If I can recall correctly, the straw that broke the camel's back with Jay was him signing ODB without consulting with him first. There was also a conflict with RZA that didn't help. You have to respect what him and Jay did with Roc-A-Fella, but at the end you had to wonder how much of it really had to do with Damon. There's a reason why HE got cashed out of Rocawear, and why Jay ended up the President of a label.
He commented about spreading himself too thin. He's right, and he's not the only one guilty of that. Now, the belief is you HAVE to have your own clothing label, your own fragrance, your own liquor, etc. etc. It's great if you can do all of those things well, but most can't. Diddy actually made some of the same mistakes at Bad Boy - he had a nice roster of artists at one point, but devoted all of his attention to one. He had artists signed, but he shelved them, and ended up fighting lawsuits because artists wanted their freedom. When he lost Biggie, he really didn't have anything on the music side. To his credit, he has a talent for the apparel business. He thought bigger than most - not just hoodies and jeans, but suits, furs, etc. and he's won awards for his clothes. He was able to parlay that into acting and actually promoting himself as a talent. Most can't pull that off. I think you should build a foundation on what you do well, then branch off into other businesses.
He commented about spreading himself too thin. He's right, and he's not the only one guilty of that. Now, the belief is you HAVE to have your own clothing label, your own fragrance, your own liquor, etc. etc. It's great if you can do all of those things well, but most can't. Diddy actually made some of the same mistakes at Bad Boy - he had a nice roster of artists at one point, but devoted all of his attention to one. He had artists signed, but he shelved them, and ended up fighting lawsuits because artists wanted their freedom. When he lost Biggie, he really didn't have anything on the music side. To his credit, he has a talent for the apparel business. He thought bigger than most - not just hoodies and jeans, but suits, furs, etc. and he's won awards for his clothes. He was able to parlay that into acting and actually promoting himself as a talent. Most can't pull that off. I think you should build a foundation on what you do well, then branch off into other businesses.
"The best kind of pride is that which compels a man to do his best when no one is watching."