Who Is Damon Dash? What to Know About the Music Executive

Damon Dash has seen his fair share of ups and downs while navigating the music biz, which he entered way back in the day.

The entrepreneur's worked -- and fallen out -- with some of the biggest names in the industry, and he's managed to pick himself up after every setback ... a few of which included money troubles.

We're going to check out how the record executive made a name for himself and how he ended up having to deal in a precarious financial situation.

Damon's time in the music industry kicked off back in 1996, when he co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Kareem "Biggs" Burke.

Dash's professional relationship with the rapper eventually deteriorated, and the two split up after Jay-Z left Roc-A-Fella to join Def Jam Records, before he bought the executive out of their clothing line Rocawear, according to New York Magazine.

Damon eventually branched out, and founded several other clothing lines before he started working in film and television.

He's also started a rock group, The Black Guns and Freeway, and they released their debut album, "365," in June 2025.

Damon's love life has been the subject of interest from fans, especially since he was formerly in a relationship with Aaliyah, which lasted until she died in a plane crash in 2001.

In 2005, he tied the knot with Rachel Roy, with whom he shares daughters Ava and Tallulah, and they remained married until 2009, when they split up and began a drawn-out legal battle regarding the custody of his daughters.

Damon later got engaged to Rachel Horn, and they welcomed a son named Dusko in November 2020.

Oh, and the music industry executive is also a father to a pair of older sons named Damon II and Lucky.

Damon's had a few money troubles through the years, and the state government of New York actually bought a one-third share of Roc-A-Fella in 2024 in an attempt to recoup some of the executive's back taxes, according to the New York Post.

And the issues only grew from there, as he filed for bankruptcy in September 2025. Damon claimed he was $25.3 million in debt, had no monthly income, and was only worth $4,350 when he filed for bankruptcy. He also owes almost $648,000 in domestic support obligations to both Roy and his former girlfriend Cindy Morales.