North American organisation Pittsburgh Knights has announced a strategic partnership with Pittsburgh-native, Grammy Award-winning rapper Cameron Jibril Thomaz – better known as Wiz Khalifa.
The rapper will bring his “expertise in creative direction, marketing, live events and entertainment” to the organisation.
James O’Connor, President and Co-founder of Pittsburgh Knights discussed the partnership in a release: “Wiz is definitely a visionary. He’s always ahead of the curve; he’s creative and savvy and we admire him and his team for their work ethic. We’re really happy to welcome him into the Knights’ family.”
Prior to this deal, Pittsburgh Knights most recently partnered with teledentristry company SmileDirectClub. It also counts Sheetz, HyperX, Totino’s, Replay FX, and Pittsburgh Steelers as partners.
Wiz Khalifa commented on entering esports: “It is awesome to partner with the Knights, alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers, on this exciting endeavor. The Knights are pushing the boundaries in the e-sports space with an experienced team. Being based in Pittsburgh, my hometown, a city known for bringing home championships, I am pumped to be a part of this moment in history kicking off another winning team for the city.”
This isn’t the only instance of a musician entering the industry in recent months. Drake bought shares in both 100 Thieves and Players’ Lounge, Tory Lanez and The Weeknd invested in Luminosity Gaming and OverActive Media respectively in April, and ReKTGlobal has welcomed Nicky Romero, Marco “Tainy” Masís, and Lex Borrero as investors this year.
Esports Insider says: If it wasn’t seen as a trend before, it will be now: figures from the music industry want in on esports. Even if you get more specific and look at rappers who are getting involved, the numbers are rising over the months. As long as these investments and partnerships aren’t seen as quick money grabs then it’s awesome that they’re participating in the industry
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