Jay-Z Files Legal Notice Ensuring He'll Own Rights to His Debut Album in 2031

Jay-Z has ensured that the rights to his iconic debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," will revert to him in 2031. This development comes amidst ongoing disputes with his former Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder, Dame Dash.

Jay-Z's attorneys recently filed a legal notice to secure these rights, which currently belong to Roc-A-Fella Records. The label, co-founded by Jay-Z, Dame Dash and Kareem Burke in 1995, holds all copyrights to the album.

According to the agreement, "No shareholder or member of Roc-A-Fella Records Inc holds a direct ownership interest in Reasonable Doubt."

This legal maneuver is particularly relevant as Dame Dash prepares to auction his one-third share of Roc-A-Fella Records later this month. The label's primary asset is Jay-Z's 1996 debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," which has sold over a million copies in the United States. Jay-Z's legal team has made it clear that while Roc-A-Fella currently holds the rights, these will automatically revert to Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, in 2031.

The legal battle between Jay-Z and Dame Dash has been ongoing since 2021 when Dash attempted to sell his shares in Roc-A-Fella. Dash accused Jay-Z of making a lowball offer for his shares, leading to mutual lawsuits. The situation escalated when Dash tried to auction the album as a non-fungible token (NFT), prompting Roc-A-Fella to file a lawsuit to prevent the sale.

Legal documents from the case state, "Unless duly authorized by RAF, Inc., no shareholder or member of RAF, Inc. may alter in any way, sell, assign, pledge, encumber, contract with regard to or in any way dispose of any property interest in ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ including its copyright and including through any means such as auctioning a non-fungible token reflecting, referring or directing to such interest."

Despite the legal wrangling, both parties reached a settlement last year, allowing Dash to sell his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella but barring him from selling any interest in "Reasonable Doubt." Jay-Z's recent legal filing is a strategic move to ensure that the rights to his debut album will be his alone in the future.

For now, the ball is in Dame Dash's court regarding whether he chooses to sell his share or hold onto a piece of the legendary Hip-Hop label he helped create. As Jay-Z's attorney Alex Spiro noted, "The rights would have gone back to Jay 35 years after the record was released, anyway. His lawyers have just filed the paperwork to make it official."