Jay-Z sues Damon Dash over NFT of first album ‘Reasonable Doubt’

Record label Roc-A-Fella sues the co-founder Damon Dash for selling Jay-Z's debut album as a NFT.

Damon Dash, known as the co-founder of the Roc-A-Fella record label along with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke is being sued for selling the copyright to JAY-Z’s 1996 LP, Reasonable Doubt.

The record label accuses its own co-founder Dash of trying to auction Jay-Z’s album as a non-fungible digital token (NFT) without permission.

Copyright and NFTs

NFTs are unique digital assets, including various types of digital art, represented by a code recorded on a blockchain, enabling authenticity and ownership verification, the two main issues associated with digital artwork.

The one who makes or “mints” an NFT can set both the price and the number of copies and since NFTs cannot be replicated, the creator is enabled to boost the asset’s scarcity and uniqueness and increase its value. Applying copyrights to NFT can be defined in two ways, either the buyer buys the copyright or the creator keeps the copyright with themselves.

1996 LP’s Copyrights

The record label states that Dash is attempting to auction off the album as an NFT without owning copyrights to it, according to the entertainment and celebrity news outlet ET.

“Dash does not even own Reasonable Doubt or its copyright and, therefore, has no right to sell the album or any rights to it,” the label’s complaint states, claiming that Roc-A-Fella owns all rights to Jay-Z’s 1996 LP.

Damn. Dame Dash must be hard up on cash if he's out here trying to sneakily sell Jay Z's music as a NFT without his permission. He was co-owner of Roc-A-Fella but he doesn't solely own the music from that label so this lawsuit should be a breeze.
— The LightBearer (@LordSophia666) June 19, 2021

The record company filed the complaint to stop the sale of the NFT and sent a letter to SuperFarm, a platform for the sale and auction of NFTs, to cancel the already announced event:

“SuperFarm is proud to announce, in collaboration with Damon Dash, the auction of Damon‘s ownership of the copyright to Jay-2’s first album Reasonable Doubt. This marks a new milestone in the history of NFT’s, entitling the new owner to future revenue generated by the unique asset.”

Comments

The FCT Minister–Soldier Standoff: A Test of Civil Authority and the Rule of Law

On November 11, 2025, Nigerians watched in disbelief as a video surfaced showing a tense confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a group of armed soldiers who blocked his convoy from accessing a disputed piece of land in Gaduwa, Abuja. The incident, brief but dramatic, was more than a moment of political theatre. It struck at the heart of a much bigger issue — the place of the military in a democracy, and the sanctity of civilian authority under the Nigerian Constitution. The Legal Position: Who Was Right? The Minister’s Authority Under Section 302 of the 1999 Constitution and the FCT Act , the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory exercises the executive powers of the President within Abuja. That means the Minister is not just a political appointee — he represents federal executive authority . His duties include overseeing land allocation, urban planning, and the enforcement of development control through the Federal Capital T...

Nigeria: On the Right of Self-Defence and Protection of National Sovereignty

The Federal Republic of Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the maintenance of international peace and security, the respect for the sovereignty and political independence of all States, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Nigeria is a sovereign and independent nation. Our Constitution vests sovereignty in the people of Nigeria and mandates the Government to protect the territorial integrity and independence of our country. This sovereignty—recognised under international law and reaffirmed by our membership in the United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—is inviolable. The Government of Nigeria has observed with grave concern recent statements and actions that amount to a threat of aggression and possible violation of our territorial integrity. We remind all States that any such threat or use of force contravenes Article 2(4) of the Ch...

Kebbi’s 3 a.m. Withdrawal Shows Why President Tinubu’s Security Reforms Can’t Wait

When Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State revealed that security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities were withdrawn at 3:00 a.m.—just 45 minutes before an attack—Nigerians reacted with shock, anger, and a single question that refuses to disappear: Who gave the withdrawal order? It is a fair question. It is also one that may take time, investigation, and institutional honesty to answer. But the Kebbi incident exposes a deeper truth about security management in Nigeria: our command structure is too fragmented for a country battling multi-layered threats. And this, more than anything, validates President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s push for a centralised, technology-driven, and accountable security coordination model. Nigeria’s security agencies—military, police, DSS, civil defence, intelligence units—operate in parallel lanes with overlapping mandates. State governors, despite bearing the title “Chief Security Officer,” have no legal authority over federal forces. This incoheren...

Edge Of The World

Search This Blog