There is a disparity between the genres in Web3 music. While hip-hop and electronica (and, to a much lesser extent, pop) certainly dominate the space, each seems to exist in its own microcosm. Considering electronic music’s technological dependency, it makes sense that the genre would have easily found a foothold on Web3, but what about the others?

Hip-hop may be the most genuine reflection of the NFT space. However, we are not talking about conventional rap/hip-hop. While on the one hand electronic DJ superstars like 3LAU, Dillon Francis and Steve Aoki have cemented their enduring names at Web3, leaders of the hip-hop scene have been relatively few and far between.

Snoop Dogg, Timbaland and a handful of others seem to be here to stay. Still, it can’t be ignored that countless stars, like Lil Uzi Vert, Trippie Redd, A$AP Rocky, and many more have gotten involved in NFT only to turn around and almost immediately pull their names (and profits) out of the ecosystem. After all, how is hip-hop supposed to thrive on Web3?

Who leads hip-hop on Web3?

The grassroots nature of blockchain technology has helped hip-hop achieve a fairly stable footing on Web3. While numerous industry leaders have become involved in the pop and electronic sectors of Web3 music, building their own unique platforms and developing virtual artists, hip-hop remains a genre driven almost exclusively by digital native creators within the community. NFT.

This is not to dismiss NFT companies like SongCamp or innovative music projects like Arpeggio Labs, quite the opposite. While indie hits add significantly to the Web3 music space, hip-hop highlights a perseverance that all sectors of the market can learn from.

To see the innovation happening on the ground floor of Web3 hip-hop, we need look no further than creators like the multi-talented artist LATASHÁ, who has almost single-handedly been defining the NFT music video market while serving as manager of Web3 events. via Zoratopia. . And while those like LATASHÁ help out in infrastructure and art, rappers like Hay., Black Dave, MoRuf and many more are, in real time, setting the tone for independent prosperity on NFT music platforms.

What does the future hold for Web3 hip-hop?

A starter movement by all accounts, hip-hop has seemingly become the backbone of Web3 music. This may not be as apparent to those outside watching music NFTs, but to industry participants it’s undeniable. However, while other sectors of the NFT market have started to move towards mass adoption, some are wondering when this will happen with Web3 music.

Looking ahead, what would it take for mainstream hip-hop to make the leap to Web3 and vice versa? While the very surface of this intersection has been explored by the aforementioned industry giants that ensure staying power in Web3 hip-hop, the question is also being explored by individuals and brands including Soulection, Death Row Records and Now Rolling Loud.

Through a PFP project called LoudPunx, Rolling Loud hopes to break into the NFT space, cultivate the community, and become a Web3 hip-hop incubator all in one go. While this eventuality may still be some way off, the NFT community can still help support culture makers by sharing their art, spreading the word, and uninhibitedly celebrating the biggest NFT music moments of 2022 and beyond.