In January, rapper, producer and fashion designer Kanye West shared a snapshot on Instagram of a handwritten note that read, "Don't ask me to make a fucking NFT" (he added, "Ask me later"). Despite this apparent restraint, he may be planning to enter this space, judging by his recently filed trademark applications.
West's company, Mascotte Holdings Inc., has filed 17 trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including references to potential "unplayable assets" and a "meta universe." In particular, one application notes the possibility of "providing an online marketplace for buyers of cryptocurrencies and digital collectibles, currencies, tokens and assets."
All of the applications relate to the use of the YEEZUS brand, which was the name of West's 2013 album as well as a lengthy tour. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Intellectual Property discovered the applications and tweeted about them earlier today.
The applications, which were filed May 27, also cover a wide range of potential products outside the cryptocurrency space, including apparel, video games, retail stores, theme parks, cosmetics and more.
Unfortunately, the applications provide only very general descriptions of the potential products, and there are no details about what kinds of NFTs West might pursue or what kind of meta-currency experiences he might provide.
NFT is a blockchain-based token that works as proof of ownership and is often used for digital works such as illustrations, profile photos, music files and video game elements. Meanwhile, the metaverse refers to the future development of the Internet, in which people use avatars to communicate, work and play games.
If West does enter the Web3 realm with NFTs and metaverse, he will find himself in a space that is becoming increasingly crowded with other famous rappers. Snoop Dogg, for example, has released numerous NFTs and collaborated with The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game world. He also claims to be an alias of Cosomo de Medici, a collector of expensive NFTs.
Meanwhile, Ice Cube's BIG3 professional basketball league has decentralized team ownership in the form of NFT shares, in which Snoop Dogg and other big names in the NFT scene (such as entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk) have invested. Nas is another rapper who was an early investor in Coinbase and released musical NFTs through the Royal platform.