{"id":12005,"date":"2021-09-11T20:54:16","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T20:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/hip-hop-star-ja-rule-discusses-the-growing-nft-space-and-crypto-i-like-the-fact-that-bitcoin-is-decentralized\/"},"modified":"2021-09-11T20:54:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T20:54:16","slug":"hip-hop-star-ja-rule-discusses-the-growing-nft-space-and-crypto-i-like-the-fact-that-bitcoin-is-decentralized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/hip-hop-star-ja-rule-discusses-the-growing-nft-space-and-crypto-i-like-the-fact-that-bitcoin-is-decentralized\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip Hop Star Ja Rule Discusses the Growing NFT Space and Crypto \u2014 \u2018I Like the Fact That Bitcoin Is Decentralized\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The non-fungible token (NFT) industry has exploded in 2021 as millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies continue to be traded for these blockchain collectibles every single day. This week, Bitcoin.com News chatted with the popular American rapper Ja Rule about NFTs as he has partnered with James Cropcho and Robert Testagrossa to build a marketplace called flipkick.io.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule Speaks About NFTs and Bitcoin, Fyre Festival, and the NFT Marketplace Flipkick.io<\/h2>\n

Yesterday, Bitcoin.com News spoke with recording artist Ja Rule<\/a>, who is well known for his chart-topping albums and songs like the number 1 hit \u201cAlways on Time<\/a>\u201d (featuring Ashanti) in 2002. The musician is now involved with non-fungible tokens and helped form a unique NFT marketplace with serial entrepreneur Robert Testagrossa and engineer James Cropcho. Flipkick.io<\/a> is a full-service NFT marketplace that caters to artists, celebrities, and creators who want to monetize their work with physical NFTs.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been off my NFT\u2019s for couple days what I miss???<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ja Rule (@jarule) September 10, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Ja Rule told our publication that\u2019s a big difference when he discussed his fascination for NFTs and how Flipkick.io offers its NFT experience. In addition to the NFT space, Ja Rule delved into other subjects such as cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Moreover, a couple of hosted NFT artworks listed on Flipkick.io were tied to the infamous Fyre Festival<\/a> theme and Ja Rule spoke candidly about the subject. While the Fyre Festival was a fiasco he said, there was a \u201csilver lining\u201d in the end. The rapper also believes cryptocurrencies are just the next progression of economics and he believes the NFT space will someday be a multi-billion dollar industry.<\/p>\n

Bitcoin.com News (BCN): When did you first hear about non-fungible tokens (NFTs)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> You know it\u2019s hard for me to put a date on that, I don\u2019t really know the date. It was early in the year and I haven\u2019t been on NFTs for that long. My first introduction into it was with NBA Top Shot. I started collecting Top Shot NFTs and I didn\u2019t even realize they were NFTs at the time.<\/p>\n

I just thought they were like the new digital sports cards. You know, that type of thing. I started collecting those because I collect regular sports cards. That was like the next obvious progression for sports cards and so I started collecting those and then a friend of mine let me know that what I was collecting was actually NFTs. He told me that \u2018you already been collecting them \u2013 NBA Top Shots are NFTs.\u2019<\/p>\n

So then, I went further down the rabbit hole and got on to Opensea and the rest is kind of history. Once you get on Opensea everything unfolds.<\/p>\n

NFT artwork that sold on Flipkick.io. (Pictured left) Studio Dan \u201cWoven Solid Blue and Pink 2021,\u201d (Pictured right) Ben Katz \u201cRobotAura 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

BCN: In addition to NFTs, what do you think about the rise of digital currencies like bitcoin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> I love bitcoin, I love ethereum, I love cryptocurrencies and decentralization and I think that it\u2019s the next obvious step in economics. It\u2019s going to be an interesting next five or ten years.<\/p>\n

BCN: Are you exposed to digital assets like bitcoin or ethereum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> I hold a little bitcoin, ethereum, solana, and cardano. I actually have my own cryptocurrency, it\u2019s really a social token that I have with a company called ICONN. I haven\u2019t launched it or anything yet but I guess this is going to be my coming out party because I just mentioned it. I have my own currency, I just haven\u2019t launched it yet but it\u2019s definitely ready to go.<\/p>\n

The thing with cryptocurrencies is it has to have utility. So I am building out that utility for ICONN which also has a live-streaming platform, ICONN Live<\/a>. It\u2019s in the App Store now and you can download that and that will be one of the ways you can use [the] ICONN [token] as well.<\/p>\n

BCN: How did you get involved with the Flipkick market concept? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> Man, Flipkick.io<\/a> is such a great idea. So as I got into NFTs I noticed a dope project and the whole angle was something different, which I really loved. The angle of taking physical works of art and authenticating them in a similar way NFTs are authenticated on the blockchain but with a chip. We have a patent pending on our technology, and when I say ours it\u2019s because I\u2019m part of the company.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a smart thing to be able to authenticate physical artworks cryptographically and let these amazing artists be able to enjoy the fruits of their work and it was never possible before in the past. So I really applaud what Flipkick is as far as the physical NFT space.<\/p>\n

BCN: There are a few Flipkick.io-listed NFTs tied to the subject of the Fyre Festival. Curious as to what you think about these Fyre Festival NFTs that are listed? For instance, one NFT is a picture of the cheese sandwich that sold for $80K \u2014 What do you think about that sale?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> Yeah that\u2019s an interesting story. Well, my painting that I sold, I wanted to get rid of it and get it out of my house, because I have a whole new chapter in my life. That subject doesn\u2019t define me. I wanted the bad juju out of my house. I sold my painting as an NFT which was great. Then the cheese sandwich photo is a very interesting story, because the guy that actually took that picture of the cheese sandwich \u2014 This is a guy I should have animosity toward.<\/p>\n

Because he took a picture of a cheese sandwich, and that was a false narrative to what was being served at the festival. It became like the \u2018big joke\u2019 and like reality to a lot of people. Like this is what they were serving on this disaster and then you see the documentary, and the woman is sitting there saying she lost money because she fed all these people, saying this and that, and how she cooked amazing food. It\u2019s like which one is it? Were we serving cheese sandwiches or serving this woman\u2019s amazing food? I don\u2019t know which one it was, because I wasn\u2019t there, obviously.<\/p>\n

(Pictured left) The Fyre Festival painting Ja Rule sold with the painter. (Pictured right) Photographer Trevor DeHaas\u2019s infamous \u201ccheese sandwich\u201d picture which he shared in a tweet at the Fyre Festival. The NFT listed on flipkick.io sold for $80,000 on the NFT marketplace.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m smart enough to know that if people were being served a cheese sandwich, there would be more than just one picture up. So he came to us with the picture and at first I was against it, because I was like \u2018we\u2019re not the Fyre Festival, we\u2019re an auction house.\u2019 We did my painting and it got the company press. It helped kick off the Flipkick company and it is a physical piece of art and a beautiful piece of art, regardless of what it represents. The art [Tripp Derrick Barnes<\/a>] painted is amazing.<\/p>\n

So he deserves to have his art displayed and sold like anybody else. He didn\u2019t know this was going to be a disaster when he painted that work of art. The cheese sandwich story is such an amazing story, because this man brought us this cheese sandwich picture and he wanted to sell it and the rights to the picture, because of all the hoopla and whatever Fyre was. At first, I said \u2018let\u2019s not do this,\u2019 but then we learned that\u2026 and that James and Test (Flipkick.io co-founders James Cropcho and Robert Testagrossa) said that the guy is trying to sell the picture because he needs a new kidney.<\/p>\n

This changed everything. I said \u2018ok I get that\u2019 lets put the picture up and hopefully this guy can sell it and save his life.<\/p>\n

He then put the picture up on flipkick.io and it didn\u2019t sell. I said \u2018ya know Test, this is bigger than just the picture,\u2019 and Test was like \u2018Ya know Ja, I agree.\u2019 I said we should buy this picture and save this guy\u2019s life, and that\u2019s just what we did. So I actually own the cheese sandwich picture<\/a> and Flipkick owns the cheese sandwich picture. The silver lining behind the whole Fyre Festival fiasco is that this man\u2019s life was able to be saved from that picture. I think that\u2019s something people should understand when they look at Ja Rule and say that I wanted to scam people \u2014 No, I\u2019m not that guy.<\/p>\n

No, I\u2019m that other guy, ya understand, the kind of guy that would save a man\u2019s life by buying a picture that tried to destroy my life. That\u2019s the guy I am.<\/p>\n

I hate when people talk about that incident like I\u2019m such a bad guy, and they don\u2019t even know me or know much about the incident. Whenever people talk about the Fyre Festival, I let them know that I was cleared of all wrongdoing. It wasn\u2019t something that was, for me, intentionally done to be a disaster. And that the guy [Billy McFarland] is serving time for his mistakes. Billy\u2019s in jail and he stood up for everything that he did. He let it be known that Ja Rule didn\u2019t do this and he stood up for that. With that being said, the cheese sandwich picture sold and saved a life, and at the end of the day, there is a silver lining out of that whole fiasco.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

BCN: A vast number of hip-hop artists, rappers, and other celebrities have been jumping into the NFT industry. Why do you think famous musicians and artists are getting into NFTs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> I think people are really getting into NFTs because of what it is. Here\u2019s the best way I can explain it and I\u2019m going to give credit to my man Carlos Gill<\/a> who said this to me the other day and I said that\u2019s a very interesting perspective of NFTs. He said \u2018It\u2019s like the stock market, country club, and community all in one.\u2019 It\u2019s everything when you look at what NFTs are.<\/p>\n

Its investment, it\u2019s an amazing sense of community, and a driven space that\u2019s a really great time for NFTs and what they are becoming. It\u2019s really changing people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

Speaking with Ja Rule on the phone Friday, the popular American rapper discussed how he\u2019s a big fan of decentralized technologies like bitcoin and non-fungible token (NFT) assets.<\/p>\n

BCN: A number of people believe that Bitcoin and NFTs are meant to decentralize the systems that have been corrupted by abusive third parties. What does Ja Rule think about decentralization?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> I like decentralization, I like the fact that people can move their money in different ways. This is a currency that people can use across all forums. Not just in America, but in every country and it\u2019s like the world currency for everyone.<\/p>\n

I like the fact that [bitcoin is] decentralized and that\u2019s what I think really makes bitcoin what it is.<\/p>\n

BCN: NFTs are expected to be a multi-billion dollar business in the next few years with exponential growth. Do you think that it will grow that valuable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ja Rule:<\/strong> I do think that will happen. I think the space is really, really small right now. There\u2019s not a lot of people into NFTs and a lot of people are intrigued and want to know more about it. But it\u2019s still very new and a very young space but it\u2019s growing. A lot of celebrities, a lot of people are getting into it because I think they like the sense of community. Being a part of something. It\u2019s like someone came up with an idea to start these small communities to get wealthy within these groups. Like a secret society. I think that\u2019s what people are getting into.<\/p>\n

For me, I love art. First and foremost I love collecting art and there are some NFT projects where I don\u2019t even read the roadmap before I buy the art. Because I don\u2019t care, I love art and love what I bought. For me, art is in the eye of the beholder. What I like, you may not like. What I see as valuable, you may think is garbage. It\u2019s subjective and so is music so it kind of goes hand in hand and for me, it\u2019s the same thing.<\/p>\n

What do you think about the Bitcoin.com News interview with Ja Rule? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Bitcoin News
\nInterview, American rapper, Ben Katz, Billy McFarland, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrencies, Decentralization, Ethereum, Exclusive Interview, flipkick.io, flipkick.io listings, flipkick.io NFTs, Fyre Festival, Hip Hop Star, interview, Ja Rule, James Cropcho, nft, NFT art, NFT space, NFTs, Nipsey Hustle, Non-fungible Token, Physical NFTs, recording artist, Robert Testagrossa, Solana, Studio Dan, Trevor DeHaas NFT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The non-fungible token (NFT) industry has exploded in 2021 as millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies continue to be traded for these blockchain collectibles every single day. This week, Bitcoin.com News chatted with the popular American rapper Ja Rule about NFTs as he has partnered with James Cropcho and Robert Testagrossa to build a marketplace…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":12006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blockchain-news","category-coin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12005"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyucoin.com\/crypto-labs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}