• Def Jam Recordings is launching a new virtual band, The Whales, based on NFT avatars on Solana.
• Their first album will be released later this year, deepening the relationship between music and Web3 culture.
• Universal Music Group (UMG) previously teamed up with Yuga Labs to launch Bored Ape group called KINGSHIP.
Def Jam Brings ‚The Whales‘ to Solana
Def Jam Recordings is entering into Web3 with a new metaverse band called ‚The Whales.‘ This band is based on NFT avatars created by WAGMI Beach for their 5,555 digital whale NFT collection which revolves around a huge community of NFT enthusiasts on Solana’s blockchain. The goal of this project is to „deepen the relationship between music and Web3 culture“ through their first album which will be released later this year.
Universal Music Group Launches KINGSHIP
Prior to Def Jam’s venture into Web3, Universal Music Group (UMG) had teamed up with Yuga Labs to launch Bored Ape group called KINGSHIP. Hit-making producers such as Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy were working on the project signed to Probably A Label, a Web3 subsidiary of UMG. They issued 5,000 Key Card NFTs linked to the band’s activities including exclusive VIP events, backstage access and minting of Kingship-themed NFTs which are interoperable in Otherdeed by Otherside – an initiative aiming to bring Bored Ape community together in Dookey Dash’s sticky sewer.
Music & Blockchain: Better Together?
Collaboration between blockchain technology and Web3 can have potential implications for tackling centralization issues in the music business while further accelerating crypto adoption at large. With more record labels like Def Jam joining forces with metaverse bands such as The Whales and KINGSHIP emerging from UMG, it seems that music industry veterans are embracing blockchain technology more than ever before – both for its novel use cases as well as its underlying potential for mainstream adoption.
The Future of Music?
It remains unclear whether projects such as these will revolutionize the music industry or simply remain niche within the world of cryptocurrencies – only time will tell! Nevertheless, it’s exciting that two of the largest labels in hip-hop history have taken steps towards integrating blockchain technology into their operations – potentially setting off a chain reaction that could see many other major players follow suit in future years!