North American organisation FaZe Clan has added Kiari Kendrell Cephus, better known as rapper Offset, to its ownership group.
The amount that Offset invested in the organisation was not disclosed in the release.
Offset commented on the venture in a release: “I love gaming and esports is the future. These two facts make it only right that I be a part of the biggest esports organization with some of the best players in the world.”
FaZe Clan and Offset’s relationship is described as “mutually beneficial,” though terms of the deal beyond the investment are yet to be announced. The release dubs the rapper as ‘FaZe Offset,’ potentially teasing that he could feature in content alongside the organisation’s personalities and creators.
Lee Trink, CEO of FaZe Clan added: “FaZe Clan goes beyond gaming and esports – we’re leading a transformation in culture and entertainment. Offset represents a new generation of cultural leaders who understand that shift. FaZe Clan is redefining what it means to be an iconic entertainment brand and working with a visionary like Offset is another step towards the future – we not only dominate in competitive gaming we are setting new trends across content, merchandise, brand partnerships, and beyond.”
Offset is the latest in a long line of rappers that have entered the esports industry as of late. Wiz Khalifa partnered with Pittsburgh Knights in July, Drake has invested in both 100 Thieves and Players’ Lounge, Tory Lanez invested in Luminosity Gaming in April, and Diddy invested in PlayVS last November.
Esports Insider says: This has been a long time coming, considering it has been teased on social media for a few weeks. It’s hard to judge the news considering we don’t know financial details, nor have we been informed about how the two parties will collaborate, but it’s cool to see another popular figure getting hands-on in esports.