DD172 is a media collective founded by American entrepreneur Damon Dash. DD172 encompasses America Nu, a magazine; and VNGRD79, a web design firm. It also includes an art gallery. [1] DD172 is named for Dash's initials and its original street address (172 Duane Street in Tribeca, Lower Manhattan, New York). That building, a rented four-story warehouse, [2] housed the organization until mid-June 2011, at which time DD172 moved out. [3]
DD172 began with Dash and two assistants— McKenzie Eddy and Raquel Horn —working on several music projects. Horn then became director of America Nu, while Eddy was charged with running the music division. [4] Eddy, a singer, has also produced music through DD172. [5]
The art gallery, called, "The Dash Gallery," opened on February 19, 2010, and includes paintings and sculptural works by artists such as Bobby Castaneda, Jeremy Wagner, Heather Gargon and Hector Ruiz. [6] [7] In March 2011, DD172 creative directors David Barnett and David Chang opened a clothing store called Local 172 Trading Post in the lobby of Dash's building. [8]
DD172 has produced projects such as Blakroc, a partnership between The Black Keys and several hip-hop artists, including Mos Def, RZA, Jim Jones, and Q-Tip. [9] [10] The rapper Curren$y has also collaborated with various other musicians at DD172, including Thomas Pridgen, Sean O'Connell, and Liam Dirlam of Voodoo Farm (for the album Muscle Car Chronicles ); and Mos Def and Jay Electronica, to form the group "Center Edge Territory." [11] Producer Ski Beatz has worked with DD172 as well, naming his first album, 24 Hour Karate School , after a nickname for the organization. [12] Ski Beatz has released other material on DD172's BluRoc Records label, including Love & Rockets, Volume 1: The Transformation (with Murs) in 2011. [13] BluRoc has also worked with Def Jam Recordings to release content. [4] [5]
In June 2011, DD172 departed from the building in Tribeca, which was subsequently occupied by 172 Duane Street Realty. On September 7, 2011, city officials seized the property at 172 Duane Street with papers claiming that alcohol had been sold there without a license since November 2010. However, on September 15, the charges were settled, as Dash left the property several months earlier. His lawyers also denied the allegations of illegal liquor retailing. [14] [15] DD172 had previously been criticized by neighboring tenants as being a public nuisance. [16]
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as police brutality, American exceptionalism, and the social status of African Americans.
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Damon Anthony Dash is an American entrepreneur and record executive. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke in 1994, and co-founded the fashion retailer Rocawear with the former in 1999.
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Christopher Francis Ries, known professionally as Young Chris, is an American rapper. He rose to fame as one-half of the Philadelphia-based hip hop duo Young Gunz, which he formed with rapper Neef Buck in 2001. That same year, the duo joined the larger Philadelphia-based hip hop group State Property; both acts were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records by the same time.
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Blakroc is a studio album by American rock band The Black Keys, in collaboration with Damon Dash, co-founder and former co-owner of Roc-A-Fella Records, who oversaw the project. The album features guest appearances from several hip hop and R&B acts, namely Mos Def, Nicole Wray, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, Billy Danze of M.O.P., Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Jim Jones and NOE of ByrdGang, as well as Raekwon, RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan.
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Pilot Talk II is the fourth studio album by rapper Curren$y. The majority of the album was produced by Ski Beatz and The Senseis. Curren$y himself stated in an interview that the album would be released October 26, 2010. The album was moved back and released on November 22, 2010.
Shante Scott Franklin, better known by his stage name Currensy, is an American rapper. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, he signed with the regionally-based labels Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment in the mid-2000s, although he released no albums for both. He signed with DD172 to release four albums before signing with Warner Records to release his fifth album and major label debut, Weekend at Burnie's (2011). In February of that year, he founded the record label Jet Life Recordings.
Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation is a collaborative album by American rapper Murs and New York DJ Ski Beatz, released on October 11, 2011 by DD172's record label arm BluRoc Records. It was recorded at Camp BluRoc, a recording studio in upstate New York owned by Damon Dash. According to review aggregator website Metacritic, the album received generally favorable reviews from critics.
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