In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the dazzling world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) has found its spotlight with an unexpected cast: celebrities. From musicians to actors, the rich and famous are not just dipping their toes but diving headfirst into the NFT pool. Their involvement ranges from launching exclusive NFT collections to tokenizing unique aspects of their personal and professional lives – be it tweets, songs, or even whimsical drawings of their pets.
This celebrity endorsement has catapulted NFTs from niche digital assets to mainstream marvels. More than just a fad, NFTs have emerged as a new frontier for fan engagement, offering a novel avenue for stars to connect with their audience. With each celebrity bringing their unique flair to the NFT realm, they’re not just riding the wave – they’re redefining it.
As we delve into this new digital domain, let’s spotlight some of the prominent celebrities who are actively shaping the NFT space. Their foray into this space isn’t just about embracing a trend; it’s about pioneering a movement that blurs the lines between art, technology, and fandom.
1. Snoop Dogg: A Rap Icon’s Digital Revolution
Snoop Dogg, the legendary rapper, has taken the NFT world by storm with his innovative forays into digital art and music.
His involvement goes beyond mere participation, embodying a pioneering spirit that merges the realms of music, art, and blockchain technology.
One of Snoop Dogg’s notable NFT projects is “A Journey with the Dogg,” a collection that blends his journey in music with art inspired by the early days of his career. This collection, released in collaboration with Crypto.com, includes unique pieces like “Snoop Dogge Coins” and “The Dogg Pound.”
Another groundbreaking venture is his collaboration with the popular NFT platform, The Sandbox. Here, Snoop Dogg has created a virtual experience called “Snoopverse,” where fans can explore a digital world inspired by his own universe. This venture exemplifies how celebrities can extend their brand into virtual spaces, offering fans an immersive experience.
In addition to these, Snoop Dogg made headlines with his “Death Row Session: Vol. 2” collection, which was a follow-up to his earlier NFT release, showcasing unreleased tracks and exclusive digital art. This collection underlines his commitment to exploring new avenues for music distribution and fan engagement in the digital age.
For fans eager to explore Snoop Dogg’s NFT collections, visiting platforms like Crypto.com NFT and The Sandbox is recommended. These platforms host his collections and provide the latest updates on his ongoing digital ventures.
Snoop Dogg’s journey in the NFT space is not just about creating digital collectibles; it’s about redefining the intersection of technology, art, and music. As he continues to innovate and collaborate, he paves the way for new forms of artistic expression and fan interaction in the digital age.
2. Ellen DeGeneres
With her first sale in late April, American comedian Ellen DeGeneres joined the NFT gold rush. As her first NFT, DeGeneres decided to auction her Ellen Show explanation of NFTs, as well as a physically drawn picture of a cat that was displayed in the clip.
The famous American talk show host earned $33,495 from the 24-hour event, which she contributed to the World Central Kitchen, a food-aid charity created by Chef José Andrés.
3. Steve Aoki
In early March, the Grammy-nominated EDM DJ released Dream Catcher, a collaboration with artist Antoni Tudisco that grossed US$4.29 million. On April 27, Aoki and motivational speaker Tom Bilyeu published Neon Future NFTs, a collaboration.
‘Dream Catcher’, a psychedelic collection made up of 11 unique works of art mixed with boundary-breaking soundscapes and cutting edge computer animations, is a joint endeavor between Steve Aoki and world-famous 3D illustrator Antoni Tudisco.
With Aoki’s experimental audio soundscapes, Antoni’s surreal 3D images bounce and shapeshift in real-time.
The latest move really made a statement in the NFT space when top NFT influencers Snoop Dogg and Steve Aoki came together for the first-ever virtual music video produced in The Sandbox metaverse for the track “House I Built”.
4. Shawn Mendes
After the success of its Mesut Özil line, which grossed over $500,000, musician Shawn Mendes joined the marketplace OpenSea with a collaboration with Genies to sell innovative wearables. On OpenSea, items ranging from virtual guitars to necklaces, vests, and earrings were available for purchase, earning Mendes almost $600,000.
Mendes donated the revenues of the sale to the Shawn Mendes Foundation Wonder Grants, which support young activists with bold ideas.
5. Eminem
Eminem released his first NFT collection, “Shady Con”, in late April. Eminem’s NFT collection was a digital festival that provided fans the option to own an NFT collectible through Nifty Gateway. The unique recordings were released ahead of the limited-edition festival and included original instrumental beats created by the rapper.
Eminem stated his love for collectibles when he was younger and he’s pleased to rebuild some of those collections with NFTs. Eminem has also grabbed an Ape NFT from one of the most popular pfp collections BAYC in the NFT space. The BAYC NFT #9055 labeled “EminApe” depicts an ape dressed in a khaki army hat and a gold chain necklace resembling him.
6. Jack Dorsey
When Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey auctioned his first tweet as an NFT in March, he demonstrated that social media can be sold as an NFT. His 15-year-old tweet from March 2006, which simply stated “just setting up my twttr”, ended up fetching him $2.9 million when the Valuables platform bidding finished.
All proceeds, according to Dorsey, were converted to bitcoin and sent to GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that aids the poor, benefitting its COVID-19 response in Africa.
7. Paris Hilton
Another prominent celebrity who steals the show in the NFT space whenever she appears is none other than Paris Hilton. She has long been a fan of Bitcoin and Ethereum and secretly launched her first NFT in August 2020, auctioning a drawing of her pet on the NFT site Cryptograph and donating the earnings to charity.
Since then, the socialite has released official NFTs with artist Blake Kathryn, which have sold for nearly US $1.1 million.
Paris Hilton’s other 2 NFTs “Hummingbird in My Metaverse” and “Legend of Love” sold out for $10,000 each, for a total of $220,000. She even went one step ahead, and gifted NFTs to the audience and host of the Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon. The giveaway NFT collection “Forever Fairytale” consists of a glimpse of memories of Paris Hilton with her new husband Carter Reum.
8. Elon Musk
A lot of business tycoons, celebrities and sports personalities are taking a great deal of participation in the NFT space, which now has another name on the ever growing list. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, created an electronic music track about the NFT mania and sold it as an NFT. The top bid for the looping video that accompanied the music was US$1.1 million, but Musk changed his mind and opted not to sell it.
9. Kate Moss
Kate Moss, the supermodel, stirred the NFT space with something utterly unique: a video of herself sleeping. Paris Hilton also shared her thoughts on the NFT documentary “Sleep with Kate,” adding that it “demonstrates how crypto art and digital ownership can empower women”.Moss made $17,000 from the NFT and gave the money to Gurls Talk, a charitable organization.
10. Johnny Depp
American actor and musician Johnny Depp isn’t lagging in the NFT race for all the right reasons. He marked his entry into the NFT space with his own NFT collection “Never Fear Truth”, which features collections of his friends and heroes in the artworks from his personal creation.
The collection of 11,111 NFTs includes Johnny Depp’s portraits of his friends and heroes including Marlon Brando, Hunter S. Thompson, Elizabeth Taylor, Lily-Rose Depp, Tim Burton, Depp’s late dog Mooh, Depp himself, and a fictional character created by his son, called Bunnyman. The 25% proceeds were donated to charities.
Read More about the NFTs
