Mere weeks after “Saturday Night Live” used an Eminem song (“Without Me”) to explain NFTs, the “Rap God” is set to release his own digital collectibles this weekend.
He’s hosting an exclusive event called “Shady Con” Sunday (April 25) with NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. Some of Mr. Mathers’ original instrumental beats will be up for grabs plus, Stans, fans and NFT enthusiasts will also be able to purchase digital Eminem comics and action figures. The virtual figurines include three different personas of the multi-platinum rapper. There’s Eminem, Marshall Mathers and the crudest of the bunch, Slim Shady.
In a statement shared via Eminem.com, Shady spoke about the theme for this unparalleled release. “I’ve been collecting since I was a kid, everything from comic books to baseball cards to toys, as well as every rap album on cassette I could get my hands on,” he said. “Not much has changed for me as an adult…I’ve attempted to recreate some of those collections from that time in my life, and I know I’m not alone. I wanted to give this drop the same vibe of, ‘Oh, man I gotta get just that one or maybe even the whole set!’ It’s been a lot of fun coming up with ideas from my own collecting passion.”
“Shady Con” is intended to be an actual digital festival, modeled after the traditional “con” events like Gamecon, E3 and Comic-Con. However, instead of an in person experience it will be hosted solely online via Nifty Gateway.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Eminem to our platform,” said Ashley Ramos, Senior Producer at Nifty Gateway. “Demand for NFTs continues to grow and we’re excited to bring this collaboration to our community and give them access to new artwork and music on Nifty Gateway’s marketplace.”
The draw for Eminem’s non-fungible token release will surely be one of the more popular drops the site has hosted. His artwork has already been listed at $5,000. The rapper is a global superstar with millions of fans who will likely be waiting near their computer screens Sunday, (April 25) at 6:30 pm ET when “Shady Con” starts on NiftyGateway.com.