miEvery year, people from all over the world make the pilgrimage to a green brownstone in Harlem at E. 126th Street in the hopes of evoking history. In 1958, 57 jazz icons, from Thelonious Monk to Dizzy Gillespie, came together to give what is now a legendary concert.Photography for Esquire magazine🇧🇷 Forty years later, hip-hop kings like Rakim, Grandmaster Flash and A Tribe Called Quest were huddled on the same steps.Magazine XXL, who assert their claim as generational heirs to black artistic excellence.
In June, a new group climbed the ladder hoping to fit into the same legacy: Blackartist NFT🇧🇷 Such an explanation could make some skeptics doubt. Crypto was one of this yearespecially cultural lightning rods, as the cryptocurrency market plunged aggressively, thefts and thefts increased, and pyramid schemes collapsed.

Black NFT artists gather at 17 E. 126th St in Harlem for a photo shoot directed by Brandon Ruffin. Iconic portraits of jazz and hip-hop musicians were taken from the same balcony in 1958 and 1998.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
But these artists and cryptocurrency creators are certain there is a sharp line between jazz, hip-hop and so-called Web 3. They say cryptocurrency could hold the key to a brighter, more resilient future for the black arts and are stick to keep bringing their peers on board, bear markets and bears be damned. "It's the same thing: starting from scratch," says rapper Fat Joe, standing solemnly under the sandstone steps as at the hip-hop session 26 years ago. Regarding NFTs, he said, "It's really the only place you can find a level playing field. It's time to raise awareness and let everyone know that there are opportunities for everyone."

Fat Joe photographed by Gordon Parks in 1998A great day at hip hop, next to George Butler, who was photographed at Art Kanes in 1958A great day in Harlem.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
It wasn't that long ago that the number of black people in the NFT community was close to zero. When Oakland photographer Brandon Ruffin took an interest in the space in November 2020, he found "not even a few" black voices in NFT conversations on the Clubhouse audio chat app. "One would ask, 'Is this a place for us?'" he recalls.
But Ruffin, known as Ruff Draft, was still intrigued by the space, in part because it offered a radical alternative to the relentless hustle and bustle of Instagram, one of the main platforms on which he showcased his work. “On Instagram, I felt more self-conscious, like I really needed to be in the algorithm if I wanted to be relevant,” he says. “When I started at the Clubhouse and met other photographers, I felt inspired and liberated from a lot of things that didn't matter. It helped me focus more on art and I made some really good friends.” Ruffin has sold over $40,000 worth of NFTs in December 2021 alone.

The artists, along with several community members, attended the photo re-enactment on Tuesday, June 21.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
Last November, the chef and event organizer Manouschka Guerrier appearedNFT.NYC- a series of lavish events that took the city by storm at the height of the bull market - and found that she was often the only black woman in the room. "It was my Uber drivers or bartenders who would look at me and start asking me questions about NFTs," she says. “I have a lot of New Yorkers on board.” Gradually, Guerrier and others made a concerted effort to bring black artists and builders into the NFT space through social media and word of mouth. A community grew.
Keep reading:As the NFT market explodes again, artists are revolting against the old power structures in the art world.
Emboldened by this growth, Guerrier found more and more inspiration in the space's potential for decentralization and ownership, and how it could open up a world where artists could create freely, share their work with the public, and benefit directly, without the need for frugal intermediaries. 🇧🇷 At the upcoming NFT.NYC in June 2022, he had the idea to host an event that would bring together a community that previously only interacted digitally, mark its artistic excellence, and link it to a rich cultural past.
So he sent out an open call for black NFT artists and fans to come to Harlem on June 19 to recreate the iconic jazz and hip-hop photos. Some 90 of the leading artists at the forefront of the NFT movement, including Ruff Draft and Cory Van Lew, a painter whose colorful works emergedSold at Sotheby's forHundreds of thousands of dollars to entrepreneurs like Nait Jones, founder of music startup NFT Royal. (Notable non-submissions include: Drift Photographer, who takes and sells photos of skyscrapersNFTs worth millions, and curator Diana Sinclair, who co-directs the Digital Diaspora series, and hip-hop artist Latashá.)

Nait Jones, founder of music startup NFT Royal, left, and rapper Ja Rule.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
The event also drew an older hip-hop-focused crowd who believe NFTs will be just as powerful for them as it is for a younger generation. Many of hip-hop's biggest statesmen have gotten into crypto, including Jay-Z, Nas, and Snoop Dogg. And in Harlem, a trio of popular rappers who rose to fame in the '90s, Fat Joe, Ja Rule and Bun B, emerged to enjoy the crowd and chat with younger artists. Former NBA star Metta World Peace, who launched his ownNFT Community in Apriland long involved in hip-hop culture, he also came beaming.
Ja Rule, who has several NFT companies, spent most of his time at the event cheering on one of his protégés, NFT artist Nick Davis, who created the art series."Black is beautiful."“We are so programmed to believe that only art made many years ago is the most appreciated art. But today, there is great art being created in the NFT and Web 3 space,” said Ja Rule. "My vision and my dream is to make Nick a household name like Basquiat or Rembrandt."

