Nas has invested in San Francisco company Proven, which makes apps to help people apply to online job postings through cell phones, according to latimes.com.
“Jobs are a concern for the nation, and Proven is all about that, so I’m all about Proven,” Nas said, as per Los Angeles Times.
Proven, a company headed by Pablo Fuentes, is set to assist blue-collar workers and low-income people in their search for jobs, according to Los Angeles Times.
“What he chose to do with his time and his life was noble,” Nas said regarding Fuentes. “He struck me as a smart person with a good heart.”
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Fuentes founded the company in 2009. The company had 15 employees at one point, before reportedly struggling and ending with two people on the payroll, including Fuentes. Fuentes reportedly lived out of his car, allowing former employees to live in his apartment, as per latimes.com. Now, Proven is run out of a San Francisco office with four employees.
Proven has launched new apps for employers and job-seekers. The apps have reported 150,000 monthly users and more than 500,000 downloads, as per latimes.com.
Nas, who is slated to join Proven as an advisor and promoter, reportedly became involved with company due to his connection to investment firm Andreessen Horowitz. The firm has reportedly invested $15 million in Rap Genius as well.
During his interview, Nas also addressed how being a Hip Hop artist has allowed him to be a part of investments in this manner.
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“Hip Hop artists, especially the older ones, are the ones who knew Hip Hop was a worldwide phenomenon before the mainstream caught on, so Hip Hop artists are forward thinkers,” Nas said to latimes.com. “We want to stay with the new.”
In August, Nas invested in Mass Appeal Magazine.
“I always liked what Mass Appeal represented,” Nas said. “They invested into the culture … I saw their vision for what they planned and I thought I could add value across the board.”
