On August 13th, something kind of amazing happened and the hip-hop world rejoiced, but before we get to that, a bit of background…
In May 2010, Big K.R.I.T. proclaimed in Hometown Hero that he defied gravity, that he was flyer than he had to be, and as he knelt down in prayer, he asked the Lord- “who gon’ save hip-hop after me? That track announced to the world that a king had come onto the scene from Meridian, Mississippi and that the king was here to stay. K.R.I.T’s 2010 mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here just might have been the best hip-hop album of the year and what was so mind-boggling about it- he gave it away for free; an album he built the beats from scratch for, an album he self-produced, an album he combed through decades of soul music to uncover samples for… diamonds from Bobby Womack, gems from Curtis Mayfield, an album that launched him into the spotlight and got him signed to Def Jam Records — Free to fans. Free to download. Free for all. And that fan focus…that hyper-focus on what his fans want is what we want you to keep in mind…
We keep hearing that NFTs are going to change music, empower artists, and delight fans, but if we look at the examples of NFT projects from bands and artists released up until now, there are not many that have truly realized the hype or perceived potential. You do have some musicians generating lots of money…millions even, but is that all it is… a money-grab and only for a select few. Generating revenue is one thing…and an important thing, but what about interacting with fans, giving them an NFT project that is fun, engaging, easy to understand, and participate in — enter Big K.R.I.T.
A few months ago, K.R.I.T reached out to his fans to poll them about NFTs; what would they think about an NFT project centered around the mixtapes he’s released since 2010 ? — albums like Return of 4Eva or It’s Better This Way and they responded! So K.R.I.T and his team began crafting an NFT launch that included a well-designed collection of NFTs that would contain animations, embedded audio, exclusive beats, and rare auctions and would coincide with a new merch release and the rerelease of his top 5 mixtapes from the last 10 years.
By tying together an NFT collection, five rereleased mixtapes on DSPs (e.g. Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.), and a new limited-edition merch line…including vinyl pressings of 7 of his past albums, Big K.R.I.T created a cohesive fan experience that resulted in the entire NFT collection selling out in less than 24 hours.
On Friday, August 13th, and over the course of the weekend that followed, K.R.I.T.’s fans and hip-hop fans let their feelings be known…
“This is a good Friday!”
“LLEEEEGGGOOOO!!”
“This is unreal!!!!”
“Maaaan, just take the wallet bruh”
“Bro you’ll neva kno how much this means to me ….Thank You”
“You’re a legend and your fans appreciate you!”
“I never press purchase so fast in my life!!!!”
“I’m happy as hell right now!”
K.R.I.T.’s collection has sold out, but there may still be time to bid on the five auction pieces by visiting his Marketplace at https://marketplace.sweet.io/bigkrit.