Photographer Brandon Ruffin hosts the standup photo shoot.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
The Web 3 space is still far from fair, both in terms of race and class. Arecent studyfrom blockchain data firm Chainalysis found that in several large crypto communities known as DAOs, less than 1% of all token holders hold 90% of the voting rights. Back in Harlem, event-goers criticized the overwhelming whiteness of NFT.NYC events downtown and the tasteless monkey noises emanating from ApeFest, an event hosted by popular NFT collective Bored Ape. Yacht Club.
Guerrier says he understands why the NFT space is being criticized and would like to help refocus some of its goals. With the June event, he wanted to show an alternative vision for the future of NFTs, based not on wild speculation, but on art; this is communal rather than extractive; that puts black culture at the center, rather than copying it for profit, as the jazz, rock, and hip-hop industries have done for generations past. “There are some people who only care about money and influence. But for many of us in this space, it's about community, art and love," he says. "For Black people, generational wealth has eluded us for so long. Our artistic creation and the way we express ourselves has inspired many people, but we were not financially rewarded, at least in this area we can do that."
Kai Miller, a digital strategist, echoed his comments, pointing to NFTs as a possible solution to the exploitative nature of the music industry. “When you start licensing and writing an album, you realize that a lot of your favorite black artists don't even have their teachers. Why did Michael Jackson and Jay-Z have to buy back their masters? she says. "In the NFT space, ownership is from day one."

NFT artists and enthusiasts display NFT art from the Harlem Stoop.
Gioncarlo Valentin for ZEIT
As the group marched through the streets of Harlem, they carried signs of Davis's vibrant artwork and sang "Black is Beautiful." Reaching the threshold, it took a while for everyone to settle into Ruffin's frame. In the end, it was Ja Rule who took over, directing people to the plans with his thunderous voice. Many onlookers watched, including George Butler, who was a part of the original 1958 Day as a child and remembers spending hours sitting on the sidewalk next to pianist Count Basie.
Fat Joe, who viewed the 1998 footage, reflected on the connection between the two events. "Everywhere you looked, you saw hip-hop royalty," he said of the 1998 footage. "I understand what Ja [Rule] is trying to do with the NFT world here: pretty much trying to get the DNA out of it." . understand what was and what will be in the future.

