The universe is a funny place. Isn’t it? One moment, you’re a rising star ready to light up the sky, and the next, you’re staring at the constellation you once admired, wondering where all the credit went. This is exactly what Damon Dash, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder, seems to be grappling with as he reflects on his career and his relationships in Hollywood.
In a recent conversation with Art of the Dialogue, Dash doesn’t mince words about his frustrations, particularly when it comes to Kevin Hart, the comedian he claims to have discovered. The man who has played an instrumental role in launching the careers of countless celebrities is now calling out some of them for not paying it forward.
And let’s face it: when you’ve helped sculpt the careers of household names, your expectations might be a tad bit higher, right?
Damon Dash claims credit for launching Kevin Hart’s career
In an eye-opening interview with The Art of Dialogue, Dash doesn’t hold back, reflecting on his groundbreaking contributions to the careers of some of the industry’s biggest stars. Among those he claims to have helped launch is none other than Kevin Hart.
I discovered him [Kevin Hart]. That was the first movie he was ever in.
Dash recalls how Hart got involved in the film Paper Soldiers. The former explains that he was actively looking for comedians to feature in the movie, and while attending a comedy club, he noticed Hart’s talent. Dash mentions being there with Rachel Roy (his ex-wife) and Jay Black when he spotted Hart performing.
So, you know, I was looking for comedians, and I went to the club…..I told him I had a movie I wanted him to be in, and I put him in the movie the next week. I directed them. That was like my first, that was like my directorial debut.
And with that, Hart landed his first role in the 2002 urban crime comedy film, which also featured a notable cast including Beanie Sigel and Stacey Dash, with rapper Jay-Z making a cameo appearance.
But while Dash might have played a pivotal role in Hart’s early career, he’s not shy about his grievances regarding the lack of support he feels he’s received in return.
I’ll be like, ‘yo, could you put,’ he won’t put, you know, he won’t help me promote anything I’m doing.
Paper Soldiers failed to set critics’ hearts on fire, earning 5.4 ratings out of 10 on IMDb.
Damon Dash compares his creative talents to Martin Scorsese
But for Damon Dash, the conversation doesn’t end with simply “discovering” Kevin Hart. He also takes a moment to compare his creative instincts with those of filmmaking legend Martin Scorsese. In the same interview, Dash explains:
What I’ve done and how many movies I’ve made and how I’ve made certain movies, like, I’ve done movies with honor—rep didn’t have a script and that sh*t went theatrical.
Dash clearly wants to make a point: creativity isn’t confined to formal schooling or industry expectations:
I’m nice like—I could, like, as a creative, I’m like, ‘Yo, Scorsese would have to see me.’
“I didn’t go to school for any of the things that I do professionally—zero,” he says, showing no hesitation in asserting his place among the top creators.
He goes further to express how he feels about the financial side of things. For all the stars he’s helped shine, including Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Kevin Hart, Dash feels that he should never be struggling financially:
To be honest, to me, the amount of people that I actually put on, I should never be broke ever in life. I should never have to fund nothing. I should never have to struggle.
It’s evident that Dash believes his contributions to these major careers should have translated into a much more stable financial position for him. “It should just be an anonymous bag with money all the time,” he says, humorously adding that the success he’s helped create should have come back to him in ways far beyond what he’s currently experiencing.
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