It started with massage chairs. Cordell Broadus was rushing to his father’s place. Russell Simmons, hip hop impresario and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings was visiting and Broadus, a huge fan, wanted to meet him. “Simmons saw me approaching and immediately had his guard up,” Broadus recalls, laughing. Fortunately, a member of Simmons’ entourage recognised Broadus and remarked how big he had grown.
“Simmons asked him who I was and he replied, ‘That’s Snoop’s son!’” the 25-year-old continues. Yes, Cordell Broadus, too, descended from hip-hop royalty, the middle child in the rapper’s long-time marriage to wife Shante Taylor.
Standing beside Simmons was Althea Lim, co-founder and CEO of digital marketing and entertainment company Gushcloud. They had been working together for three years — Simmons joined Lim in 2019 to help expand the company’s presence in the US — and were discussing business with Snoop Dogg when Broadus came by.
The short conversation between the trio meandered to the topic of massage chairs and Broadus casually shared how much his family loved them. When Lim and Broadus reconnected again over the phone a few weeks later, the latter said he was looking for massage chairs for his recording studio. Lim immediately went to work and procured several, gifted by Osim, for the young entrepreneur.
B. Zero 1 rock chain necklace, Serpenti viper bracelet, and Bulgari Daniel Roth Ammiraglio del Tempo watch, all from Bulgari; wool embellished coat, from Loewe; wool trousers, from Louis Vuitton.Photo: Stefan Khoo. 
Wool embellished coat, from Loewe; wool trousers, from Louis Vuitton; boots, from Balenciaga.Photo: Stefan Khoo. 
B. Zero 1 rock chain necklace, Serpenti viper bracelet, and Bulgari Daniel Roth Ammiraglio del Tempo watch, all from Bulgari; wool embellished coat, from Loewe; wool trousers, from Louis Vuitton.Photo: Stefan Khoo.
When East Meets West
It’s a long story, but it’s critical in demonstrating the power of serendipity, even in business. Lim’s finesse with massage chairs impressed Broadus, who told her he had always wanted to do business in the burgeoning market of Asia, “where all the futuristic technology was”.
That chance encounter in the hallway of his father’s home led to Broadus inking a partnership with Gushcloud. Within four months of putting his John Hancock on paper, he flew to Singapore for Asia Crypto Week that concluded with the F1 Singapore Grand Prix race, debuted The Champ Medici (his Web3 moniker and the name of his Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT) Lounge in the country, and worked with the Golden Equator Group to launch a Web3-focused venture fund called Welcome To The Block (WTTB).
In his parlance, Broadus “was making moves”.
Coming Into His Own
The former college football star had always been a risk taker. He gave up a possible National Football League career — the promising athlete was once ranked 25th in the class of 2015 in the entire country — and potential earnings of hundreds of millions to chase his creative aspirations. Initially, he considered a career in filmmaking, inspired by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, who gave up on his own football career to make movies. “As a young Black kid, success meant either playing sports or rapping and I felt marginalised. Growing up, I didn’t see many entrepreneurs who looked like me,” says Broadus.
It did not help that he was an introvert who didn’t start speaking until he was 4. He preferred his own company and had a deep mistrust of people. Stereotypes abounded in the Black community, too. Being a man meant you had to be a “tough guy”, which meant either being good with a ball, making music in the studio, or ingratiating yourself with a gang.
He admits that he played American football so his father could love him and be a part of his life. He also denied being Snoop Dogg’s son for a period of time because of the perceived implications.
Today, Broadus is comfortable in his own skin. He loves picking flowers with his daughters. He doesn’t shy away from wearing a pink suit or dark eyeliner, activities traditionally seen as feminine. His Spotify playlist includes multiple tracks from Prince and Rick James, two of his favourite musicians. He is focused on being a human.
“When you are a Black man, people already underestimate you. On top of that, I was Snoop’s son, so everyone had this preconceived notion of how I would be like because they knew Snoop Dogg, or at least the persona my father portrayed to the public. It’s human nature for people to judge you this way,” he says, displaying a maturity far beyond his years.
I knew I had to take [Web3] seriously when everybody in the room laughed at the [business] pitch. It’s the cycle of life. First, they will make fun of it. Then they will hate it. Finally, they will join in.
