Nas partners with Escobar Cigars to become a co-owner and equity partner. Nas will advise on marketing as the three-year-old brand revamps its e-commerce operations and packaging. The parties didn’t disclose financial terms.

“When the team at Escobar Cigars initially approached me, I was immediately drawn to the brand by the exceptional quality of their product,” Nas said in a press release. “This partnership with Escobar has been almost two years in the making and I am honored to be an equity partner with them. I am looking forward to growing this brand and to giving back to the local communities in Nicaragua where our tobacco is grown, aged, and hand-rolled into a premium cigar.” 

The global cigar and cigarillos industry has modest projections, with annual growth expected to be around 3% per year through 2025, according to projections from Grand View Research.