Def Jam Recordings was once the label home of Hip Hop legends like Beastie Boys, DMX, Jay-Z, and Method Man. The company has now signed a digital avatar group called The Whales.
The web3 entertainment studio WAGMI Beach partnered with Def Jam to create the virtual act. A full-length music body of work from The Whales will drop via The Catalina Whale Mixer.
“We’re living in a time where the line separating creator from consumer is being blurred. We’re excited to bring together mavericks from music, art, and technology to experiment and innovate while creating a music group unlike anything before it,” states Carlo Fox, The Whales co-creator.
The Whales Project Will Be A Collaborative Effort
Producers, songwriters, and performers will collaborate with The Catalina Whale Mixer community for the upcoming project. WAGMI Beach’s Benjamin Willis and Joshua Andriano met with Def Jam’s DJ Mormile and Ryan Rodriguez about The Whales concept.
“We pitched the idea of a community-grown avatar group to DJ and he just got it,” says Benjamin Willis. He also adds, “To be working with Def Jam on releasing this one-of-a-kind music project is a dream come true.”
Fellow WAGMI Beach co-founder Alec Lykken says, “At the core of all the NFT and web3 attention is a fundamental technology change that will alter how music and art is consumed by generations to come, and this is our initial dive into what we believe to be an incredible new wave for artists and fans alike.”
The Whales Join A Def Jam Roster That Includes Pusha T & More
Entertainment executives Benjamin Willis, Alec Lykken, Michael George, Carlo Fox, and Joshua Andriano founded WAGMI Beach. Additionally, Full stack engineer Casey Charlesworth and technology strategist Misha Mitsnefes helped establish the brand.
The current Def Jam Recordings roster also includes Pusha T, Big Sean, YG, 2 Chainz, Jhené Aiko, Jadakiss, Jeremih, Armani White, Coco Jones, Muni Long, and more acts. Music industry icons Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons launched the historic label in 1984.
2022 saw Def Jam release albums like 2 Chainz’s Dope Don’t Sell Itself, YG’s I Got Issues, and Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry. The latter studio LP earned Pusha a Best Rap Album nomination at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.