Dame Dash “Had To Look The Other Way” With R. Kelly
Dame Dash is maintaining his stance on R. Kelly.
During a recent sit-down with Nick Cannon for his Cannon’s Class web series, the rap mogul talked about his regrets in not voicing his concerns when his former business partner JAY Z collaborated with Kelly.
In 2002, the rapper and R&B singer joined forces for their joint album Best of Both Worlds. Dash claims to have strongly opposed the project, as well the subsequent tour, and even implies that Jay was aware of Kelly’s alleged abuse of Aaliyah, who was Dash’s girlfriend.
“I’m human, bro. But I had to look the other way, all these years,” Dash told Canon in response to questioning about his involvement in the Best of Both World project. “So publicly that man did a record with the n**** that raped my girl, that he liked as well. Right? And then went on a tour with him.”
He continued, “[Jay Z] was my artist. So, if I don’t agree with something that someone I’m working with is doing I can’t publicly out my man. But, really, how is he my man if he’s still doing that?”
Later in the clip, Dash recalled Aaliyah’s reluctance to talk about her relationship with Kelly. The singer, who tragically died in a plane crash in 2001, reportedly secretly wed Kelly in 1994 when she was just 15 after they worked together on her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.
“I remember having a conversation with Aaliyah, and I was like, ‘Tell me what happened,’” Dash told Cannon. “And she just couldn’t. I just left it at that. She said, ’Leave it alone.’”
In the wake of Lifetime’s explosive docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, the singer’s alleged serial abuse has become a hot button issue.
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