Last month, rapper Ja Rule announced that he would donate a portion of proceeds from NFT (non-fungible tokens) sales to several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The rapper has kept his word and raised $50,000 which will be distributed to five of the nation’s HBCUs.
The “Always on Time” rapper, co-founded The Painted House with his business partner Herb Rice and together the duo launched its first NFT project Black is Beautiful on July 14. The NFTs launched on the platform House of First. The platform says it is “the ultimate partner to collectors and creators for discovering and spotlighting firsts.” It specializes in working with artists to create and debut NFT collections.
The Black is Beautiful collection includes “1,000 unique, one-of-one collectible NFTs.” Ja Rule told Bloomberg, “it’s basically telling the story of Black America.” According to the collection’s website, “collectors will benefit from one-of-a-kind art, community, education, access, events, and special experiences.” It showcases the work of illustrator Nick Davis and is aimed to depict the joys and struggles of everyday life in America for a person of color. The collection also included collaborators such as Deion Sanders, Ashanti, Tanya Sam and others.
Proceeds from the sold-out collection totaled $25,000 in sales, according to AfroTech. The proceeds were matched by Ja Rule’s ICONN Media, for a total of $50,000. The funds will be split between Jackson State University, Morgan State University, Hampton University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College. The selected universities deeply resonate with Ja Rule and other contributors. The rapper is the father of a Hampton University graduate while Deion Sanders leads Jackson State University’s football team and entrepreneur Tanya Sam is a graduate of Spelman College.
Ja Rule told Bloomberg “it’s important that our Black children are proud to go to HBCUs.” Each partner and collaborator upheld the collective mission of helping communities of color gain “access, education, and insights to empower the next generation of creators and collectors.”
