American rappers Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist have teamed up for a new album tilted Voir Dire. The 11-track record is being released as a non-fungible token that grants holders access to behind-the-scenes content and exclusive merch.
Last week, the Alchemist surprised fans when he teased the new album by posting its track list on Instagram. He also announced an upcoming performance with Earl Sweatshirt at London’s Jazz Cafe.
The album is currently available on Gala Music as a digital collectible. Fans who purchase the NFT album or an individual track gain access to merchandize including signed album posters, t-shirts, the chance to appear in a music video, and access to the virtual community “Smokeout: Light Up with Earl & AI.”
Gala is an Web3 music platform focused on empowering artists and fans. For fans who aren’t interested in purchasing an NFT, the album can be streamed for free via Gala, but users must create an account to listen.
Along with the release, the rap duo also put out a music video for their track “Sentry,” featuring MIKE. This track is the only one that can be heard without signing up for Gala Music.
The new album on the heels of a busy year for both artists. It’s the second collaborative album Alchemist has released this year. The first with Larry June was called The Great Escape. Meanwhile, Earl Sweatshirt has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of his album Doris by playing star-studded shows around the country.
More Music Is Being Released as NFTs
Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist’s new album is exciting news for fans, and given the rappers popularity, it should help onboard more people to Gala Music. But the rappers aren’t the only musicians releasing music in the form of non-fungible tokens these days. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several stories about NFT music. Here are the top three.
About three weeks ago, the Grimes told tech magazine Wired that she had made more money from NFTs than she’s made in her entire career. In 2021, the Canadian singer released the “War Nymph” NFT collection, which sold for around $6 million. A 1:1 music video she released also sold for $400,000.
Next, about four months ago, Steve Aoki and Justin Blau (3LAU) teamed up for an NFT track called “Concentrate.” For the release, the DJ duo gave away 99 NFT tokens that each represented 0.5% royalties in order to democratize ownership of the song.
Lastly, in February, Rihanna sold 300 NFTs to her hit song “Bitch better have my money.” The NFTs grant fans 0.0033% streaming royalties to the song for life. The drop saw 300 NFTs sell out within minutes for the price of $210 each.
NFT technology has several advantages for musicians, not least of which is connecting artists directly to their fanbase. Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist appear to understand these benefits, and they aren’t the only ones. At Rarity Sniper, we’ll report back on any developments to the story.