Def Jam Recordings is joining in on the web3 craze, as the imprint has just signed the virtual NFT band, The Whales. The aforementioned — which is an eclectic group of animated whales — also has a forthcoming debut album, which is said to have musical assistance from a span of popular producers and songwriters.
The concept of the group was created in December 2021 by tech studio WAGMI Beach’s Ben Willis and Joshua Andriano, Billboard reports. The business partners pitched Def Jam DJ Mormile and Ryan Rodriguez with the idea of the musical avatars, believing the music execs “got it.”
“We pitched the idea of a community-grown avatar group to DJ and [they] just got it,” Willis stated, per Billboard. “To be working with Def Jam on releasing this one-of-a-kind new music project is a dream come true.”
Per outlet, the identities of the voices behind the NFT band have not been revealed, but are said to be among the “who’s who” of the music industry.
The recruitment of the NFT band follows Def Jam partnering with The Catalina Whale Mixer, which is “a collection of 5,555 NFT avatars on the Solana blockchain.”
Reportedly, the members of WAGMI Beach believe that this implementation of NFT musical acts will improve the way artists and labels engage with fans, as it lets consumers be part of the process.
“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,” said WAGMI co-founder Alec Lykken. “This is our initial dive into what we believe to be an incredible new wave for artists and fans alike.”
Check out a video of The Whales above.