongoing drama surrounding Damon Dash’s auction of his stake in Roc-A-Fella Records.

This news serves as a cautionary note to potential buyers at the auction. The album is one of the record label’s most valuable assets, but any new buyer would only own a third of the 1996 LP until 2031. By then, all master recordings and future royalties will revert back to Carter.

Despite the limited time frame for earnings, bidders are required to start their offers at a minimum of $1.2 million at the auction.

Towards early August, TMZ reported that Dash’s successor would only gain a portion of Roc-A-Fella, putting them in a minority ownership position with limited influence over the label’s operations.

Earlier this year, Dash forfeited his stake in the record label due to an over $800,000 lawsuit loss to film director Josh Webber. Webber filed the lawsuit in 2022, accusing Dash of copyright infringement and defamation. The damages mandated by the court had to be covered through Dash’s stake in Roc-A-Fella.

Regarding “Reasonable Doubt,” Jay-Z was always slated to gain ownership of the master recordings 35 years post-release. Dash had previously attempted to sell his interest in the album, even exploring the idea of an NFT. In 2022, an agreement between Dash and Roc-A-Fella clarified that Dash did not hold a “direct ownership interest” in the album, although he could transfer the revenue earned from it along with his stake in the label.

The sale will now be managed by the U.S. Marshal and is scheduled for public auction on Aug. 29 in Manhattan.

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