The MC is entering the metaverse and he’s bringing fans with him.
You wanna ball ’til you fall? Nas can help you with that.
Bridging the gap from Nasty Nas to Nastradamus, the rapper that once dreamed of ruling the world is now set on conquering the world of NFTs. Luckily for listeners, he’s letting them ride.
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Teaming up with Royal, an investment platform that allows fans to earn royalties from music made by their favorite artists, the pride of Queensbridge is selling Polygon-based NFTs tied to singles “Ultra Black” and “Rare,” starting Jan. 11.
As reported by Decrypt, these Limited Digital Assets associated with said singles will allow users to invest in each song and earn streaming royalty rights.
“I am always looking for new and unique ways to connect with my fans,” Nas said in the report. “So I am excited to partner with Royal on their new endeavor in order for my fans to connect with my music in a new way.”
Because Nas serves as the co-founder of his record label Mass Appeal, which put out the albums Kings Disease and Kings Disease II , which the mentioned singles live on, he possess the power to make a move like this.
One could say this moment has been months in the making, as late last year Nas joined a group of investors who helped fundraise $55 million for Royal.
It appears that this is only the beginning.
“Having Nas be the first artist to sell royalty rights through Royal is an incredible affirmation of our mission,” Royal CEO and co-founder Justin Blau told Decrypt. “It’s proof that artists across genres feel strongly about democratizing ownership of their music, and that they want to be connected to their listeners on a deeper level.”
This endorsement means a lot coming from Blau, who also performs as DJ 3LAU and knows the artist side of the equation intimately.
Practicing what he preaches, 3LAU used Royal to give away 50% of the streaming rights to his 2021 single “Worst Case,” said to be valued at $12 million total, and in turn, left fans with $6 million in streaming rights.
Teaming with Nas only adds more credibility and liquidity to the world of music ownership that Royal resides in. Moreover, it could mean something massive for both parties as the new year unfolds.
In 2022, Nas is expected to release the highly anticipated Kings Disease III through Mass Appeal.
While shares of singles on its predecessors will soon be up for sale, it’s not far-fetched to think that the legendary songwriter would follow the footsteps of Blau, who sold his album Ultraviolet for $11 million on the Ethereum blockchain by way of 33 NFTs.
Both Kings Disease and Kings Disease II were commercially viable on the charts, only adding energy to the impact that the final installment of the trilogy could make in the metaverse.
