Dame Dash has once again shut down a long-circulating rumor about his relationship with Aaliyah, firmly denying claims that he dated the late singer after Jay-Z did.
During an appearance on the YouTube series POV earlier this week, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder was asked directly whether his relationship with the late singer began after Jigga had already dated her. Dash immediately rejected that narrative.
"He did not [date her]. He was trying her," Dash said (around the 47:09 mark in the video below). "Everybody put they bid in. I’m going to tell you right now. As a man, I’m never, ever ever wifing a girl that any of my friends smashed. It’s not happening."
Dash explained that media reports and long-standing speculation have distorted what actually happened. According to him, neither he nor Jay-Z had a relationship with Aaliyah at the time they were both pursuing her.
"I just told you that, now you’re reading the papers wrong," Dash said, after a host asked him why he dated the "Rock the Boat" singer after his former business partner. "We were both putting in our bid. None of us had scored. That’s how it went."
He emphasized that Aaliyah was highly sought after and that multiple men in the industry were trying to date her, not just him or Jay-Z.
"We were all trying to get at Aaliyah. Everybody," Dash said. "Just 'cause he tried and gave flowers and got denied don’t mean I can’t try, and win."
Dash added that his eventual relationship with the singer had nothing to do with competing against his friend, suggesting instead that Aaliyah was drawn to him on her own terms.
"There must be something attractive of what I’m doing," he said.
The comments come months after Dash addressed other moments involving Aaliyah that have resurfaced in public conversation.
In October 2024, he explained his appearance in R. Kelly’s "Fiesta" music video, saying it stemmed from Jay-Z’s business dealings with Kelly at the time. Dash said he informed Aaliyah of the situation and made it clear he didn’t want to be closely associated.