Jay-Z was in love with Aaliyah, her ex-boyfriend Damon Dash claims

Dash claims Jay tried “very hard” to date the R&B singer.

Damon Dash has claimed Jay-Z had a huge crush on Aaliyah and “tried hard” to date her.

While speaking to Page Six, Hov’s former rapper Roc-A-Fella Records partner reportedly claimed that the ’99 Problems’ rapper had his sights firmly set on the R&B singer.

“He worked hard,” said Dash of Jay’s pursuit. “I didn’t want to fall in love with Aaliyah, she was so cool,” he said. “But you know, we were both going hard … everyone was trying to get to Aaliyah, it wasn’t just Jay.”

Damon and Aaliyah dated from 2000 up until her tragic death in 2001. The ‘Back & Forth’ singer was killed aged 22 in a plane crash in the Bahamas.

“She was just cool as hell … we would laugh … we never stopped hanging and that is what happened with her. There was never any obligation or any title … just liking being around somebody for who they are,” Damon said.

“I was not in love with Aaliyah through the television — I fell in love with her from hanging out and meeting her. She looked different than Aaliyah on the TV screen.”

Damon also claimed he didn’t know Jay was trying to pursue Aaliyah. “I did not know Jay was trying to holler at her, but then it just happened like that. He was trying, I was trying. Everybody was trying — he was going hard.”

Jay would later go on to date (and marry) Beyonce after meeting when she was 18, which would be between September of 1999 and August of 2000.