Kanye West could be preparing to coin his own NFTs. This is according to 17 new trademark applications filed around the rapper's alter ego, YEEZUS. This suggests that the popular rapper/designer may have softened his dismissive stance on NFTs after publicly criticizing digital art collections earlier this year.
West, who legally changed his name to "Ye," filed trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 27 for "blockchain-based non-fungible assets," "currencies and tokens," and "online retail services featuring digital art." The filings also suggest West could open amusement parks with the YEEZUS brand.
The filing comes just a few months after West announced his disinterest in NFT projects in a handwritten letter he posted on Instagram on Feb. 1, which he has since deleted, clarifying that the rapper is focused on "building real products in the real world."
West's post followed a viral interview in which Paris Hilton and Jimmy Fallon talked about their Bored Apes NFTs and several other prominent NFT proponents. Although West stressed in his letter that he would not be entering the NFT industry anytime soon, he hinted that he might change his mind, and ended the letter by asking fans to "ask me [about NFTs] later.
As celebrity NFT projects and endorsements become more popular, trademark filings are a common way for the rich and famous to make an initial claim and get their feet wet. In April, David Beckham filed three trademark applications related to Metaverse and NFT, while Notorious B.I.G., LLC, which manages the intellectual property of rapper Biggie Smalls, filed three trademarks in March indicating the company's likely plans to release NFTs from the late rapper. And in February, YouTube star, professional boxer and NFT fan Logan Paul helped start the trend of celebrities launching their brands on Web3 by filing several NFT and Metaverse trademarks.