A Great Day in Hip-Hop, Harlem, New York, 1998, photographed by Gordon Parks.
Gordon Parks – Gordon Parks Foundation
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FAQs
Who are the big NFT artists? ›
- #1: Beeple. Beeple, or Mike Winkelmann, is one of the most famous NFT artists today. ...
- #2: Pak. Pak is an anonymous artist formerly known as Murat Pak. ...
- #3: Justin Blau. ...
- #4 Mad Dog Jones. ...
- #5: All Seeing Seneca. ...
- #6: Larva Labs. ...
- #7: Gary Vaynerchuk. ...
- #8: clon.
If you want to know who is the most famous NFT creator, consider the list of top NFT artists below: Beeple. This artist is rated as one of the most famous NFT artists today. His biggest collage, titled “Everydays – The First 5000 Days,” was sold at Christie's for $69 million.
Who are up and coming NFT artists? ›- Carl Jaunay. Yoga posture du Cygne. 13 x 11.5 x 11.5 Cm. ...
- Albena Vatcheva. Ne me quitte pas!... 146 x 119 x 0.01 Cm. ...
- Wilma Ramos. Boat promenade. ...
- Mara Toledo. L'épicerie. ...
- Valérie Le Roux. Végétal orange vif format allongé ...
- Stanislav Lazarov. Night Fields. ...
- Darios Tossou. Humanity. ...
- Malick Kebe. Red point.
- OpenSea.
- Origin Story.
- Rarible.
- Mintable.
- Foundation.
- SuperRare.
- Nifty Gateway.
- Makersplace.
- Beeple.
- Trevorjonesart (Trevor Jones)
- FEWOCiOUS.
- Pak.
- Maddogjones (Michah Dowbak aka Mad Dog Jones)
- Hackatao.
- Xcopy.
- Slimesunday (Mike Parisella)
- Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The Winklevoss twins are perhaps best known for their involvement in Facebook, but they have also made a name for themselves in the world of cryptocurrencies. ...
- Mark Cuban. ...
- Ashton Kutcher. ...
- Nasir “Nas” Jones. ...
- Snoop Dogg.
- Snoop Dogg. Total followers on Instagram: 77 million. ...
- Gary Vaynerchuk. Total followers on Instagram: 10 million. ...
- beeple_crap. Total followers on Instagram: 2.4 million. ...
- Bosslogic. Total followers on Instagram: 2.2 million. ...
- Mark Cuban. ...
- ELLIOTRADES. ...
- CryptoPunks. ...
- Kevin Rose.
Last year, Arthus, seven years old at the time, launched his first NFT collection, “Snake Overload”, featuring 23 vibrant pieces inspired by snakes.
Who is the king of NFTs? ›In 2017, when William Quigley started an NFT platform, he wasn't known as the “King of NFTs.” Instead, his Wall Street and tech friends wondered, with a little concern, what he was doing.
Can NFT artists get rich? ›While some people are getting rich off NFTs, Mr. Medved advises people to remember that many other NFT projects lose value over time. “You should never invest any more money than you are willing to lose,” he said. “The NFT space, like the crypto space, is very volatile, and the markets go up and down very quickly.”
Do NFT artists get paid? ›
Non-fungible token (NFT) creators have been getting paid on secondary market sales of their creations, but new entrepreneurs entering the space are foregoing those payments in order to pass savings on to collectors.
Who are the main NFT buyers? ›- Age – 18 – 34 years.
- Gender: Men tend to collect, buy, or invest in NFTs more than women.
- Income – $25,000 to $150,000 annual salary.
- Countries: Asian countries are the highest NFT buyers.
Across the United States, the majority of artists' pay is now between $12.50 (25th percentile) and $18.51 (75th percentile), with ZipRecruiter reporting the best NFT artists hourly rate as high as $27.40 and the worst as low as $6.25.
Is it worth investing in NFT? ›Some of the advantages of investing in NFTs include: Anyone can invest in NFTs. Investing in tokenized assets is accessible to everyone. Asset ownership that is tokenized into an NFT can more easily and efficiently be transferred among people anywhere in the world.
What is the most successful NFT? ›Sale details: The most famous NFT sale (and the most expensive NFT sale to date) was Beeple's Everydays: The First 5000 Days for $69.3 million.
What is the most trending NFT right now? ›1. RobotEra – New Presale NFT Project Where Players Build on Metaverse Land. RobotEra is our best NFT to buy in 2022 as a play to earn crypto project that enables players to purchase and build unique robot NFT avatars and metaverse land with custom in-game tools.
Is it illegal to screenshot an NFT? ›It is illegal to screenshot an NFT and pass it off as your own. It is also illegal to post it online or make a physical copy. An individual could be sued for copyright infringement or other criminal charges if they did this.
Is NFT only for rich people? ›With figures like that, it's easy to think that NFTs are some sort of exclusive investment that only the rich can afford. However, that couldn't be further from the truth — at least that's what both Verduzco and the data say. Verduzco says: “Yes, there is some level of barrier to entry at the moment.
How much does it cost to make 10,000 NFTs? ›Cost to mint NFTs on Solana
Solana is one of the blockchains that can cater to the creation of 10,000 NFTs. While the platform previously charged only 0.21 cents per NFT, its current fee to mint a single NFT stands at $2.16. At this rate, the cost of minting 10,000 NFT will be over $21,000.
The majority of people interested in NFTs (14%) are between the ages of 18 and 24. Followed by 25 - 34 year olds where 8% of respondents are interested in NFTs.
How much does a creator of an NFT make? ›
The average NFT royalty typically ranges from 5-10%. In most NFT marketplaces, the creator can choose their royalty percentage and the payments are automatic upon each subsequent sale in the secondary market.
Why are the rich buying NFTs? ›Similarly to modern art, a wealthy person may decide to purchase an NFT to avoid paying taxes, as it can hide income from the IRS under the right conditions.
Can you make a living from NFT? ›Selling your works as NFTs can help you earn more money. You can develop and sell almost anything digital as NFTs. Original audio samples, films, memes, music, digital art, and much more have been sold for an enormous amount of money in the past.
Is it hard to become NFT artist? ›It needs no special training or skills and takes only a few minutes to create unique NFT artwork. You can even convert an image to NFT art in a jiffy. Give it a try now! This must be the step you have been waiting for since you started reading this blog.
