Snoop Dogg has rightfully earned his icon status; he has the ability to remain relevant year after year, which is not an easy feat within the hip-hop music industry. Snoop has the business acumen of remaining adaptable, yet possessing the keepin’-it-real spirit that is the backbone of hip-hop’s cultural success. He keeps his flow, but modernizes his lyrics. Snoop can walk the fine line of being a jack-of-all-trades without being considered a sell-out, all the while maintaining his effortless witty, laid-back persona that popularized his brand. In the intro for “House I Built” from his upcoming album “B.O.D.R,” which was released on April 1, 2022, his voxel avatar sits powerfully and lazily in a rotating chair as he casually brags about the fruits of his crypto investment. Within a few lines, he uses the braggadocious nature that is lovingly branded into Gangsta rap with a modern twist.
Yeah, what’s my— (Just your token?)
Yeah (Uh, four-point— four-point-eight)
What did it start off at?
Three hundred thousand dollars
So it’s at $4.8 million?
Yeah
Cash
Snoop Dogg drops the first-ever music video produced and released in the metaverse
According to The Sandbox, their website is a decentralized gaming ecosystem where creators can share and monetize voxel assets and gaming experiences on the Ethereum blockchain. In simpler terms, it’s a virtual world where people live through avatars, and creators own all of the rights to their creations, from which they can make real money. Snoop Dogg’s music video was created using VoxEdit and Game Maker, which are free user-generated content creation tools. Many of the shots in the music video come from the Snoopverse, along with collaborative efforts from DJ Steve Aoki and producer Blond:ish.
Sandbox CEO, Arthur Madrid, stated that Snoop Dogg’s music video provides a real example of how musicians can leverage metaverse technology. Snoop Dogg has always been a leading player by being bullish with new technologies; he invested in telemedicine and launched his own esports tournament series in 2019. Snoop says, “I’m always on the lookout for new ways of connecting with fans, and what we’ve created in The Sandbox is the future of virtual hangouts, NFT drops, and exclusive concerts.” He is one of several celebrities who owns a BAYC NFT. Recently, Snoop Dogg partnered with CoinTelegraph and Crypto.com to release an NFT single with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Snoop said,
The ‘House I Built’ track draws a parallel between how I’ve constructed my life and career and how I’m building out my Snoopverse virtual world in The Sandbox. Whether in the metaverse or the universe, it’s about keeping it real, being yourself, and making the most of every opportunity.
Ironically, in this new digital age, Snoop seems to have reclaimed the purity associated with rap pre-social media. He raps, “Walking through The Sandbox with flip-flops on, this reminds me of a hip-hop song. No Instagrams, no TikToks on.”
What is the Snoopverse?
Back in September 2021, Sandbox announced Snoop Dogg would be coming onto the platform, and it’s amusing to see what Tha Doggfather has developed and built in the metaverse since. His neighborhood is called the Snoopverse, where players can purchase property, and his house is a digital replica of his real-life mansion in Diamond Bar, California. Nipsey Hussle, the late West Coast native rapper, also owns his own estate in the Snoopverse. In December 2021, there was an initial LAND sale that was the chance for avid fans or crypto investors to purchase property in the Snoopverse, and premium users get access to exclusive benefits and events like private concerts and pool parties. The Snoopverse Land Sale had someone put down $450K in ETH, equivalent to being Snoop Dogg’s neighbor.
Arthur Madrid: “We are building the future of entertainment where everyone will enjoy creating and sharing their very own virtual experiences…The Sandbox is bringing iconic culture with Snoop Dogg and enhancing it through innovation with NFTs and virtual experiences. Snoop’s LAND is decentralized; 100% owned by him to develop through his creative genius.”
Earlier this year, on February 22, Snoop unleashed The Doggies, a collection of 10,000 voxel avatars playable inside The Sandbox. The Doggies have more than 150 traits (including his signature dance moves) and range from humans, doggs, robots, and more.
A New Entertainment Platform for a New Generation of Consumers
Prior to the increase in popularity of NFT-based metaverse platforms, we already saw the masses enjoying virtual concerts like the ones held by Travis Scott and Marshmello in Fortnite. The catalyst was, of course, the first wave of coronavirus lockdowns in an attempt to engage fans.
The Sandbox has enjoyed success as a leader within the metaverse, already having partnerships with brands like Gucci, Adidas, Paris Hilton, Steve Aoki, and more on its track record. Arthur Madrid, CEO and co-founder of The Sandbox, said “We are building a new entertainment platform where artists, talents of all kinds, and brands can access a new generation of consumers that own and collect digital properties like LAND and digital memorabilia moments.”
Snoop Dogg is showing the world, musicians, and creators alike, the value of NFTs for generating income and providing interactive, dope experiences. The pandemic has made it more difficult for musicians to earn money from touring, and streaming is not always a good and reliable source of income. No doubt NFTs will redefine the future of the music industry and already has. Hip-hop legend Nas has also been immortalized on the blockchain, with his first NFT collection selling out within seconds.
What’s Next?
- Today, the sale ends on his BODR Stash Box with Gala Games, where you can buy tracks as NFTs. These NFTs not only give listeners rights to the music, but the rights to exclusive drops like films, comics, images, and unique concert attendance opportunities. Limited to 25,000 copies, if you choose to own all 17 songs, you will receive both real-life and digital rewards, from limited edition Death Row bling, an exclusive concert + pre-party with Snoop, and more. Not to mention that these song NFTs have earning potential on the Gala Music network. It is currently priced at 0.94ETH, which is equivalent to $3,250 at this time of writing.
- There is currently a Sandbox concert in the works for Snoop.
- He is working on another project on the Cardano blockchain; Cardano’s Clay Mates announced that they are working closely with Snoop on future NFTs and metaverse experiences.
- Besides building on Web3 platforms, Snoop Dogg is an avid NFT collector. He has an NFT Twitter account @cozomomedici. Under this moniker, Snoop Dogg collabed with artist Sia to raise funds for Ukrainian artists. Sia’s NFT Twitter profile is “Bianca ‘de Medici.”
- Snoop Dogg has also announced that B.O.D.R will be his first NFT album on the platform Gala Games, with plans to also make Death Row Records into the first NFT music studio!
