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Dame Dash on Roc-A-Fella, Jay-Z, Kanye & Why Corporate Got It Wrong Hotney 8 Streams • 6 months ago

Dame Dash sits down with 247HH for a deep, unfiltered conversation on entrepreneurship, culture, creativity, independence, family, manifestation, ownership, and the mindset behind building legacy.

From Roc-A-Fella stories and discovering Jay-Z & Kanye West to explaining why creators must own their future, Dame delivers one of his most philosophical and motivational interviews to date.

This episode of Culture Builders explores the intersection of hip-hop, business, art, leadership, and purpose.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro & “Nothing Good Happens Overnight”
00:16 Streets vs Music Industry
01:17 Learning From Young Success
02:11 Why Artists Should Perform Before Recording
03:02 Respecting the Creative Process
03:40 Roc-A-Fella, Money & Broken Relationships
04:39 Growth, Reinvention & Family Priorities
05:31 Living Around the World & Choosing Your Life
06:05 Family, Purpose & Protecting Culture
06:44 Monetizing What You Love
07:06 Love vs Money Philosophy
07:53 What Truly Motivates Dame Dash
08:08 No Regrets & Living an Extraordinary Life
08:31 Teaching People How to Dream Bigger
09:01 Purpose, Manifestation & Depression
09:48 Doing What You Love for Work
10:22 Surviving Fame Young
10:42 Advice for Finding Purpose
11:01 Writing Goals Into Reality
11:26 Self-Sustainability & Designing Your Future
12:01 Protecting Your Vision From Negativity
12:24 “If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare People…”
12:39 Thinking Like a Boss
13:04 Why Working for Someone Else Isn’t the Dream
13:44 Love Over Money
14:02 Burning Bridges & Moving Forward
14:40 Turning Losses Into Lessons
15:16 Why Independence Always Worked
15:49 How Labels Rejected Jay-Z
16:20 Why Nobody Wanted to Sign Kanye West
16:48 Keys to Success & Preparation
17:47 Don’t Wait for Opportunity — Take It
18:18 Speaking Different Languages to Reach People
18:44 Respecting Smart Opponents
19:07 Culture, Racism & Web3
19:46 Why We Must Translate Technology for Our Culture
20:04 Respecting Advice From Experienced People
20:35 Meeting People Through Art, Music & Creativity
21:10 OSGs & Building Black Ownership Networks
22:00 Parenting, Protecting Daughters & Teaching Sons
23:15 Why Dame Believes Transparency Matters
24:02 Being Celebrated by a New Generation
25:05 Why Younger Creators Understand Ownership Better
26:02 Comparing Today’s Struggles to the Past
27:05 Why Dame Doesn’t Fear Criticism
28:03 Fake Leaders & Industry Manipulation
29:15 The Reality of Corporate Boardrooms
30:02 Gratitude & Not Taking Life for Granted
31:04 Manifestation & Protecting Your Energy
32:01 Web3, Ownership & Digital Real Estate
33:10 Why Technology Creates New Opportunities
34:03 Becoming a Director, Designer & Creator
35:15 Building Creative Ecosystems
36:02 Dame Dash Studios & New Platforms
37:08 Independent Distribution & Ownership
38:01 Risk-Taking & Entrepreneurial Thinking
39:10 Betting on Yourself
40:02 Hustle Culture & Competitive Drive
41:12 Why Dame Shifted Away From Pure Business
42:01 Men, Ego & Competition
43:10 Why Women Communicate Differently
44:01 Leadership, Loyalty & Challenges
45:08 Why Success Changes Relationships
46:02 Emotional Support, Peace & Protecting Energy
47:10 Healing From Trauma & Street Mentality
48:01 Why Reading & Expanding Your Mind Matters
49:03 Self-Awareness & Accountability
50:01 “All Money Isn’t Good Money”
51:02 Walking Away From What You Don’t Love
52:01 Health, Food Systems & Control
53:04 Questioning Everything Society Pushes
54:02 Education Systems & Conditioning
55:05 Breaking Free From Traditional Thinking
56:01 Tesla, Innovation & Hidden Knowledge
57:03 Self-Preservation vs Integrity
58:01 Big L, Harlem & Early Music Days
59:15 Brotherhood, Loyalty & Legacy
1:00:02 Building Artists Into Global Brands
1:01:05 Competition, Success & Brotherhood
1:02:01 Roc-A-Fella Memories & Relationships
1:03:04 Dame Reflects on Friendship & Loyalty
1:04:00 Biggie, Jay-Z & Historic Hip-Hop Moments
1:05:00 Final Reflections & Closing Thoughts

📍 Subscribe for more Culture Builders conversations featuring entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and innovators shaping culture worldwide.

#DameDash #CultureBuilders #247HH #JayZ #KanyeWest #HipHop #Entrepreneurship #Ownership #CreativeFreedom #RocAFella #Business #Motivation #IndependentArtist #Web3 #MusicIndustry

Floetry: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 8 Streams • 5 months ago

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music.

Mitra I. Arthur | June 2, 2026
Floetry made its way “from London’s SE5 to Philly's west side just to bring the vibe” to the Tiny Desk. And with the poetic flows of Natalie Stewart (aka The Floacist) and a rich, floating soprano from Marsha Ambrosius (aka The Songstress), the vibe in our space was immaculate.

This duo has known and made music with each other since youth — it’s a sisterhood that doesn’t diminish through the ebbs and flows of life. They began their musical journey together in London and found themselves embedded in Philadelphia’s rich music scene, building a catalog of soulful R&B projects that charmed audiences.

Floetry took a moment from its first tour in a decade to stop by the Tiny Desk. The duo starts their set with “Big Ben,” a callback to their U.K. origins. “Butterflies,” co-written by Ambrosius and Andre Harris — and famously performed by Michael Jackson — is mesmerizing as Ambrosius’ voice flutters. Situated in the middle of the set are the sensual “Say Yes” and “Getting Late,” songs that steam up any environment, causing the pair to joke it might be too early in the day for them. There's a palpable joy and playfulness in the little moments between songs; that joy spills over to the audience, who excitedly sing along. Floetry closes with its debut single, “Floetic,” taking the audience back to the 20-somethings who announced their arrival onto the R&B landscape.

SET LIST
“Big Ben”
“SupaStar”
“Butterflies”
“Say Yes”
“Getting Late”
“Floetic”

MUSICIANS
Marsha Ambrosius: vocals:
Natalie Stewart: vocals
E. Will: keys, music director
Steven Johnson: keys
Shago Elizondo: guitar
Mykal Curtis: bass
Nigel Lawrence: percussion
Darryl Staves Jr.: drums
DJ Aktive: DJ

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Mitra I. Arthur
Director: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer/Mix: Josephine Nyounai
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Editor: Maia Stern
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Felix Contreras
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#tinydesk #nprmusic #floetry

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