How to avoid controversy with posthumous NFT launches

For years, publishing an artist’s work posthumously was a point of contention among fans, critics and collectors. Both critical acclaim and enthusiastic embrace by loyal communities have greeted classic creatives like Hemingway and Van Gogh and modern musicians like Mac Miller and Pop Smoke. Not so for posthumous releases from Harper Lee and John Lennon – which were met with derision and criticism.

Now, as new technologies and art forms emerge, many properties are exploring NFTs and the blockchain to pay tribute to the lives and legacies of late legends.

According to the OneOf boss Lin Daiposthumous NFT compilations open up new opportunities for fans to connect with their favorite artists after death and find a community of like-minded people who share the same love and appreciation for the departed artists.

“While posthumous album release was the way in the 90s and 2000s to share the artist’s art with the community, NFT is the perfect technology in 2022 to forever cement the artist’s legacy on the blockchain,” he says.

Others, however, see it in an entirely different light, accusing properties and partners of sacrificing an icon’s legacy to capitalize on a fad to make a quick buck. Over the past year, we’ve seen a handful of posthumous NFT compilations, each drop eliciting equal amounts of appreciation and horror from their fans.

And this raises a big question: What distinguishes a well-received posthumous NFT collection from a controversial one? To learn more about the community’s stance on posthumous NFT collections, we talked to fans, haters, and the people behind the project.

Gives NFTs of value to fans

Ultimately, the goal of any celebrity’s NFT project is one of two things: to bring value to their fans or to profit from them. Both are easily upended by today’s generation of digitally native consumers, and as you might expect, the latter is generally met with intense criticism.

In accordance Jason LevineStaff writer of The Defiant, posthumous NFT collections must be used to provide tangible value that enhances the artist’s legacy. In addition, fans must want what is promised in the first place.

“A great way to do this is to provide token holders with unreleased content,” he said in an interview with nft now. “If the NFT offering is just ‘collectibles’, cute cartoon images, or ‘a community,’ that’s a sign to me that it’s a clear cash grab from the estate. Not classy. But if Mac Miller or Pop Smoke’s estates released NFT- is that gave you access to a token-ported vault of unreleased music, that would be fresh. I’d 100% buy it.”

NFT investor and writer Tom White echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of integrity and authenticity from both the property and any partners involved in the project.

“On the internet (not to mention in the wild west of NFTs), rules of authenticity and fakeness drool. True collectors, die-hard fans and long-term investors – even if they love when ‘prices go up’ – can decide if a project just is a cashier or an authentic extension of an artist’s corpus,” he says. “While not posthumous, an example of the former is Chris Brown’s recent downfall. And while not a conventional commercial success, I think the David Gahr Archive’s recent DECADES Retrospective (nb, I’m holding one) was done both tastefully and truthfully.”

Green NFT platform OneOf recognizes this stark difference and develops each of its posthumous releases with the same approach: Portray an authentic reflection and celebration of the artist’s life and work, while delivering engaging unique experiences to fans from all over. social class.

With the release of their latest Notorious BIG NFT compilation, all holders are granted the right to license the sound of Biggie’s Fulton Street Freestyle for use in their own music. Token holders who have never previously been approved for sampling or customization can now license and incorporate the sound of Small’s classic freestyle into their own recordings, even featuring a “Notorious BIG” credit in the title.

Since the company’s launch in 2021, OneOf has partnered with the estates of global icons such as Muhammad Ali and Whitney Houston to honor their legacies in new and exciting ways. To be authentic to the late artist, it’s important that the estate is involved in every step of the planning and creative direction, Dai said.

“The infamous BIG ‘Sky’s The Limit’ collection is a 3D generative NFT, taking cues from Biggie’s life and lyrics, conceptualized and painstakingly developed over nearly a year, where no detail is too small, from every outfit and jewelry to the facial expressions his. “

Leverage social accounts for the NFT launch

OneOf’s approach and unique, unsurpassed utility is in stark contrast to the heavily-tinged Stan Lee drop, which was largely written off as an insincere cash grab. Produced by Orange Comet, a company that makes NFTs for brands and sports teams, Lee’s posthumous Chakraverse drop celebrated the release of one of Lee’s new superheroes, “Chakra the Invincible.” The Chakraverse collection consisted of animated videos, PFPs, 1/1 artwork, and mystery boxes that gave bidders access to a collection of surprise NFTs.

A big reason for the backlash was due to the promotion of the collection directly on Stan Lee’s official Twitter account. The post had a high ratio of likes to comments, usually a telltale sign of controversy.

Popular YouTuber Dolan Dark black: “Can’t believe Stan Lee came back from the dead just to promote an NFT.” This received more than 84,000 likes, surpassing the likes of the first post by more than six times. Another Twitter user black: “If you use Stan Lee’s Twitter account to promote an NFT, you will be sent straight to hell.”

Even Dictionary.com got in on the action, accusing the team behind the project of defiling Stan’s legacy.

While the backlash is understandable given the Tweet’s overly promotional nature, some collectors like White don’t have a problem with using original social accounts, but rather see their use as a way to avoid fraud and ensure legitimacy. In addition, White recognized that social media is an integral part of any launch in today’s age.

“As our analog and digital worlds increasingly overlap, intersect and indeed converge, it is important for artists and their respective properties to meet individuals where they are,” said White. “This is both literal and aesthetic; according to Marshall McLuhan, “the medium is the message.” As such, I think posthumous collections that respect the intention and vision of an artist while using new media that highlight the work are a good thing.”

Lisa Teh, co-founder of Web3 marketing agency Mooning, also agreed, citing social channels “as another way for fans to stay in touch with their idols, so it makes sense that they would promote this new way of community engagement and rewards.”

Focus on accessibility and purpose

In addition to integrity and authenticity, one of the most important aspects of a posthumous drop is ensuring that the project gets into the hands of fans who truly appreciate it. And with NFT prices often excluding the majority of collectors from participating, accessibility and affordability should be at the forefront of all founders. Not only does this apply to pricing, but also education and onboarding, Dai said.

“To achieve a sense of community, NFTs must be made accessible and affordable so that every fan can have an opportunity to participate. We have made the conscious decision to price each generative coin at $100 with $0 gas fees charged to the fan, as well as built an interface to allow the everyday fan who may not be a crypto expert to sign up with an email and buy with a credit card, as well as more sophisticated Web3 tools for buying with crypto.”

But beyond elevating the fan experience, OneOf also sees the value in conveying the best wishes to the icons themselves. To further illustrate this commitment, OneOf always donates a portion of the proceeds from each drop to the artist’s preferred charity. Community members have greatly appreciated this charitable component, and giving back missions have become a core value of many successful collections, posthumous and otherwise.

As Web3 and NFT continue to inherit the cultural zeitgeist, there is no doubt that we will continue to see properties experiment with these new technologies. And controversy will undoubtedly remain. But ultimately, the reception of NFT collections, like most art forms, is primarily subjective, and can evoke different feelings from fans with varying preferences. But after the release, another perhaps more poignant question arises: Will these collections retain their value? Ultimately, collectors Michael Keenan believes collections that authentically tell a story will retain their value over time. “Posthumous NFT collectibles, or 1:1 pieces that tell a story, interest me more. You can see who puts their heart and thoughts into any NFT collection, posthumous or not. Those are the pieces worth investing in and holding on to.”