Roc-A-Fella mogul forges ahead with tries for silver screen success

Dash says he doesn't want to be associated with only one type of film.
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Damon Dash isn't satisfied with just one empire. Or two.
Over the past decade, Dash has enjoyed dizzying success: first as the head of Roc-A-Fella Records, which sold millions of records courtesy of co-founder Jay-Z, and then with the Rocawear clothing line, which has become synonymous with hip-hop fashion.
So he set off to conquer Hollywood, creating his own film company, Dash Films. But he's finding that it's not necessarily that easy:
The 2002 film "Paid in Full," starring Mekhi Phifer, received some good notices but didn't set the box office afire. "State Property," a gangsta drama starring Dash and Roc-A-Fella rapper Beanie Sigel, could have been a straight-to-video release considering how quickly it left theaters. Another film, "Death of a Dynasty," a sort of mockumentary of Dash's mogul life, was another bust in 2003.
Upcoming projects
Yet Dash is undeterred. He's currently in post-production for "State Property II," due out sometime next year, and is the executive producer of "The Woodsman," a Kevin Bacon drama about a child molester who seeks a new life after his release from prison.
Q. Why make a "State Property II"? The first one wasn't exactly a hit.
A. It's like a cult classic, this movie; everyone has been talking about it. I felt it could have been done a little bit better.
Q. What's it like being both director, actor and producer, while still trying to maintain your other Roc-A-Fella responsibilities?
A. It's cool; it's just tiring. It takes a lot of time. It's exhausting actually, but it's fun. While we're setting up lights, we're doing records in the trailer.
Q. The movie's star, Beanie Sigel, is facing three years in prison on drug and weapons charges. How did that affect the filming?
A. I don't think it will affect the movie. It took a lot of strength for Beanie to be [filming] in a prison -- because he might end up in one -- and maintain a smile on his face. He's great; he's a good guy. He's strong, and he also has a good attitude.
Q. Sigel is also one of the prized rappers on the Roc-A-Fella label. How will his potential sentence affect his recording career?
A.. It's not going to affect his creative process. If he's detained, it will affect whether he can go out and promote his stuff.
Q.. How important has the success of Roc-A-Fella's Kanye West been in the wake of Jay-Z's announced retirement?
A. It means everything in the world to me. I feel like I have something to prove. Jay-Z has been the franchise. The minute Jay retired, Kanye stepped in. He's not the traditional rapper, and he's definitely not what people expected of Roc-A-Fella.
Q. Why did you get into movies?
A. I'm trying to take over the whole world, so I'm trying to get into everything ... it was just a matter of time. When I started Roc-A-Fella, I know I wanted to do movies, get a clothing line. [I like] the business of moviemaking, the politics of it. I've done it as an actor, a producer, a director.
Q. Which role is more satisfying?
A. They all are; they're all good. I think the most frustrating is the director, because you have to answer to whoever it is who's cutting the check. ... If you're the director and the producer, you can't lose.
Q. You recently became executive producer of "The Woodsman," a movie about a pedophile. A lot different from "State Property II." Why did you get involved with it?
A. I appreciate moviemaking in every level, and I don't think that I should be pigeonholed into doing just one type of movie. I want to get an Oscar, and that's the only way I'm going to get one, to make a really good movie. When I walk into Hollywood, some people look at me as a check to get into a movie. ... I think once they learn that I'm a little bit knowledgeable about movies, then they understand.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.