Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder, Dame Dash, recently raised eyebrows when he revealed that he turned down the opportunity to produce the 2004 comedy film, “Soul Plane.” During a podcast interview with Math Hoffa, Dame claimed that he declined the offer because he didn’t want “white people making money off making fun of us.” The film, which starred Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart, received criticism for its stereotypical portrayals of Black people.
Dash, who had previously worked with Hart on the film, “Paper Soldiers,” expressed his disappointment that Hart didn’t publicly support him and questioned why the comedian wouldn’t share his work. Despite their past collaboration, Dash felt that Hart’s involvement in “Soul Plane” went against his own principles.
Dame Dash accuses people of stealing his ideas and says he refused to produce the movie ‘Soul Plane’ because he didn’t want white people to make money by making fun of Black people. pic.twitter.com/2ipIKmjACZ
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) February 20, 2024
“Anyone who interviews Kev, and he’ll say it. ‘Dame put me in my first movie.’ Why you won’t post his s—t?” Dash said in an interview clip.
“They had asked me to produce ‘Soul Plane’ and I got offended,” he continued. “I didn’t like white people making money off making fun of us,” said Dash.
While Dash acknowledged Hart’s success, he criticized the comedian for certain choices, such as buying a billboard for his film, “Get Hard,” which showed him braiding co-star, Will Ferrell’s, hair. Dash emphasized that he wouldn’t have made the same decision, stating:
“I wouldn’t braid another man’s hair on a billboard… He has done things that I didn’t raise him to do, but he has a different kind of comedy.”
“Soul Plane” faced backlash from some within the Black community for perpetuating stereotypes. Iconic director, Spike Lee, referred to the film as “coonery and buffoonery” at that time. Despite the criticism, the film has since become a cult classic.
Dame didn’t stop with just his “Soul Plane” criticism though. He also called out Kevin for supposedly continuing to do him dirty, by never sharing any of Dame’s content with his millions of followers. The way Dame sees it…he helped Kev’ out by putting him in his first movie, so now that the tables are turned, Dame feels that Kevin should help him out by spreading the word about Dame’s various projects on his platform:
“I’m not judging [Kevin], I’m just saying, just repost my sh*t! I was never mad at him for doing anything he’s done. It’s just not what I would do, and I’m not mad at him now. But it would be nice if any one of y’all muthaf**kas I put on would post my s—t,” Dame said.
Dame’s and Kevin’s reported interactions raises important questions about representation, responsibility, and the boundaries of creative expression in the entertainment game. While they had collaborated in the past, their differing perspectives on comedy and social responsibility highlight the complexities of navigating success in Hollywood. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how or when Kevin Hart will respond to Dame Dash’s comments. Only time will tell.
