Rap icons Snoop Dogg and Eminem are bringing their Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs to the VMAs this Sunday, August 28, through an ‘Otherside’ Metaverse performance.
It has been a decade too long since Snoop Dogg and Eminem last stepped on the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) stage. That’s about to change this Sunday, August 28, at 8 PM.
Through its official Twitter account, MTV tweeted that the “Stan” and “Drop it Like it’s Hot” rappers are bringing “From the D to the LBC” to the VMAs stage for a world premiere performance in front of a crowd of thousands.
According to MTV and Yuga Labs, Snoop Dogg and Eminem will be performing their song from inside the Otherside Metaverse. Incidentally, Yuga Labs is the brains behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and the upcoming Metaverse game Otherside.
The Otherside game is still in development, and Yuga Labs is yet to confirm its release date. Nevertheless, the game is currently in its first phase, also known as the “First Trip,” which is merely a tiny part of its overall gameplay. In this phase, only owners of Otherdeed NFTs (digital land titles that are key to using Otherside) and select developers were given a chance to try out aspects of the Metaverse game.
Much-Anticipated Metaverse Performance
Snoop Dogg and Eminem gave select fans a taste of their collaboration when they premiered “From the D to the LBC” during ApeFest 2022. The song’s title is a homage to the legendary rappers’ hometowns—D for Detroit and LBC for Long Beach, California.
During the premiere, the pair also gave fans a glimpse of the song’s semi-animated music video. It’s semi-animated in that throughout the video, Snoop Dogg and Eminem morph into Bored Apes that bear uncanny resemblances to them. And on Sunday, the duo will bring their BAYC NFTs to the VMAs for their Metaverse performance.
According to the VMAs’ promoters, Snoop Dogg and Eminem’s Otherside performance is something no one has ever seen. “From the D to the LBC’s” music video, which premiered two months ago, only featured 2D animations of their BAYC NFTs without Metaverse footage. Hence, this Sunday’s performance is expected to enthrall viewers.
Since the song was released, it has been a notable success for the iconic rappers and BAYC-themed music videos. Its YouTube video has over 46 million views and garnered a VMA nomination for the “Best Hip-Hip” song. The track has racked up close to 25 million streams on audio streaming provider Spotify.
NFTs and Mainstream Culture
Snoop Dogg and Eminem’s upcoming VMA performance further proves how NFTs have bled into mainstream culture. These NFTs have become digital status symbols, especially for the rich and famous.
Blue-chip NFT, like the Bored Apes, has become a favorite among celebrities, athletes, and other big-name personalities. Some holders of Bored Ape NFTs even co-opted their assets, which is why you’ll see them on logos of fast food restaurants, merchandise, TV shows, and even M&M’s.
Eminem is making good use of his BAYC NFT that he purchased in December for a whopping $450,000, even displaying it as his Twitter avatar. Snoop Dogg’s BAYC NFT is from MoonPay, which transferred BAYC #6723 to Champ de Medici, Snoop Dogg’s son, back in December.
However, despite the apparent success of the pair’s new collaboration, with many fans loving the lyrical hit, some are complaining about the NFTs used for the song’s cover art and music video. Some even said the appearance of the Bored Apes was “annoying.”
Be that as it may, the celebrity exposure that BAYC is getting shows no signs of slowing down. The popularity seems to have affected ApeCoin’s (APE—BAYC’s native token) prices. APE’s prices went up 22% in June after releasing the “From the D to the LBC’s” music video.
Sunday’s performance is Eminem’s first time on the VMAs stage in 12 years. Meanwhile, it will be Snoop Dogg’s first performance at the awards show in 17 years.
Eminem has been nominated 60 times in the awards show throughout his rap career and won 13 VMAs. That ranks him as the second-most nominated VMA artist after Madonna, who has received 69 nominations and who also happens to love Bored Apes. Snoop Dogg, for his part, has been nominated 13 times and secured three wins.
It remains to be seen how Snoop Dogg and Eminem’s Metaverse performance will pan out. What is certain is the performance will be one for the books.
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