Top 10 NFTs From Music Artists

Eminem This rap icon is an artist with many faces. So it only seems fitting that, for his foray into the world of NFTs, he immortalized his various personas in the form of virtual collectible figurines. Eminem is a fan of collectibles himself (and is actually the owner of Bored Ape NFT), so the move was a natural fit. Released in collaboration with Nifty Gateway, Shady Con offered fans the opportunity to purchase NFT action figures modeled after Eminem, Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers. Adding to the hype, the Shady Con launched was paired with a virtual festival to bring fans together. In addition to the action figures, a number of rare Shady-themed NFTs were released. This first collection reportedly earned the rapper an impressive $1.78 million.

#9: Happy Endings

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Mike Shinoda, iann dior, and UPSAHL Popular music is all about interesting collabs; the right feature can make or break a new track in terms of the buzz it generates. As the world of music and NFTs increasingly overlap, it only seems natural that we start seeing more musical NFT collaborations from hit artists. In 2021, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park made history as the first major artist to drop a single as an NFT. Shinoda teamed up with iann dior and UPSAHL for the track, entitled “Happy Endings” and contemporary artist Cain Caser for the NFT visuals. The series was limited to a run of 10 NFTs and hosted on the Zora platform. In 2022, Shinoda also released a mini album on Zora, selling out all 5,000 units in minutes.

3lau Music artists are always looking for interesting ways to breathe new life into past works. Rather than a special edition or live version, however, musician and blockchain influencer 3lau re-released his 2018 album, Ultraviolet, as 33 NFTs. Over the course of just three days, 3lau earned a staggering $11.6 million from the release. Not only that, but he set a new record when just one of the NFTs sold for $3.6 million. In addition to the tokens themselves, the NFTs also give users access to other perks like bonus songs, unreleased tracks or special edition vinyl. 3lau has been a major supporter of blockchain technology in music and it’s clearly paying off for him.

#7: NBA All Star Weekend

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Various Artists In celebration of the 2021 NBA All-Star Weekend, Bleacher Report teamed up with some of the biggest names in hip hop for this one-of-a-kind NFT launch. Fans of rap and basketball were invited to bid on digital basketballs inspired and endorsed by 2 Chainz, Jack Harlow, Lil Baby, and Quavo. Gold editions (limited to 10 of each) came with a physical basketball, while silver editions were available in a digital-only format. 2 Chainz’ No. 1 of 10 gold basketball NFTs earned the highest of any NFT in the collection, selling for a cool $68,030. Understandably, given the financial opportunity, many other rappers have followed suit and released NFTs of their own.

#6: Various NFT Drops

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Deadmau5 A hugely influential DJ and producer, Deadmau5 has gone all-in when it comes to NFTs. A citizen of the internet through and through, the EDM legend got involved earlier than most when he embraced the technology back in 2020. Just in time for the holidays, Deadmau5 teamed up with the WAX blockchain to release 6,000 NFTs based on his music and performances. He soon followed up with a second NFT collection in August of 2021, the simply titled “deadmau5: Series 2”. In late 2021, Deadmau5 and Portugal. The Man released their new single “this is fine.” as a series of 1 million NFTs. As of 2022, it’s estimated that the iconic producer has earned himself approximately $4 million in NFT profits.

Toro y Moi, Yaeji, Mura Masa, & More This NFT launch/Art Exhibition is easily one of the coolest on our list today. For the uninitiated, IAMSOUND describes itself as “a hub of music, art, culture and marketing, a hybrid creative studio, record label and visual artist management firm.” Over the years, they’ve worked with such influential acts as Florence and the Machine and Charli XCX. Given their values, it’s perhaps unsurprising that, like Mike Shinoda, IAMSOUND chose Zora as the platform for their NFT launch. Zora similarly distinguishes itself with a creator-first manifesto that aims to put the power and profits back in the hands of artists. Over the course of a series of exhibitions and releases, artists like Toro Y Moi, 88 Rising, Mura Masa, and Yaeji have all contributed pieces.

#4: War Nymph Vol. I

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Grimes This unconventional music artist made headlines around the world when she sold roughly $6 million worth of digital art in the form of NFTs. The NFT collection, entitled “War Nymph Collection Vol.I”, includes digital art and original music from the Canadian-born singer, songwriter and producer. The collection was sold on Nifty Gateway, which has quickly established itself as one of the most trusted and high-profile platforms for NFTs. Pieces available for auction included “Mars” and “Earth”, of which there are a few thousand copies. Other NFTs offered by Grimes, like “Death of the Old”, however, were truly one of a kind and wound up selling for upwards of $350,000.

MF Doom The late, great MF Doom was one of the most influential and respected rappers of his generation. After his sudden and tragic passing at the age of 49 in 2020, fans were understandably left shocked and reeling. Looking for a way to connect with this underground hip hop icon, many were eager to get ahold of one of his Augmented Reality signed mask NFTs. The rapper had become interested in blockchain and, given that the beta auction for his first collection ended the day before his passing, these masks represent one of the rapper’s final works of art. Available in a variety of styles and materials, the late MC’s iconic mask will live on as a testament to Doom’s legacy.

#2: “NFT Yourself “

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Kings of Leon These Nashville rockers were not the first musical act to embrace NFTs. Clarian and Belave both deserve credit for getting there before Kings of Leon. That being said, Kings of Leon played a massive role in bringing NFTs to the attention of mainstream listeners by being the first band of their stature to go the NFT route. The group chose to sell their 2021 album, “When You See Yourself”, in the form of three different NFT packages, as part of a larger series entitled “NFT Yourself”. While it seemed like a risky move at the time, it clearly resonated with fans, as the band quickly found themselves with $2 million worth of sales, becoming music NFT pioneers and legends in the process.

We’re just kidding! A marketplace selling NFTs of songs without ever getting permission from the artists…what could go wrong?! Consider Hitpiece a crash course in how NOT to mix NFTs and music.

Snoop Dogg All hail the Doggfather. From his platform as an icon of West Coast rap, Snoop Dogg has built himself an empire. His recent foray into the world of NFTs, however, proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks. In a matter of just five days, Snoop Dogg sold $44 million dollars worth of his Stash Box NFTs. Pair this with his role in the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, a killer new album and his purchase of Death Row Records… and Snoop is truly top dog. It will be fascinating to see what he does with Death Row Records as an NFT record label. When it comes to music and NFTs, this savvy businessman is the one to watch.