Multi-platinum-selling recording artist Wiz Khalifa is already well known for his favorable relationship with cannabis, and now the rapper is venturing into new territory: psychedelic wellness. On June 30, Ontario-based corporation Red Light Holland announced its partnership with Khalifa to launch a new psychedelics and mushroom wellness brand, MISTERCAP, according to a Newsfile press release.
Red Light Holland engages in the production, growth and sale of a premium brand of “magic truffles” to the Netherlands’ legal, recreational market. The corporation works through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform, in accordance with the highest standards and in compliance with all applicable laws.
Khalifa started making waves in the music industry back in 2004, steadily gaining his footing and a platform for himself over the years through a handful of mixtapes and collaborations. Khalifa hit mainstream success with his first Billboard Hot 100 number one single, “Black and Yellow,” in 2010.
Khalifa already has his own weed brand, Khalifa Kush, along with HotBox, a collaboration with the virtual restaurant brand NextBite. He announced Khalifa Kush’s expansion to the California cannabis market earlier this year.
The corporation will work with Khalifa and his social media platforms—notably, his 38.1 million Instagram followers, 36.5 million Twitter followers, and 47 million Facebook followers—to showcase the MISTERCAP brand, produced and distributed by Red Light Holland. Khalifa’s platform will help share an aligned view with Red Light Holland on “affordable and equitable access for naturally occurring psilocybin with education, information and responsible use messages,” according to the release.
Red Light Holland CEO and Director Todd Shapiro said the corporation has worked with Khalifa and his team to create a brand that encompasses their “joint belief” surrounding the affordable, responsible and equitable access to naturally occurring psilocybin.
“We are very excited to partner with Wiz to launch MISTERCAP Magic Truffles in the Netherlands (18+),” Shapiro said. “Together we will monitor future potential markets, if and when regulations legally permit, to expand the availability of the MISTERCAP psychedelic products line-up. Additionally, we are excited to launch MISTERCAP Home Grow natural mushroom kits in the United States, Europe and Canada by the end of fiscal 2022 and we will continue to work towards producing additional functional mushroom products jointly under the MISTERCAP brand.”
Shapiro nodded to Khalifa as a “global icon” with tremendous reach, uniquely positioned to help Red Light Holland spread its message around ending the stigma surrounding psilocybin, turning the focus to mental health wellness. He called Khalifa a “serial entrepreneur with the proven ability to create powerful brands,” and combining his talents with the farming, production, packaging and distribution of Red Light Holland, Shapiro said, is an “extremely powerful and exciting combination.”
“When we launch the MISTERCAP products, including the MISTERCAP website, social media channels and merch—we plan on launching BIG TIME—so stay tuned, because Wiz Khalifa x Red Light Holland together are not afraid of shaking things up and making some much needed helpful noise,” Shapiro said. “Together we are demonstrating that mushrooms are important, the future and can be very sexy!”
Though he has tenure in the cannabis industry, psilocybin and mushrooms are a distinct and unique emerging market by comparison. While he’s treading new territory, Khalifa was still eager to share his excitement for the new chapter as the collaboration was announced.
Khalifa said, “Launching MISTERCAP Magic Truffles in the Netherlands and creating other MISTERCAP natural mushroom products and Home Grow kits is gonna be dope. We are building something special and are excited to grow with the industry.”
Brad J. Lamb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Red Light Holland, shared the sentiment, specifically addressing the rapper’s reach to help the corporation gain global awareness for recreational psilocybin. Lamb also referenced the road ahead and how this collaboration could contribute to the future of Red Light Holland on a broader scale.
“Red Light will also continue to focus on increasing revenues with many different kinds of mushrooms, from farming, distribution to consumer-packaged goods, creating a well-positioned company with a continued, constant and clever growth strategy,” Lamb said.
While Khalifa’s American fans won’t be able to enjoy MISTERCAP products any time in the near future, the industry is changing rapidly. Who knows what the future holds, but if one thing is for certain, it’s that the emerging science and evolving global market around psilocybin wellness isn’t slowing down any time soon.
