Damon Dash

Damon Dash sent himself to boarding school in pursuit of a better education than he was receiving at the time. This decision initially led to questions about his "street credibility" at the start of his career. Dash's official entry into the music industry came when he produced the first album for 90's rap group Original Flavor. One of the group's members, Tone Hooker, later joined the Roc-A-Fella staff. Damon has two children: Damon Dash II, also known as Boogie, from a previous relationship, and his daughter Ava, with his wife, designer Rachel Roy. Both children appear in the film *State Property 2*. During his ownership of Roc-A-Fella Records, Dash was responsible for acquiring Armadale Vodka and Pro Keds, using his artists and label as a platform to market these brands. He also signed Cam'ron to Roc-A-Fella, a move that marked the beginning of the end of his relationship with his longtime friend and business partner, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. Jay-Z has publicly stated that he had no interest in the Hollywood movie scene, in contrast to Dash. After selling Roc-A-Fella Records to Def Jam, Damon founded the Damon Dash Music Group. Nicole Wray, previously of Missy Elliott's Gold Mind label, was signed to DDMG, though she has since left the label. Dash sold his stake in Roc-A-Wear Clothing to Jay-Z and is no longer involved with the brand. He played a key role in shaping the line's image by recruiting high-profile friends and models such as Naomi Campbell and Omahyra Mota. Campbell continues to model for the brand. Dash remains active as an actor, movie director, music producer, and CEO, and has recently produced singles for figures such as Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham.