Before Nas hits the road with Mary J. Blige this summer, the Queens rapper is looking to share some wisdom with the next generation.
As announced on Thursday (June 13), Nas shared that he’s releasing a new project, but instead of it being music-focused, the veteran rapper is focusing his talents on writing his first-ever children’s book.
“My first kids book is on the way,” he captioned a post featuring the book’s cover art. He went on to introduce his latest venture in partnership with his company Mass Appeal, announcing they are launching a kids brand called MAJR.
“I’ve always understood the limitless power of young people, and being a father has brought it even closer to home,” he added in a statement. “We’re introducing MAJR to prepare today’s youth for tomorrow’s world. Our goal is to help children of all backgrounds fully realize their potential by tapping into their creativity in new and innovative ways.”
The book’s title, “I Know I Can,” draws from his 2002 classic track, “I Can.” Per MAJR’s newly launched website, the book is listed as being part of a series “empowering kids to be whatever they want to be when they grow up.”
“Our mission is to inspire future generations through the creation of unique toys, apparel, and innovative learning tools,” the site’s mission statement reads. “MAJR is here to reflect the diverse hues of both the modern family and popular culture, because education starts in the crib.”
In addition to imparting the wisdom he’s expressed through his lyrics into a format for children, Nas has also invested in a new company designed to teach teenagers financial literacy. The start-up, of which Will Smith is also an early investor, is called Step and is in the process of developing an app that will give teens access to their bank accounts and advice on how to manage their money best. The app will also give parents the option to monitor the account and set guidelines.
“Schools don’t teach kids about money,” Step CEO and co-founder CJ MacDonald said in a statement. “We want to be their first bank accounts with spending cards, but we also want to teach financial literacy and responsibility. Banks don’t tailor to this, and we want to be a solution teaching the next generation of adults to be more responsible with money in the cashless era. It was easy with cash to go to the mall but now everyone is using their phone for Uber and more.”
Take a look at Nas announcing his new endeavor below.