These days, it’s not unusual for celebrities to launch NFT collections of all kinds. Everyone from Snoop Dogg to Bella Hadid has released their own projects for fans. Now, rapper Ja Rule has become the newest member of the club, with an NFT collection that benefits a good cause.
This project is called the ‘Black is Beautiful’ collection and has been developed with his partner Herb Rice. The collection comprises 1,000 art illustrations from artist Nick Davis which are depictions of black life in America.
“It’s basically telling the story of Black America, from our joy to our pain.” Rule says.
Following their sale, the initial $25,000 made by the collection will be donated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Morgan State University, Hampton University, Spelman College, Jackson State University, and Morehouse College. His own company, ICONN Media, will match the donation, bringing the total to $50,000.
The rapper also famously operates under The Painted House, an artistic collective. Several members of the house have attended HBCUs and thus, the project is a very personal one. There is also talk of the rapper investing directly in these HBCUs’ art programs.
This is, however, not Ja Rule’s first NFT venture as last year, he sold NFT artwork connected to the infamous Fyre Festival.