Universal Music Group’s Def Jam Recordings, the iconic record label known for shaping the sound of hip-hop, has signed with the virtual web3 music group, The Whales. The gamified group was developed by the creative technology and entertainment studio WAGMI Beach and The Catalina Whale Mixer. The latter is a 5,555-piece Solana-based NFT collection featuring whale images with different traits. 

The Whales

While the band is composed of cartoon characters, the music is written by real people. This allows Def Jam to tap into the growing popularity of web3 and NFTs while still staying true to their roots in the hip-hop community. The label currently releases music by such noted artists as Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Snoop Dogg. 

To start, The Whales will release a full-length album created by Def Jam’s producers and songwriters. Then, the group plans to establish a strong bond with the Catalina Whales Mixer holders and the general NFT community before launching other products. Following, the band will drop music trait packs and other perks for holders. 

The Whales is not the first NFT-character music group in the space. In April 2022, Universal Music Group rolled out an NFT music band, “Kingship,” developed in partnership with the web3 label 10:22 PM. The group is composed of four Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs: “King” on lead vocals, “Arnell” on beats and drums, “Hud” on keys, guitar, and vocals, and a Mutant Ape NFT named “Captain” on bass and vocals. 

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