Hip hop star Nas calls himself a "Cryptocurrency Scarface"

Hip hop legend and recording artist Nasir Jones, known by his stage name “Nas,” recently released a new video featuring record producer DJ Khaled and rapper Jay-Z. The songwriter said he was a "Cryptocurrency Scarface" and even mentioned the company Coinbase in his rhyme. Nas was one of the first to invest from Coinbase in 2013. It is estimated that he has raised over $ 100 million from his investment.

Nas calls itself "Cryptocurrency Scarface"

Nas is a well known artist and has released twelve albums since 1994. In the United States Nas is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Like artists like Eminem, Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Notorious BIG and Tupac. In addition to being a songwriter, Nas is also an entrepreneur and has invested in numerous projects over the years.

One profitable investment Nas made was with San Francisco-based Coinbase (Nasdaq shares: COIN), a newly publicly listed cryptocurrency company. Nas did not invest directly in Coinbase, as his investment was made through his company Queensbridge Venture Partners. 

In 2014, Nas told former Coindesk reporter Pete Rizzo "Bitcoin will evolve into an industry as big, if not bigger, than the Internet." It also revealed at the time that Queensbridge Venture Partners had invested in Coinbase. Now that Coinbase has been listed on the Nasdaq and is currently trading at $ 297 per share, early Coinbase investors like Nas and NBA star Kevin Durant have made a lot of money. Analysts think Queensbridge Venture Partners would have raised about $ 50 million if not $ 150 million.

"Long Crypto Forever"

After COIN's debut on the Nasdaq and stock trading among market participants, Nas mentioned his investment in Coinbase in his latest video with Jay-Z and DJ Khaled. The song is called “Sorry, Not Sorry”. Inside Nas mentions betting on cryptocurrency rather than tossing a coin. Here's what it says in a verse: "Winner in life, f ** ka coin toss / I'm Coinbased, cryptocurrency Scarface."

Fellow New York rapper Curtis Jackson, known by his stage name "50 Cent," congratulated Nas and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant on winning big with their Coinbase investments. 

On April 15, Nas' official Twitter account wrote: “Long crypto forever…. in sickness & in health. "

Nas isn't the only hip-hop mogul who likes cryptocurrencies, and 50 Cent himself sold his album for bitcoin a few years ago. However, 50 Cent claims it sold its cryptocurrencies after the rapper filed for bankruptcy. Other hip hop artists who have entered the world of cryptography are Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, DJ Khaled, Murda Beatz, Logic, Kanye West, and Pitbull.