The ‘Empire State of Mind’ rapper,’ also known as Shawn Carter, is celebrated as a savvy businessman, but his stylish weed company is floundering — like many others that braved California’s tough legal pot market.

Monogram’s website lists nine retailers across California and Arizona that it says stock its wares. But none of them currently lists any of Jay-Z-endorsed buds or joints on their online menus.

Meanwhile, the conglomerate behind it, The Parent Company (TPCO), has burned through most of its $575 million launch cash and merged into another firm, which also appears to be in financial trouble, according to SFGATE.

Experts on legal weed say it’s been much tougher to break into California’s tough market than many investors anticipated, and that Jay-Z’s Monogram products are over-priced and underwhelming.

The Golden State’s legal weed sector has been stymied by complex rules, high taxes, competition from black market traders, wildfires, and sliding prices — pushing many cultivators into financial problems and insolvency.

Monogram did not answer DailyMail.com’s request for comment.

Seth Yakatan, a cannabis investor and adviser to many California weed firms, told SFGATE that he was not surprised about TPCO’s troubles, as it spent ‘mind-boggling’ sums of money pushing products that get poor reviews.

‘Monogram was supposed to be an ultra-premium product, and I don’t know anyone who tried it and thought it was anything more than mid-tier.’

Monogram’s launch was one of the biggest cannabis business news stories of the decade.

TPCO was a merger of three existing cannabis corporations. It went public in 2020, in control of 20 separate retail brands, multiple grow houses and a network of retail outlets across California.

Jay-Z was named a C-suite executive — the chief visionary officer — at TPCO. The 54-year-old billionaire rapper’s Monogram brand was the company’s luxury offering.
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It sells pre-rolled ‘loosies’ and cannabis buds in stylish black packaging. It’s ‘OG Handrolls’ cost an eye-popping $50 — much higher than the $5 that pot smokers are used to paying.

The launch involved a photo shoot at the celebrated Frank Sinatra house in Palm Springs, with models elegantly puffing joints in front of mid-century pool furniture.

This earned the upstart brand coverage in GQ, Vogue and Vanity Fair.

TPCO board member Michael Aurbach at the time bragged that they would ‘dominate and consolidate the market’ because it had such deep pockets.

‘It will be hard for any smaller player to compete with us,’ Aurbach said.

From the outset, the newcomer had difficulty convincing consumers to spend over the odds on products that did not live up to the hype.

A GQ review complained that Monogram joints failed to stay lit for ‘more than a few seconds.’

In its initial listing, TPCO said it expected to make $334 million in its first year — sky-high earnings that failed to become reality.

TPCO in 2022 reported a shocking $587 million net loss, apparently the result of buying overvalued brands, and its stock price tumbled.

Monogram offers cannabis buds and pre-rolled in stylish black packaging, but reviews have been middling

Pot startups have struggled to bloom in California’s highly taxed and regulated legal weed market
Jay-Z was once named as the chief visionary officer for The Parent Company

Jay-Z was once named as the chief visionary officer for The Parent Company
The next year, a struggling TPCO merged with another California weed company, Gold Flora. But it only had a 49 percent minority stake in the newly-formed corporation.

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Jay-Z appears to have split with TPCO at about that time.

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Stock market filings show that Monogram exited TPCO in December 2022, even though Gold Flora remains the exclusive seller of Monogram products within California.

Gold Flora appears to have stopped selling Jay-Z’s products, and is having its own financial challenges.

The company did not answer DailyMail.com’s request for comment.

It has posted some $56 million in losses this year, according to Green Market Report, and has more debts than assets.

Coastal Sun, a Santa Cruz cannabis farm, earlier this month sued Gold Flora for some $20,000 over unpaid bills.

Darren Story, Coastal Sun’s chief financial officer, says Gold Flora appears to be in a ‘debt death spiral.’

Green Market Report says Gold Flora could be the next firm to join the ‘conga line into receivership and bankruptcy.’

The struggles of Jay-Z’s weed enterprise are in stark contrast to the success he enjoyed as the CEO of Def Jam Recordings and the founder of Roc Nation in the 2000s.

Speaking in 2021, he said he was motivated to inter the weed market to get more black people into the industry.

People of color had been disproportionately punished for involvement in the drug where it is illegal, but comprised only a small number of those profiting from the multibillion-dollar legal pot market, he complained.

‘It’s really unbelievable how that can happen,’ he said.

‘We were the ones most negatively affected by the war on drugs, and America has turned around and created a business from it that’s worth billions.’

Jennifer Lopez has only been single for a hot minute after her split from Ben Affleck, but that isn’t stopping one A-List singer from reportedly sliding into her DMs.

