Dame Dash Fires Back At Jason Lee Over Nicky Licky & Aaliyah Comparison

BY Aron A.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 07: Dame Dash speaks onstage during the 2022 InvestFest at Georgia World Congress Center on August 07, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Jason Lee's interview with Dame Dash reached a boiling point when questions about Aaliyah came up.

Dame Dash’s love for Aaliyah knows no bounds. However, their relationship naturally remains a sensitive topic whenever it arises. During a recent interview, Dame Dash and Jason Lee clashed when Lee questioned Dash about Nicky Licky, an artist he's been working with, who he’s said reminds him of “a little white lesbian Aaliyah.” While Lee pushed back on the comparison, Dame Dash explained that Nicky shares characteristics, from her movements to her humor, that remind him of Aaliyah.

“What I said is she reminds me of a little white lesbian Aaliyah. I never compared her music to Aaliyah. And you don’t know Aaliyah. I did,” he said. “I never said anything about music. That’s such a racist and putting someone in a box kind of thing. I can say what the f*ck I want about Aaliyah. That was my girl. Y’all didn’t know Aaliyah like that. How the f*ck you going to tell me how to celebrate Aaliyah? Every person and every woman that’s around me, if I don’t see an element of Aaliyah, I don’t f*ck with her. So every single girl around me I’m going to compare to Aaliyah.”

Another point that seemingly rubbed Dame Dash the wrong way was how Jason Lee incorrectly stated that the Roc-A-Fella co-founder signed Nicky Licky. Dash explained that he doesn’t sign artists but instead forms partnerships with them. 

“I don’t own anybody. I never signed Jay-Z. So you don’t understand certain business verbiage and you’re judging, and that’s the devil talking. Because then it becomes not the truth and it becomes other people’s truth and it’s not real,” he said. Ultimately, Dame made it clear that he didn’t feel as though Jason Lee had any right to question his relationship with Aaliyah since he never knew her.

Dame Dash Says He & Jay-Z Competed For Aaliyah

Elsewhere, Dash explained how “a lot of people were really in love with” Aaliyah. He also explained how he and Jay-Z were in competition with each other over her. He cited one specific party that Diddy hosted where he and Jay were “throwing in our bid.” While Dame explained that he was “on fire,” he added, “I didn't know I was going to fall in love. I just wanted to smash.” Eventually, he managed to win Aaliyah over, which he said wasn’t necessarily well-received by Jay. Check out the full episode above. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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