Snoop Dogg and Eminem Will Bring Bored Ape NFTs to VMAs in ‘Otherside’ Metaverse Performance

Snoop Dogg and Eminem bring along Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs for the VMAs this Sunday, acting from inside Yuga Labs’ forthcoming metaverse play”The other side.”

The rap superstars will perform their song, “From the D to the LBC,” according to MTV and Yuga Labs.

“Otherside” is still in development and does not yet have a confirmed release date. According to the company Web3 the metaverse game is currently in “Phase 1,” means only its owners Otherdeed land NFTs and select developers have been able to try out aspects of the MMORPG-inspired title.

This VMA performance is yet another example of NFTs bleeding into mainstream culture. NFTs– unique blockchain tokens signifying ownership – have become digital status symbols for rich and famousand Bored Apes have been co-opted for everything from fast food restaurants to M&Ms.

Organizers say Snoop and Eminem’s “Otherside” performance will be a never-before-seen experience. Their music video for “From D to LBC” came out two months ago and features 2D animations of their Bored Ape NFTs, but no metaverse footage.

Since its release, “From the D to the LBC” has been a remarkable success, both for the rappers and for the new trend of Boring Ape theme music videos. The “D to the LBC” YouTube video has received over 46 million views and a VMA nomination for “Best Hip-Hop” Song. On Spotify, the track has accumulated almost 25 million streams.

Eminem is clearly getting good use out of his BAYC NFT, which he bought back in December for a hefty $450,000 and has used as his Twitter profile picture ever since. Snoop got his Ape from crypto payment company MoonPay, which transferred Bored Ape #6723 to Snoop Dogg’s son, Champ de Medici, back in December, according to Etherscan data.

While “From the D to the LBC” is a lyrical hit for many fans, there has been no shortage of complaints about the NFTs featured prominently in the song’s cover art and music video.

“Damn NFTs, but THIS is em I’ve wanted for YEARS,” one Redditor wrote in a comment with over 400 votes.

“Good song then [sic] but that BAYC stuff is annoying,” another complained.

While BAYC has plenty of haters, this celebrity exposure shows no signs of abating. And that seems to be affecting token prices too – back in June, Yuga Labs’ Apecoin (APE) token pumped 22% after the music video for “From the D to the LBC” was released.

Despite this exposure, APE – the official cryptocurrency of the “Otherside” – has continued to struggle to gain value since May, hovering around $5.27, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Sunday’s performance will mark Em’s first return to the VMAs in 12 years and Snoop’s first appearance at the awards show in 17 years.

During his illustrious rap career, Eminem has won 13 VMAs and been nominated for 60. That makes him the second most nominated VMA artist behind Madonna, who has received 69 noms (and who also love Bored Apes). Snoop has received thirteen VMA nominations and secured three wins.

No matter how Snoop and Em’s “Otherside” performance turns out, it’s sure to be one for both the rap and Web3 history books.