It sounds like a flirtation is sparking up and fans might recall this isn’t the first time Jenny from the block has entertained the idea of dating this musician.

“As soon as she filed the papers, Drake reached out,” an In Touch Weekly source claimed. “He was very sweet and told her what a fool Ben is for letting her get away, and then he quickly let her know he’s ready and willing to step in and satisfy her.”

Beyond Traditional Gaming – Sexy, Transparent, Rewarding!
Jennifer Lopez has only been single for a hot minute after her split from Ben Affleck, but that isn’t stopping one A-List singer from reportedly sliding into her DMs.

It sounds like a flirtation is sparking up and fans might recall this isn’t the first time Jenny from the block has entertained the idea of dating this musician.

“As soon as she filed the papers, Drake reached out,” an In Touch Weekly source claimed. “He was very sweet and told her what a fool Ben is for letting her get away, and then he quickly let her know he’s ready and willing to step in and satisfy her.”
Yes, the Drake — the man who J.Lo randomly posted a prom picture with in 2016. Lopez vaguely admitted on The Daily Show in 2017 that they were “hanging out,” but swore they were not dating.

Perhaps it was a friends-with-benefits situation and now, Drake is looking to revive that “chemistry” they experienced.

The source noted that Lopez is open to the attention. “Getting that kind of attention when she was feeling so low was exactly what she needed,” they said. “Now they’re texting every day and things are getting hot.”

Is it 2016 all over again for them? It wouldn’t be out of the question because Lopez does have a history of re-dating her former paramours.
Yes, the Drake — the man who J.Lo randomly posted a prom picture with in 2016. Lopez vaguely admitted on The Daily Show in 2017 that they were “hanging out,” but swore they were not dating.

Perhaps it was a friends-with-benefits situation and now, Drake is looking to revive that “chemistry” they experienced. The source noted that Lopez is open to the attention.
“Getting that kind of attention when she was feeling so low was exactly what she needed,” they said. “Now they’re texting every day and things are getting hot.” Is it 2016 all over again for them? It wouldn’t be out of the question because Lopez does have a history of re-dating her former paramours.

Drake and Lopez set the internet on fire on Dec. 28, 2016, when both posted a since-deleted cozy snapshot together on their Instagram accounts. While they claimed it was all business, it was hard not to see that some pleasure might be happening behind the scenes. The rumored fling came on the heels of her breakup with backup dancer Casper Smart, and his split from Rihanna — ah, Hollywood gossip history!

However, no one should rush out and assume Drake and J.Lo are going to be the next thing after her recent raw interview with Nikki Glaser for Interview Magazine. Lopez sounds like she’s embracing her single-gal era. “I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself. Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people,” she explained. “I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m actually good.’ There’s no new bar because I’m not looking for anybody

Before Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship began, Travis’s mom, Donna Kelce, wasn’t out there spilling the tea, especially regarding Travis’ romantic relationships — such as his on-and-off relationship with his ex, Kayla Nicole. But when Taylor entered the picture, everything changed. Suddenly, the VIP suites became a main focus on game day, and Donna started being interviewed just as much as her NFL star sons. While Travis’s popularity had skyrocketed following the Kansas City Chiefs’ multiple Super Bowl wins, she wasn’t being asked about Travis as much as she was his popstar girlfriend. Taylor was the focus of hot-button questions during interviews, and for someone who had been playing mom to Travis — who is a star in his own right — for over three decades, it’s understandable that Donna might find it annoying to keep fielding questions about Swift, who is fairly new to his life.

Since “Tayvis” became an item, Donna has been asked about Taylor so many times that she seemingly has resorted to giving non-answers about Swift. That, in turn, has prompted fans to think that she dislikes Taylor or that Donna is implying that Taylor and Travis’s relationship is a giant PR stunt. Could this be the case? Well, anything is possible, but realistically, Donna probably can’t keep coming up with new things to say about Swift. After all, how much time do they spend together outside of the VIP suite on game day? Let’s review all the non-answers Donna has given about Taylor (PS — no shade intended at Donna).

In November 2024, Donna Kelce made her acting debut—stepping into not one, but two movie roles. The Kelce matriarch made cameos in Hallmark’s “Holiday Touchdown” and “Christmas on Call.” The former flick has a Kansas City Chiefs tie, while “Christmas on Call” has a Philadelphia connection, likely show the mom’s support for both of her sons (Donna’s other son, Jason Kelce, is a retired Philadelphia Eagles player). During an appearance on “Today” to promote her movies, Donna sat next to host Jenna Bush Hager, who starred in “Holiday Touchdown” alongside her. And unsurprisingly, a Taylor Swift question was slipped into the mix. “Is Taylor gonna watch our love story?” Hager asked Donna, who responded, “I don’t know. That’s a good question.”

