First Time Here?

This is such a fashion/entertainment industry scenario: you develop intense phone relationships with people in the business, never once seeing their faces, then meet them at a party and exclaim, “So that is what you look like!” That is exactly what happened when I rolled up to Damon Dash at FIT’s Annual All-Star Salute Gala at the Rainbow Room. Damon and I had a brief professional relationship when I worked for RZA and Damon was CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records. Rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard, RZA’s cousin, was just released from jail and Roc-A-Fella had signed him.  So phone convos between Damon and I ensued, but we never met. At the gala, I gushed about Wu-Tang and the craziness surrounding ODB and arranged to meet him at his office where I could really pick Damon’s brain. In return, I got a huge dose of inspiration and a little window into what magic is really made of.

Nothing has blocked Damon Dash from achieving his vision because the man is pure guts, drive and an impossible amount of brains. He helped launch Kanye West, Roc-A-Fella Records, Rocawear clothing, Rachel Roy’s clothing line, the indie film hit The Woodsman – the list could literally go on for eternity.

Lucky me, not only did I get to ask the man with the master plan all about his life but I also sneak previewed his latest endeavor, a new line of sneakers designed by Margherita Missoni for ProKeds (one of Damon’s many holdings) to benefit Orphanaid Africa. The half-a-dozen or so pairs are covered in collages of Africa-inspired prints and will be sold at snazzy retailers like Barney’s and Colette. They sort of feel like your Chuck Taylors, but on high-fashion steroids.

I know, I know, you want to know if they are good shoes or are they just hype. Don’t expect anything less than an all-around solid pair of sneakers, seriously, what else would come from a man who himself owns about 1,300 pairs of kicks?

But what is the one thing Damon wants people to know? He replies, “That I raised a child by myself since he was eight years old. I took that responsibility on myself, and no one ever talks about that because people only want to talk about the bad stuff. I am most proud of him out of everything in my entire life and he is my biggest accomplishment. Actions speak louder than words and I fought to raise him properly.”

When asked about the future, he responds nonchalantly, “I have already made history.”

Do you guys want to hear more from this interview? Let me know in comments!