Def Jam Signs Band Of NFT Whale Characters To Its Roster In ‘One-Of-A-Kind’ Music Project

Def Jam Signs Band Of NFT Whale Characters To Its Roster In ‘One-Of-A-Kind’ Music Project

The current state of music is unquestionably different—so different that Def Jam Recordings has launched a virtual band via Web3!

The Whales, a virtual band made up of NFT whale characters, has been added to the roster of Universal Music Group’s major label imprint.

A “who’s who” of musical talent will be involved, according to Def Jam, who has not yet announced the musicians behind the project. In order to strengthen the bond between music and Web3 culture, The Whales‘ debut effort will be made available as a full-length album.

Ben Willis and Joshua Andriano, co-founders of the tech company WAGMI Beach, met with DJ Mormile and Ryan Rodriguez from Def Jam in December 2021 to discuss a partnership with The Catalina Whale Mixer, a collection of 5,555 NFT avatars on the Solana blockchain. This collaboration led to the development of The Whales.

According to Willis,

“We pitched the idea of a community-grown avatar group to DJ and [they] just got it. To be working with Def Jam on releasing this one-of-a-kind new music project is a dream come true.”

Larger record firms are starting to use the NFT strategy for virtual artists. The same idea was carried out by 10:22PM, another label of Universal Music Group, which used licensed figures from the Bored Ape Yacht Club to produce the animated band KINGSHIP.

The founders of WAGMI Beach, who are also veterans of the music industry, are confident that this approach will enhance the way artists and labels interact with fans directly by involving them in the action.

Lykken said,

“At the core of all the NFT and Web3 attention is a fundamental technology change that will alter how music and art is consumed by generations to come. This is our initial dive into what we believe to be an incredible new wave for artists and fans alike.”

What are your thoughts on Def Jam signing a virtual band? Let us know in the comments!

[VIA]