Two-time Grammy-award winning artist Future is back in the cannabis space with Evol. Carma HoldCo announced on April 14 its partnership with Future to launch Evol, Future’s line of cannabis products made with delta-8 and delta-9 THC, as well as CBD, launching May 2023 in stores across California.
Future, along with President and Chairman of Carma HoldCo, Chad Bronstein, discussed the new venture with Emmy-award winning journalist Ari Melber, host of MSNBC’s The Beat on April 14. CarmaHoldCo is behind Future’s brand, Mike Tyson TYSON 2.0, and Ric Flair’s Ric Flair Drip. Beyond music, entrepreneurship is at the core of Future’s skillset, but he’s still evolving.
“I’m still growing and improving as an artist,” Future tells High Times. “But I’m also an executive and an entrepreneur too. And just like when I’m in the studio, I’m consistent with everything I do. So this is an extension of that. And for me this is about building, having a hunger for more, inspiring people, and giving the people what they want while showing people you can achieve your dreams.”
Future filed trademark applications a few months ago. The brand was named after Future’s 2016 fourth full-length studio album Evol, which showcases some of his best work. He’s earned recognition over the years. Billboard, for instance, named Future number 35 in its definitive list of the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time. GQ, on the other hand, called him the ”best rapper alive”.
“Evol was about timing,” Future says. “I’ve had offers before. But this is different. Evol is about longevity, consistency, hard work, and having a quality product to share with the culture. And it’s got to feel natural. And I’m having fun with it too. And it’s a blessing to be here.”
Future knows that cannabis isn’t all about fun and games, and sometimes it gets personal: His DJ, Cisco, shared an experience to MTV in 2015 about the “horrifying” ordeal when he was locked up in jail in Abu Dubai. Airport security found weed in his luggage, a familiar scenario for Americans traveling outside of the country. Cisco ended up spending 56 days—along with a Taliban member—in a Dubai jail. Officials from the U.S. embassy got involved, but it took them weeks to sort things out.
Bronstein is aware that consumers, at this point, know what they want in a cannabis brand, given the saturation of products and endorsements.
“Consumers are smart,” says Bronstein. “They know when someone as hardworking, consistent, influential and selective as Future puts his name on something, it will deliver. And that’s exciting for everyone, his fans, our customers, and the industry at large.”
The partnership with Carma HoldCo is the result of a carefully conceived plan. “As an artist, I strive to enlighten the world with different perspectives and experiences, whether through my lyrics, live performances, or other creative endeavors. With Carma HoldCo, I can apply that creativity to build a new cannabis lifestyle brand that resonates within my community and delivers a high-quality product to my fans and a much wider audience,” Future said in a statement.
Future’s work in both music and cannabis is far from over. To date, the rapper boasts 30 billion streams with many achievements under his belt including nine studio albums, one compilation album, one collaborative album, 24 mixtapes, and 117 singles, including 61 as a featured artist, over his 12-year career. He’s sold over 95 million RIAA-certified units, one of the highest numbers around.
Click on the website to learn more about Evol or Carma HoldCo’s other brands.