Cordell Broadus on when he decided to head into the Web3 space
And he’s diving headlong into the business world, which has always been in his bloodline. In the 1930s, his paternal great-grandfather owned 13ha of land in Mississippi, during an era when “Blacks didn’t own much and were extremely poor”. His maternal grandfather owned a nightclub in Long Beach and had several Rolls-Royce cars in his garage.
Growing up, hearing stories like these inspired Broadus to make a name for himself beyond sports and music, and he believes Web3 is the right place for him to do so.
The Rise of Champ Medici
During the 2017 premiere of All Eyez On Me, the biographical film about Tupac Shakur, he had his first encounter with what is being called the third major evolution of the Internet. He was catching up with entrepreneur, musician and friend, the late Ermias Asghedom, known professionally as Nipsey Hussle. Asghedom told him to explore cryptocurrency next.
Broadus initially put this conversation on hold. Modelling had already made him rich. He had walked the runway for several fashion brands, including Dolce & Gabbana and Phillip Plein, and he had started several businesses. It was about a year later, in 2018, that he met Kai Henry, chief strategy officer at e-sports and entertainment organisation FaZe Clan, who discussed the metaverse’s rise.
He was intrigued. A couple weeks later, after his father’s business advisor pitched a potential deal with Crypto.com, he jumped on board. “I knew I had to take this seriously when everybody in the room laughed at the pitch. It’s the cycle of life. First, they will make fun of it. Then they will hate it. Finally, they will join in.”
Photo: Stefan Khoo.
He knows about the sceptics. He’s heard all of them — he’s the son of a rich man; his WTTB venture fund is pure celebrity hype; Web3 is a scam. Broadus is shutting out the noise and focusing on building a better life for his wife and children. He understands that while being Snoop Dogg’s son can get him into the room, it’s his personality and ability that will keep him there.
Broadus is under no illusion that he is a financial savant. He’s learning as much as he can, but believes that it’s wiser to leave the investment intricacies to the Golden Equator folks and focus on what he does best: connecting people and finding great talent to invest in. While WTTB will concentrate on Web3 initiatives, which include blockchain, cryptocurrency and decentralised finance, Broadus sees the most potential in the gaming and metaverse fields.
He’s surprisingly less optimistic about NFTs. “The hype is gone. I’m not saying that they are scams, but there is no noise around them anymore, so the liquidity has dried up.” Still, he keeps a close eye on the space, acknowledging that there’s more innovation that can be done in that field.
‘Broadus also acknowledges Web3 needs more regulation for it to take off. Although it is touted as the future of the Internet, it is also replete with bad actors. Rug pulls (an elaborate pump-and-dump scheme), hacking attacks, and other scams have cost many fortunes.
It’s an ironic view, considering the initial vision of Web3 — an egalitarian digital utopia without censorship and control. But he believes that it’s the only way forward. “We need the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) as much as the SEC needs us. I believe that Web3 will be a fruitful ecosystem and we need to stop fighting.”
Moving In Silence
Until that day happens, Broadus will keep plugging away. He has a few projects in the pipeline, but one he’s excited about is Bytecity that is meant to be a Web3 theme park with festival grounds, interactive games, and more. He’s working with Roy Liu, an early member of PopCap Games before it was sold to Electronic Arts for US$1.3 billion (S$1.8 billion) and the lead developer of gaming phenomenon Plants VS Zombies. Bytecity is currently raising its seed round.
In the meantime, Broadus is keeping his cards close to his chest, promising to reveal more when the time is right. He is also learning to take things slowly. His family taught him this lesson.
“I used to live the fast life travelling for fashion shoots in Italy and Paris, but I learned that no matter how fast you go, your life can be taken away even faster. When you go slow, you can appreciate the little details and take in the scenery,” says Broadus.
He’s calmer and in control now. Those massage chairs probably helped.
All jewellery and timepieces by Bulgari
Photography: Stefan Khoo
Styling: Chia Wei Choong
Hair: Sean Ang, using OUAI
Makeup: Keith Bryant Lee, using Chanel Beauty
Photography Assistants: Alif and Yann Cloitre
Styling Assistant: Nicholas See
