Isaac Hayes III Talks FanBase & Protecting His Father’s Legacy

In #BOSSIPBHM news…

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In an era where social media giants dominate the digital landscape, Isaac Hayes III has set out to change the game with Fanbase, a platform designed to put power and profit back into the hands of content creators, and he’s telling BOSSIP all about it.

Launched with a mission to empower users to monetize their influence, Hayes proudly champions Fanbase for rapidly positioning itself as a viable alternative to traditional social media platforms.

“It started because the idea that the culture of social media needs to be owned by the users who make the trends and really accept them, and they need to be able to monetize,” Hayes told BOSSIP’s Managing Editor Dani Canada. “I started that with $200,000 in my own money, and then we grew to where we could raise money in equity crowdfunding.”

Through four rounds of equity crowdfunding, Fanbase has raised an impressive $17.5 million, with the latest round alone targeting $17 million, half of which has already been secured. This community-driven investment model differentiates Fanbase from competitors, allowing users to have a stake in the platform’s success.

Hayes says that, unlike traditional social media platforms that rely on advertising revenue, Fanbase prioritizes a direct revenue-sharing model with creators.

“Most of these platforms make you do a bunch of things before they allow you to monetize. They’re basically using you to form content so that they can run ads in between. We don’t really focus on advertising. We focus on rev share. Our success is your success, and your success is our success.”

Hayes claims that Fanbase pioneered peer-to-peer content subscriptions in 2018, enabling users to subscribe directly to content creators via Apple Pay or Google Pay. This innovation, he notes, was ahead of its time but has since become a standard feature in the industry.

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As a Black-owned social media company, Fanbase stands apart in a field where major platforms have been criticized for capitalizing on Black culture without offering equitable financial returns to its creators. Hayes is vocal about the need to change this dynamic.

“When you take Black culture and put it inside of a shoe, you get Jordan, right? You get Yeezy. When you take Black culture and put it inside the music industry, you get multi-billion dollar industries like hip hop,” he said. “When you take Black culture and put it inside of social media platforms, you get TikTok, Instagram, and Black Twitter. These platforms are worth hundreds of billions of dollars. I’m beyond past the era of where we just contribute to platforms but don’t economically participate.”

Fanbase, he asserts, is the infrastructure that ensures Black creators, and creators at large, are not just contributors but stakeholders in the platforms they help build.

Fanbase is also redefining how users engage with content. Its “Watch Party” feature allows users to host and discuss YouTube videos in real-time, an interactive experience that resonates particularly with younger users.

“We share videos, we talk to each other in real time, we provide commentary, we add to the experience,” Hayes said. “A Watch Party is something that I definitely think people should absolutely check out.”

With high-profile users such as Lizzo, Don Lemon, Kandi Burruss, and Tina Knowles supporting the platform, Fanbase is rapidly gaining credibility as a serious competitor in the social media sphere.

“This isn’t just a gap,” said Hayes. “We’re competitive now. We’re part of the conversation now.”

Fanbase’s rise also underscores a broader shift toward Black-led innovation in tech.

“Less than half of one percent of all venture dollars went to Black founders in the last two years,” Hayes noted. “Fanbase’s success really shows that any business can fund their business through their community by raising capital that way.”

As Fanbase continues to grow, Hayes remains focused on ensuring that creators are not just users but owners in the digital economy.

“We all create,” he said. “The ability for us to own our IP and protect that IP is something I carry from my dad [Isaac Hayes] and managing my dad’s estate.”

Isaac Hayes III Made Headlines For Fighting To Protect His Famed Father’s Legacy From Trump

Speaking of his famous father, legendary musician Isaac Hayes, Hayes III recently made headlines for fiercely fighting against Trump’s unauthorized use of his dad’s music.

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In October, the then-Republican Presidential nominee thought it was acceptable to use “Hold On, I’m Coming,” co-written by Isaac Hayes, at campaign rallies. He thought wrong.

Hayes III filed a lawsuit on behalf of his father’s estate, and in a temporary ruling, a federal judge ordered Trump’s campaign to stop using the song. Hayes III said that he couldn’t discuss the ongoing legal case but emphasized the importance of ownership and legal protection, especially for young Black artists.

“The ability for us to own our IP and protect that IP is something that I carry from my dad managing my dad’s estate,” he told BOSSIP while stressing the need to file trademarks and patents and take legal action when necessary.

That, ultimately, is just one example of his broader mission to protect Black creators and their intellectual property. Isaac Hayes III’s advocacy reflects a deeper commitment to ensuring that creators maintain control over their work, a principle that extends beyond his father’s legacy and into his efforts to empower future generations, one Fanbase account at a time.