Snoop Dogg and Eminem will bring their Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs to the VMAs this Sunday, performing from inside Yuga Labs’ upcoming metaverse game “Otherside.”
The rap superstars will perform their song, “From the D to the LBC,” according to MTV and Yuga Labs.
“Otherside” is still in development and does not yet have a confirmed release date. According to the company, the Web3 metaverse game is currently in “Phase 1,” meaning only owners of its Otherdeed land NFTs and select developers have been able to try out aspects of the MMORPG-inspired title.
This VMA performance is yet another example of NFTs bleeding into mainstream culture. NFTs—unique blockchain tokens that signify ownership—have become digital status symbols for the rich and famous, and Bored Apes have been co-opted for everything from fast food restaurants to M&Ms.
The promoters say Snoop and Eminem’s “Otherside” performance will be a never-before-seen experience. Their music video for “From the D to the LBC” came out two months ago and features 2D animations of their Bored Ape NFTs, but no metaverse footage.
Since its release, “From the D to the LBC” has been a notable success, both for the rappers and for the emerging trend of Bored Ape-themed music videos. The “D to the LBC” YouTube video has garnered over 46 million views and a VMA nomination for “Best Hip-Hop” song. On Spotify, the track has racked up nearly 25 million streams.
Eminem is clearly getting good use out of his BAYC NFT, which he bought back in December for a hefty $450,000 and has used as his Twitter profile picture ever since. Snoop got his Ape from crypto payments company MoonPay, who transferred Bored Ape #6723 to Snoop Dogg’s son, Champ de Medici, back in December, according to Etherscan data.
While “From the D to the LBC” is a lyrical hit for many fans, there has been no shortage of complaints about the NFTs featured prominently across the song’s cover art and music video.
Image: “From the D to the LBC” on YouTube.
“Fuck NFTs, but THIS is the Em I’ve been wanting for YEARS,” one Redditor wrote in a comment with over 400 upvotes.
“Good song tho [sic] but damn those BAYC things are annoying,” another complained.
While the BAYC has plenty of haters, this celebrity exposure is showing no signs of slowing down. And it appears to be affecting token prices as well—back in June, Yuga Labs’ Apecoin (APE) token pumped 22% after the music video for “From the D to the LBC” was released.
Despite that exposure, APE—the official cryptocurrency for “Otherside”—has still struggled to gain value since May and hovers around $5.27, according to CoinMarketCap data.
Sunday’s performance will mark Em’s first return to the VMAs in 12 years and Snoop’s first performance at the awards show in 17 years.
Over the course of his illustrious rap career, Eminem has won 13 VMAs and been nominated for 60. That makes him the second-most nominated VMA artist behind Madonna, who has received 69 noms (and who also loves the Bored Apes). Snoop has received thirteen VMA nominations and secured three wins.
Regardless of how Snoop and Em’s “Otherside” performance pans out, it’ll surely be one for both the rap and Web3 history books.
