Damon Dash is claiming his former Roc-A-Fella heyday wasn't the musical dynasty it cracked up to be -- because its top dawg Jay-Z had to string along Memphis Bleek by always writing his lyrics!!!
The weathered music mogul unloaded the clip on his ex-protégé in his latest interview with "The Art of Dialogue."
Bleek staked his claim as the hungry rap rookie from up the block on Jay's "Reasonable Doubt" debut album, but Dame says he was too lazy (or incapable) to move his own career along!!!
Bleek was billed and positioned several times as Jay's heir apparent ... but Dame says the lapses in his career came while he was waiting on the touch from Mr. S. Carter, Ghostwriter.
Roc-A-Fella artists all scattered when the label dissolved in the mid-'00s, but Dame says Bleek stayed loyal to Jay because of music.
Dame recalled getting Bleek placement on DJ Clue's album, which is pretty much the equivalent of Spotify playlists in current times ... only for Bleek's lack of work effort to shine through and Dame had to shuffle him out of the lineup.
Bleek was infamously left off Jay's sophomore album "Vol. 1: In My Lifetime" for slacking -- and Dame notes how Bleek still had the opportunity to propel his Get Low imprint similarly to how their artists Cam'ron did with The Diplomats and Beanie Sigel with State Property.
The pattern of underachieving wasn't limited to Bleek ... Dame says their RAF 1st Lady hopeful Amil also washed out after having every tool at her disposal for success.
We spoke to Bleek last year about those Jay-Z collab album rumors and he told us he was waiting on Big Homie to come to the studio.
Or waiting on the text of lyrics to come in? 👀