U.S. rapper Kanye West appears to be softening his stance on NFTs. 17 new trademark applications around YEEZUS, he could launch his own NFT collection.
Now Kanye West is interested in NFTs?
One of the most influential American musicians, Kanye West, used to be firmly against non-fungible tokens. Earlier this year, he said he is committed to building products for the “real world,” urging fans to stop asking him to make NFTs.
However, he had ended his statement with the phrase “Ask me later,” hinting that he had not entirely closed the door on digital collectibles.
All of the applications center around the use of the YEEZUS trademark, which was the name of West’s 2013 album, as well as a full-length tour. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Intellectual Property discovered the applications and posted them on Twitter earlier today.
Other applications made to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are to launch “blockchain-based non-fungible assets,” “coins and tokens,” and “online retail store services with digital art.”
Gerben Perrott’s trademark lawyer and founder – Josh Gerben – confirmed the news on his Twitter account.
Kanye West has filed 17 new trademark applications around his YEEZUS name.
The filings indicate an intent to launch YEEZUS-branded amusement parks, NFT's, toys and more. 👇#KanyeWest pic.twitter.com/bI7RkA1Pk3
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) June 1, 2022
West’s Mascotte Holdings Inc. has filed 17 trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which include mentions of possible “non-fungible assets” and “metaverse experiences.” In particular, one of the applications notes the potential to “provide an online marketplace for purchasers of cryptocurrencies and/digital collectibles, coins, tokens and assets.”
The applications, which were filed on May 27, also cover a wide range of potential products outside the cryptocurrency space, including apparel, video games, retail stores, amusement parks, cosmetics and more.
An NFT is a blockchain-based token that functions as proof of ownership, and is typically used for digital works such as artwork, profile pictures, music files and video game items.
The metaverse, meanwhile, refers to a more immersive future evolution of the Internet in which people use avatars to socialize, work and play.
If West moves into the Web3 realm with NFTs and metaverse experiences, he will enter a space increasingly crowded by other prominent rappers.
Music and NFTs
For example, Snoop Dogg has released numerous NFTs and has collaborated with The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse. He also claims to be the pseudonym of high-value NFT collector Cozomo de’ Medici.
He also partnered with Clay Nation to launch an NFT collection on the Cardano blockchain.
Meanwhile, Ice Cube’s BIG3 professional basketball league BIG3 has decentralized team ownership in the form of NFT shares, in which Snoop Dogg and other notables in the NFT scene (such as entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk) have invested.
Nas is another rapper in the space who was an early investor in Coinbase and has launched musical NFTs through the Royal platform.
In addition Last summer, 15-time Grammy winner Eminem partnered with Nifty Gateway to launch a collection called Shady Con.
Including “original instrumental beats produced by Slim Shady himself specifically for this release,” the collection granted fans of the rapper – known as Stans – the opportunity to “own a piece of this premium release.”
For his part, Golden Globe winner John Legend created an NFT platform for musicians and artists called “OurSong.” The singer, who serves as the Head of the project, hoped it would be beneficial for artists who are about to take their first steps in the industry:
“It can be really intimidating for an emerging creative who wants to share their art, their work with the world, share their creativity with the world, but they feel like they can’t do something that’s going to be worth that much money. Some of them are building a place where they’re even making a living off their art as students.”
Finally, pop star Madonna collaborated with digital artist Beeple to launch the “Mother of Creation” NFT collection. The project included three single-edition NFTs, which feature videos of the singer giving birth to various natural objects such as a tree and butterflies.
