Cryptocurrency and rap may not seem to intersect, but in the case of rap icon, the Notorious B.I.G, the two worlds have collided. The New York native now has his own collection of non-fungible tokens, better known as NFTs.
The crypto platform OneOf partnered with the late rapper’s estate to unveil the Sky’s the Limit: The Notorious B.I.G. Collection on July 26.
The digital blockchains will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Biggie’s tragic death and the release of his posthumous sophomore album Life After Death two weeks later. Sky’s The Limit will feature unique 3D figurines inspired by Biggie’s life, lyrics, and style. Owners of the NFTs were even given the right to license an unreleased freestyle recorded when the rapper was only 17 years old.
Sky’s The Limit had “3,000 unique generative art pieces” available for purchase when the collection debuted. The collection tells a story and allows owners to connect with the rapper in a new way. OneOf creative director Christopher Sealey stated that “every single item has a story and it’s often not the story people understand.”
The collection sold out in 10 minutes. The floor price fluctuates, but an all-time high of $5000 has been recorded. NFT holder benefits also include early access to The Brook Metaverse which is expected to launch this fall.
Joshua James, OneOf Co-Founder and COO, believes the partnership will be an important part of crypto history. Adding in a statement, “we named this collection Sky’s the Limit because we believe this is a watershed moment in NFTs where seminal artists like Biggie and their truest fans can drive culture and drive value together.”
“Biggie’s music is a very important part of hip-hop culture and it’s global impact,” noted Wayne Barrow, manager of Voletta Wallace and the Notorious B.I.G.’s estate. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the NFTs will be donated directly to The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation.
However, if purchasing an item from the Notorious B.I.G. collection is not in the budget, Diddy’s Bad Boy Records dropped a limited edition vinyl of the Grammy-nominated album Life After Death. The 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe includes eight LPs and a dense booklet full of rare photos from the album’s cover shoot.
