Ja Rule and business partner Herb Rice are collaborating to support black entrepreneurs and creators through tech, NFTs, and the blockchain. The pair joined Cheddar News to talk about their initiatives including their "Black Is Beautiful" project. "We definitely set out on this mission to to empower Black artists through NFTs, through Web3, Blockchain, the whole space," said Ja Rule.


Between Bells

Ja Rule on Lifting Up Black Entrepreneurs With NFTs 

Welcome back to Between Bells, that's baker um Hannah when rapper and entrepreneur job rule isn't making music, he's working alongside business partner Herb Rice on their new partnership under their company, the painted house with NFC launchpad platform house of first Yeah, the new collab is on a mission to support and uplift creators of color all while encouraging the empowerment across web three. I sat down with java and business partner Herb Rice to discuss, take a look Jag Herb good to have both of you guys here with me, joe I want to start with you, you actually founded the painted house with Herb, so what's your company doing here to sort of lift up black entrepreneurs and black N. F. T. Artists here? I mean what are we doing? You know, I mean we we definitely you know, set out on this mission to to empower you know, black artists through N. F. T. S through you know, web three Blockchain, you know, the whole space. Um it started it started uh earlier in the year, maybe maybe about six months ago when we started uh the brotherhood doubt which was a doubt that we wanted to create to educate some of our friends and family about N. F. T. S. And and web three and Blockchain and crypto space. So that's that's kind of how it started. And then we then we we spiraled into, you know, our blackest beautiful project and and our mission with that project is aimed to bring more artists of color into the space. You know, curate these projects, help them, you know get get these projects out there to the masses. You know, help them create these generative projects. So it's it's a work in progress, you know, but but but it's it's been very fulfilling fulfilling thus far. Absolutely. So, herb, have there been any challenges thus far getting this sort of off the ground? Given the fact that the N. F. T. Space is pretty saturated so far? So so it's interesting that the biggest challenge was not getting it off the ground, but because the the the crypto space is so volatile, you know, the pricing of ethereum really paid played a big part and uh and how we price the project, you know, so we had to make literally like a last minute pivot in our pricing um you know, 1/9 inning adjustment, you know, based on the price of ethereum, you know, it had dropped pretty significantly, you know, from the time that we had started to plan the project up until the day at launch. So, you know, that was that was really a last minute adjustment was really from a pricing standpoint. But as far as everything else, it it went, it went pretty smoothly. We have a really strong team of people that really helped us to bring this thing to fruition and to and to do it fairly smoothly. Amazing and great news there. And one of the projects in particular jaw is the first one is called black is beautiful, it's a depiction of raw emotions of black americans. How do these, how these collections sort of talk about the stories, but also how do these artists sort of benefit from all of this at the end of the day? I mean, of course the artist benefit in lots of ways, you know, 1st, 1st and foremost compensation for their for their work, you know, and not just for the selling of the project. We're talking about, you know, royalties and residuals after the project. Is that sold on secondary? And that's money that family will have in perpetuity, you know, through this project. So that is the best thing about N. F. T. S and crypto space to me for these artists for artists because you get to own your work and and now, you know, it gets authenticated on the Blockchain and now every time it sold you get a piece of that sale. You know, so I think that's the key here when we talk about N. F. T. S and what they mean to artists and by the way, Herb, how do you sort of, you know, work to get quality N. F. T. S here while also encouraging dialogue and even empowerment across all the Blockchain, including web three here. Well, it's about, you know, so far. First project Black is beautiful, you know, it was really simple for us, you know, john and I set out to find an artist that we thought would represent the painted house our company well but not only that but would also resonate with people when they saw the art. You know so our initial artist Nick Davis you know he had been working on this project for three years prior to john and I finding him and you know when we stumbled upon his art we knew that you know this was the piece that we wanted to showcase in the web three space. The art wasn't only colorful and playful and just aesthetically appealing to the eye. It had a message you know each piece told a different story you know some were playful you know someone not as playful some told the about the struggle that black americans face and when we chose to present this project we knew that it was gonna be received with a variety of emotions and and and it has been you know just from the feedback that we've been getting from the people that have purchased into it. You know it's been a it's been overwhelming. Absolutely. There's also another amazing component to all this as well because I just saw that you posted on instagram funds from this N. F. T. Are gonna go towards historically black colleges which is incredible news. Have you sort of decided which colleges are gonna get the money here? Actually we have I call it out starting five you know so we'll be we'll be you know allocating funds to Hampton morrigan Spelman Morehouse and Jackson those out starting five and we have, you know, strong ties to those schools through our families. You know, my daughter graduated from Hampton, Herb's wife is graduated from morgen, she's an alone and you know, our partner Tanya and her husband, they're, they're Spelman and Morehouse alum, so, and then, and then our good buddy, my good friend over there, Jackson Dion, he's doing such great work over over there at Jackson State. So I reached out to him and and and he's been great in supporting the project so far so and thus far. So we're definitely given some money over the Jackson as well, which is amazing news. I mean, john, I mean you've done music, N. F. T. S. What else can you not do? I mean, what else is on the horizon? You want to go to space next? What's next? Why not? Ellen all that now. You know, I, my whole thing is about being, being able to create my own space, you know, um and and N. F. T. S allowed me to do that, you know, the crypto space allows me to be creative. So, so it's not just about music, you know, it can be about art, it can be about, you know, film and television and all these other great things that, you know, I like to do in the entertainment space. So this, this for me is is really a cool space for me to be in and and I'm having a great time. He's having a good time, thanks to the co founders of the painted house, ruling her bryce right there.