All results
2021 to 2022 was a time when the trend of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) was booming. Celebrities such as Stephen Curry were purchasing NFTs for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, a whopping number of people were launching their own exclusive collections and even creating their own cryptocurrency.
Creating a successful stream of income for yourself is great, but it’s even better when your win helps others. As previously reported by AfroTech, Elise Swopes made headlines when she turned her love of making non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into making over $200,000 back in 2021. Additionally, the rise in her online presence led to her being featured in projects such as collaborating with Black Women On Boards (BWOB) for its NFT release to commemorate its accelerator program’s launch.
As technology continues to evolve, so does the culture of sneakers as we know them. No longer are eager collectors waiting in line for new releases, instead, they can be accessed by the click of a button. Now, with the metaverse playing a huge role in the day-to-day life of consumers, one popular self-taught artist is turning top-selling sneakers into digital characters. “Technology has definitely changed my life,” said Anderson Bluu, the visionary behind The Sneaker Transformation Series, a limited edition line of NFTs. “I don’t even know if I could do what I’m doing now without the way the world is built with social media technology and how everybody has a phone in their hand.” Bluu is a self-taught artist from Long Island, NY. He is also a sneaker designer who uses his creative powers to produce his own artwork, which is inspired by his love of sneakers, basketball, and pop culture. He further explained how technology has transformed his life, specifically as an artist. “I use it...
Eric Thomas, better known as ET, is globally recognized as one of the most influential motivational speakers. Aside from inspiring the masses through his videos, which have amassed millions of views, the leader’s messages are shared in his time of also being a critically acclaimed author, world-renowned speaker, educator, and “The Hip Hop Preacher.” While being widely known for leading people to transform into their most successful selves, ET has taken a piece of his own advice by leveling up on his online outreach with his new platform, The ETVerse.
Discovering ways to innovate in the metaverse gives way to creative freedom, but when it benefits others, it’s even more empowering. Take the founding member of the legendary N.W.A. Arabian Prince, for example, who has taken action to help close the gap of lack of access to proper healthcare with the help of the virtual world. Having grown up in an inner-city along with being an early adopter of technology, the entrepreneur possessed the ability to connect the underserved communities with life-altering ways to improve their health. To create such health opportunities and a gateway to more knowledge, Arabian co-founded MdDAO — an organization that is working to “reimagine the future of health and wellness.” With the collaborative effort of medical experts, healthcare professionals, and health consumers, the platform recently announced the launch of the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), which aims to disrupt the healthcare system by linking consumers directly to healthier...
Memories can be fleeting but a new partnership is underway to help through digital footprints. According to a press release, Warner Music Group will join heads with Web3 protocol POAP Inc. to mint memories through digital mementos. Collectors will have an opportunity to celebrate some of the pinnacle experiences of their lives. Tapping in, Kevin Gates is slated to integrate POAPs for his upcoming Khaza Tour during a show on April 16 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
UnitedMasters isn’t letting up on ensuring that independent artists secure their coins. In October 2021, the Steve Stoute-founded music distributor forged a partnership with Coinbase to be one of the first to offer artists to be paid in cryptocurrency, as previously reported by AfroTech. The duo is back once again for a new collaboration, except, this time with another project on board. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, UnitedMasters has announced its partnership with Coinbase and Chain Runners for NFTs created, sold, and promoted by the company’s artists. The limited-edition collections will mark UnitedMasters as the exclusive partner for Coinbase’s new NFT marketplace. “In the same way that United Masters gives power to artists by enabling ownership of their music, NFTs give people true ownership of their digital assets,” said Chain Runners, according to the press release. “This partnership is representative of a new wave of ways for artists to express themselves...
Snoop Dogg’s metaverse moves continue. In a press release, it was announced that the rapper turned businessman will be teaming up with MOBLAND to bring digital weed farms to the metaverse. “NFT 1.0 is about individual character and item, NFT 2.0 is about land and real estate, NFT 3.0 is about business and utility on top of the land and real estate,” said Roy Liu, Co-founder of MOBLAND, according to a press release. “We are super pumped to pioneer with the legendary Snoop Dogg by bringing digital cannabis and mass adoption to the metaverse and GameFi 2.0. We are looking for more ways to give back to the cannabis community.”
Celebrities are appearing in the metaverse in record numbers. From rappers to athletes, to businessmen and social media stars, celebrities are realizing that the Web3 experience is the wave of the future. And as a result, they’re staking their claim in the virtual reality world while they can. Not every celebrity understands the concept, however — and that can sometimes lead to classic, and hilarious, comments. For example, when Snoop Dogg announced that he was joining the metaverse, he was very specific about how he explained it to Kevin Hart. “I built a whole metaverse called ‘The Sandbox,’” the Death Row Records capo said to the stand-up comedian. He also said he didn’t know s**t about it, but that he was “getting this money,” which is exactly the type of iconic thing you’d expect The Doggfather to say. (You’d also expect him to subsequently put Death Row Records into the metaverse, and that’s exactly what he did.) Some celebrities, however, know a lot more about the metaverse...