“Hip hop’s first billionaire” flaunts Beyoncé on his arm, has a string of successful records behind him and boasts his own music label; of course we are talking about Shawn Carter, also known by the name Jay-Z. The 49-year-old has joined Caliva’s staffing team as the cannabis company’s Chief Brand Strategist.

Jay-Z is one of a number of celebrities who has recently gotten involved in the cannabis industry. As an industry that is poised to bring in $166 billion by 2025, there’s no wonder why celebrities are joining what has been dubbed the “Green Rush” by experts.

Other celebrity ‘cannapreneurs’ include television personality Martha Stewart, actress Whoopi Goldberg and beloved musician/actor Tommy Chong. Let’s not forget about Mike Tyson, either. The former heavyweight champion founded his cannabis wellness company Tyson Holistics in 2016 and even launched his very own 4/20-themed ranch last year 4/20-themed ranch last year.

Jay-Z could have had his pick of the crop but chose Caliva, says CEO

Established in San Jose back in 2015, Caliva confirmed the long-term partnership with Jay-Z on Tuesday, July 9. If you’re wondering who contacted who, it was actually Jay-Z who initiated the deal.

“Mr. Carter could have his pick of any cannabis company in the world and he chose Caliva,” said the CEO of Caliva, Dennis O’Malley.

Jay-Z claims that he contacted Caliva off his own accord, following a lengthy search for a suitable cannabis industry partner. The serial business owner will assist Caliva in bolstering its creative aspect. He will also be conducting outreach initiatives for the empowerment of communities struck by poverty.

“Together, we hope to shape the conversation surrounding cannabis, foster equality, and fairness in the development of the industry, promote awareness for the many uses and benefits of cannabis and empower consumers to feel free to use cannabis how, when, and where they want,” reads an official statement from Caliva.

Jay-Z will assist Caliva in building brand presence

The role of Chief Brand Strategist demands a huge level of responsibility. Jay-Z will have his hands full as he takes on numerous tasks designed to strengthen Caliva’s strategic branding and outreach efforts. A great deal of creativity will come into play in terms of tweaking Caliva’s branding strategy.

The question is, will Jay-Z be up to the task? Since he managed to develop his very own Rocawear clothing brand from scratch and sell it to Iconix Brand Group for a gigantic $204 million, he shouldn’t have much difficulty in further solidifying Caliva’s brand presence. Branding aside, Jay-Z and Caliva will capitalize on this opportunity to help individuals who’ve endured convictions of a cannabis-related crime to gain fair employment opportunities in the legal cannabis sector.

“Anything I do, I want to do correctly and at the highest level,” said the artist.“With all the potential in the cannabis industry, Caliva’s expertise and ethos make them the best partners for this endeavor. We want to create something amazing, have fun in the process, do good and bring people along the way.”