Was it the answer that Hager wanted to hear? Probably not. But was it an honest answer? Likely yes. After all, Swift is one of the biggest pop stars of all time and likely doesn’t have a lot of free time for a holiday movie marathon. But given that Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce is different than all her others and she actually has a public relationship with Donna, we’re gonna bet that the “Midnights” crooner will make time to watch Donna’s foray into acting.

Donna Swift was unclear if Taylor Swift would be at Thanksgiving

During her November 2024 appearance on “Today,” Donna Kelce also joined host Craig Melvin in the kitchen, where she faced another question about Taylor Swift. As Donna shared her marshmallow crescent puffs recipe with the world, Melvin tapped her about her Thanksgiving Day plans. “I am going to be at a football game. Travis is playing the day after Thanksgiving. You know, football is always the holidays. It’s football’s family,” she explained.

When pressed further about whether Swift would be celebrating with the Kelce clan that day, she responded, “She’s kinda busy right now. She has her tour to do.” It’s an honest answer. And given that Travis is on a busy football schedule, it’s likely that Swift won’t want to bother him as he preps. Truthfully, if Swift is going to attend a Thanksgiving dinner, it’s likely she’d opt to see her own family, namely her parents, Andrea and Scott Swift, and brother, Austin.

Donna Kelce didn’t have a favorite thing to say about Taylor Swift

In September 2024, E! News chatted with Donna Kelce about Travis Kelce’s role in the thriller series “Grotesquerie,” where Donna was once again asked about Taylor Swift. “What is your favorite thing about [Taylor] as you guys have gotten even closer?” the reporter asked. Mama Kelce’s response? “Yeah, I don’t, really — you know. It’s still new. I don’t really have any profound … thoughts or anything like that,” she explained. “We just have the best time cheering Travis on.”

This comment prompted a variety of thoughts from users on X, formerly Twitter. “LMFAO ‘she’s so nice’ was right there and she chose ‘I don’t really have any profound thoughts.’ She chewed a bit,” one user said, noting that she could have easily just said something generic to appease audiences. However, others weren’t so quick to dismiss Donna’s answer. “It’s so very clear that questions like this make her uncomfortable. She’s there for her son’s tv show premiere, not a Taylor swift concert,” another opined. A third user gave their take on Donna and Swift’s relationship, writing, “Taylor is her coworker they really don’t know each other lmao.”

Donna Kelce doesn’t know if Travis will propose to Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s marriage rumors have been swirling almost as long as their relationship has been in the spotlight. And in October 2024, Page Six went right for the jugular, asking Donna Kelce if her son intended to propose to Taylor. “Nobody knows that,” she responded. “We will see what happens. You never know.” When asked if she gets on Travis’ case about it, she dished: “I don’t give my kids advice. They have everything all settled.”

Sounds like a truthful answer if you ask us. After all, Donna seems to want what is best for her kids. In Glamour’s 2024 Women of the Year: The Moms, she revealed that she and her ex-husband, Ed Kelce, “knew that [their] marriage was not working, but [they] stayed together for the kids.” She said they did it so their boys could have a normal upbringing, telling the outlet, “I did stand still for several years until I could move on on my own.” This proves that Donna is a selfless person who will put her happiness on the back burner if it means keeping her two sons content.

Donna Kelce said hanging out with Taylor Swift was ‘okay’

In October 2023, just one month after Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had gone public with their relationship, Donna Kelce appeared on “Today,” where she was asked about the first time she met the singer, which she confirmed was at Arrowhead Stadium during the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Chicago Bears game the month before. “What was she like? I mean … so you got to know her a little bit. You guys sat at a couple of games. How was it?” co-host Savannah Guthrie asked Donna, to which she replied, “It was okay.” The following month, Donna spoke to WSJ Magazine for a profile piece about Travis, where she seemingly expressed regret for that comment and tried to rectify the situation. “I can tell you this,” she told the outlet. “He’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time …. God bless him. He shot for the stars!”

We have to remember that it wasn’t until Mama Kelce hit her 70s that she became a celebrity of her own and started being tapped for national interviews. The retired banker lived a fairly quiet life before her sons were thrust into the spotlight and then further edged into the public eye by Travis’s relationship with Taylor Swift. This was all new to her, and she probably wasn’t expecting the barrage of Swift questions she’d received or how her answers would be picked apart by Swift’s fans.