Meet the Bored Ape Yacht Club Band at Universal Music Group
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is about to rock the metaverse. Universal Music Group announced on Thursday, Nov. 11, that four characters from the influential NFT project are now a band called Kingship.
The group β which consists of a Mutant Ape and three Bored Apes β is part of UMG’s imprint 10:22PM, a web3 label. The Apes are from the collection of influential collector Jimmy McNeils.
Celine Joshua, who founded 10:22PM, formed Kingship, and was also the mastermind behind the exclusive agreement to create a band in the metaverse. According to UMG, Kingship will not only release new music, but also NFTs, community-based products, activations, and experiences in the metaverse. For those who are already in possession of Bored Apes or Mutant Apes, there’s even more in store: collectors will have early access to Kingship’s NFTs as well as experiences and narrative selection.
“Creating Kingship has been incredibly fun and imaginative. I started 10:22PM to push the boundaries of innovation in the music industry and with Kingship, we’re literally inventing what’s possible in real time,” Joshua said in a statement. “Just as we would with any artist or creator, my team and I will work with Kingship to sharpen their vision and develop their unique sound. Each member of the group has their own story and personality that influences and contributes to Kingship’s overall narrative. Through music and events across the metaverse, we will bring the Apes in Kingship to life by building communities and utility, and entertaining audiences around the world.”
Added McNeils: “This deal is a leading example of how powerful commercial rights are for collectible NFT projects and their collectors.”
More projects involving the Bored Ape collection are in the works. Yuga Labs, the company behind the BAYC, in October signed with manager Guy Oseary, who counts Madonna, U2 and more among his clients. According to Variety‘s report, projects such as television, music, and gaming are on the table. Also that month, CAA signed pseudonymous collector 0xb1 to help monetize his collection of popular NFTs, which include Bored Ape, Cool Cats and more.