Nas has announced his partnership with blockchain platform Royal to offer 50 percent of the streaming rights from two of his songs as NFTs.
According to a press release, a limited number of tokens will be offered on January 11, granting holders a portion of the publishing rights to “Ultra Black” and “Rare” from King’s Disease and King’s Disease II, respectively.
Of the partnership, Nas said, “I am always looking for new and unique ways to connect with the people. So I am excited to partner with Royal on their new endeavor in order for the world to connect with my music in a new way.” Meanwhile, Royal’s co-founder and CEO Justin “3LAU” Blau said, “Having Nas be the first artist to sell royalty rights through Royal is an incredible affirmation of our mission. 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.”
Royal’s investors also include 3LAU’s fellow electronic artists The Chainsmokers, Disclosure, and Kygo, while hip-hop artists involved include Joyner Lucas, Logic, and Stefflon Don.
Nas also announced today (January 6) that he will perform a special concert with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra later this year. The rap icon has been added to the winter/spring schedule at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, which was announced earlier today.
Nas will head to the concert hall on May 1 for a show that will see him perform his seminal album Illmatic in full. It won’t be the first time the rapper has given the record the orchestral treatment – in 2014, he teamed up with the National Symphony Orchestra for another run-through of the album in full.
On Christmas Eve, Nas released a surprise new album called Magic, which was produced entirely by Hit-Boy. The record marked his third team-up with the producer following King’s Disease and King’s Disease II.
