Hip Hop Artist Ray J Invests $5 Million to Launch Cannabis Brand

California is about to get another cannabis company. On Monday, American rapper, singer, actor, television star, and entrepreneur William Raymond Norwood Jr., better known by his professional monicker Ray J, announced his $5 million investment in William Ray LA. William Ray LA, Ray J’s new recreational cannabis business, has been in the works for a year. But it will finally become official this week, Ray J told followers on Instagram. Details about the operation are still emerging, but we know William Ray LA already has an indoor grow facility, an expert team, and plans to launch with self-branded preroll joints.

Ray J Will Kick off Weed Brand with “Ray Jay” Pre-Rolls

With a rap name like Ray J, how do you not go into the weed business? Ray J probably feels likewise, considering his plans for a product launch named after him. According to reports, the first products William Ray LA will roll out are pre-rolled “Ray Jay’s” joints.

Ray Jay’s prerolls will come in either indica or sativa varieties. In a video posted online Monday, those plants were on full display as Ray J said he was “honored and happy to be here,” in California’s cannabis industry.

Ray J is branding indica strains OG and the sativa strains LP. Both strains will be available in glass jar and pre-roll varieties. Marketing materials emphasize the “earthly, pungent, lemon aromas” of the indica pre-rolls and the “uplifting, citrus, fruity” experience of the sativa pre-rolls.

Ray J says William Ray LA has a supporting cast of top cannabis industry experts with specialization in cultivation, branding and marketing. But Ray J is also looking to expand the company out of the gate, with plans to take the brand to cannabis markets across the U.S.

In an Instagram post from early last week, Ray J thanked his team in Kentucky, Arizona, California and Las Vegas, hinting at where the entrepreneur may be looking to take William Ray LA next. “Been working on deal for a year now!! Stayed up for days at a time getting work done!” Ray J said on Instagram. “We’ve worked hard to get to this point! Now let’s go get these MMMMs!”

First Tech, Now Weed, as Ray J Expands Business Portfolio

$5 million is healthy seed money for a budding cannabis company. But this isn’t the first time Ray J has started a business. He’s also the founder of Raytroniks, a US consumer electronics company, and Raycon Global Inc, which expanded the product lineup of Raytroniks and took it global. Raytroniks gained notoriety after the success of Scoot-E-Bike, an electric bike brand.

It’s this business acumen that Ray J wants to bring to his new cannabis venture. In addition to marketing Ray Jay’s pre-rolls and other cannabis products, William Ray LA wants to offer marketing and other services to other cannabis companies that want to expand operations. David Weintraub, Ray J’s manager, told TMZ that William Ray LA will focus on non-traditional marketing strategies across media, entertainment and music.