Even for those who’ve only scratched the surface of the rampant NFT space, chances are they’ve heard of Bored Ape Yacht Club. With high profile owners ranging from Stephen Curry and Post Malone, the collection’s exclusive NFTs have now inspired Universal Music to launch a virtual ape-led music group. The quartet, called KINGSHIP, marks the most recent signee to Universal’s 10:22pm record label, deemed the “next-gen Web3 label” by former Sony executive Celine Joshua.
Universal Music enlisted a team of animators to turn these 2D apes into 3D beings capable of making appearances and performing across the ever-expanding metaverse. One of KINGSHIP’s virtual members, the golden ape, is currently valued at north of $300,000, a number surprisingly average in comparison to some of its higher valued companions. Jimmy McNelis, who furnished the KINGSHIP apes, sold a separate BAYC ape on OpenSea for a whopping $3.4 million. However, the new music venture may very well put KINGSHIP apes in the same realm, with a large possibility that Universal’s newly signed band members will only increase in value as they begin releasing music and performing at VR concerts.
While Universal Music isn’t the first party to fabricate a bored ape band, they’re certainly an omnipotent force to enter the space. Timbaland also recently launched a six-piece ape-led music group called TheZoo, whose first single, “ApeSh!t,” arrives on November 17 via Ape-In Productions.
Read more about UMG’s latest venture here.
Featured image: 10:22pm
