Nas Tech Investments Are Paying Off In A Big Way

For the first time in his legendary career, Nas found himself on the list of Forbes’ Hip Hop Cash Kings list, which reports the hip-hop acts who have made the most money over the past year. Nas, who turned 45 this past Friday, earned $35 million over the past year, which was good enough to put him in a tie with Dr. Dre for the No. 6 spot on the list. The rapper’s appearance on the list shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to those who have been paying attention to some of his business moves though. Back in 2016, we ran a story that outlined Nas’ venture capital tech investment firm, Queensbridge Venture Partners. In a 2016 interview with Fast Company, the “Made You Look” rapper revealed that he had been interested in investing since he was a young boy. At the time, we reported that QVP was investing anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 in a company, and were pitched by roughly 100 companies per month. Don’t expect this trend to stop anytime soon. Nas’ venture capital firm has invested in a variety of different companies, including Lyft, Coinbase, Genius, and Mass Appeal, and will undoubtedly continue their search for the next big thing. “[Hip-hop artists] are always advancing technology—from one turntable to two turntables and a fader,” said Nas to Forbes. “There wasn’t a time when [rappers] didn’t think about investing. It just so happens that the world is opening up.”