How do beginners make money with NFTs? ›- Create and Sell NFTs. to profit from them. ...
- Trade NFTs. Investing in NFTs is a simple and practical approach to earning extra income. ...
- Rent Out NFTs. ...
- NFT Gaming. ...
- NFT Royalties. ...
- Licensed Collectibles. ...
- Stake NFTs.
The short answer is no, you don't need money to sell NFT. In most cases, all you need is an internet connection and a digital wallet or a crypto wallet that supports the sale of NFTs. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before selling your NFTs.
Is NFT money or art? ›An NFT is a digital asset that can come in the form of art, music, in-game items, videos, and more. They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.
Can anyone become a NFT artist? ›Furthermore, because anyone can be an NFT creator, the marketplace where you intend to sell your artwork may be saturated compared to exclusive art galleries with handpicked art. You may need to build your fanbase and establish value behind your artwork to increase your chances of succeeding as an NFT artist.
Which country has most NFT buyers? ›...
NFT Statistics in depth.
Country | No. of NFT Users |
---|---|
China | 2.68 million |
Vietnam | 2.19 million |
India | 1.50 million |
Canada | 1.40 million |
As of 2021 there are around 360,000 NFT owners
However, around 9% of the total group is responsible for approximately 80% of the market value.
How much money do you need for NFT? ›
On average, the cost of creating NFT ranges from $0.05 to over $150. The cost of creating NFTs depends on various factors such as the cost of blockchain, gas fee, marketplace account fee, listing fee etc. Ethereum and Solana are the most expensive and cheapest blockchain, respectively.
How much money do you need to sell a NFT? ›How much do NFTs sell for? The average price of an NFT can vary anywhere from $100 to $1,400, depending on its scarcity, utility, and popularity. Additionally, fluctuations in the value of the underlying cryptocurrency may impact a non-fungible token's price.
How do you make money with NFT art? ›To make and sell an NFT you'll need cryptocurrency. Most NFT auction platforms will require you to pay upfront to 'mint' an NFT, which is the process that turns your artwork into a non-fungible token that you can sell.
Can you lose money on an NFT? ›Can one Lose NFTs or in-game currency while playing these games? NFTs have some indefinite value in the cryptocurrency marketplace, and if you are afraid that you might lose your NFTs, don't worry; it is pretty standard.
Can NFT lose its value? ›NFTs can lose their value due to the lack of uniqueness from other NFTs on the market. If you're an NFT creator, making similar versions of what you've already put on the market may cannibalize the rarity of the others in your collection, causing them to lose value and become less attractive to investors.
Is NFT better than Bitcoin? ›While comparing cryptocurrencies vs NFTs, the former is often lauded for its volatility. Although some see this volatility as a positive point, others see it as a major negative point. NFTs, on the other hand, tend to be much more stable because they are not subject to the same market forces that cryptocurrencies are.
What type of NFT sells the most? ›Art. Art is the most popular form of NFT out there. Because of that, art is also the kind of NFT that sells the best.
Is the NFT market dead? ›The NFT market is anything but dead, and its current downturn has more to do with socioeconomic factors rather than a loss of collector interest.
What kind of NFT art sells the most? ›The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Mutant Ape, a collection of different ape-centric art, currently stand as the most popular and expensive NFT collections. In addition, collectables like the Cryptokitties and in-game items can also be sold as NFTs.
Who is the person who created NFT? ›History. The first known "NFT", Quantum, was created by Kevin McCoy and Anil Dash in May 2014. It consists of a video clip made by McCoy's wife, Jennifer.
Who is the founder of NFT? ›
About. Matt Medved is the Co-Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of nft now, an award-winning web3 digital media platform for NFT coverage and curation. As an early adopter of web3, he's worked to bridge the worlds of music, culture and technology to uplift artistry for nearly a decade.
Who is creator of NFT? ›Non-fungible tokens (NFT) — digital assets (often pieces of digital artwork) that are unique and secured via blockchain — have comprised one of the world's most fascinating tech sectors since what most consider to be the first NFT, Quantum, was created in 2014 by artist Kevin McCoy.
Who sold first NFT? ›Kevin McCoy minted his non-fungible token “Quantum” in 2014, long before the crypto art market exploded.
What is the first NFT ever made? ›2014: Quantum - the first NFT ever created
On May 3, 2014, digital artist Kevin McCoy made 'Quantum' on the Namecoin blockchain. It is represented by a digital image of a pixelated octagon that changes color and pulsates.
Additionally, the original creator of an NFT is set to earn on all future sales of their NFT automatically, which is perhaps the most important element that blockchain technology uniquely provides.
How is money made with NFT? ›The most direct way how to make money with NFTs is to create your own and sell them (similar to how to create a cryptocurrency). The process of making an NFT is called 'minting'. The cost of minting is usually low.
Do NFT owners own the art? ›Since 2021, NFTs have become popular amongst the masses, bringing art and technology together. When purchasing NFTs, the work is not owned, rather the metadata is, an intellectual property law expert says.
What app do NFT artists use? ›SketchAR is a popular app for transforming your artwork into NFTs. This app supports AR, AI and different canvases that will help you to create an awesome crypto art. SketchAR community encourages creators by choosing a 'Creator of the Week'.
How to make an NFT collection $10,000? ›- Understand the basics of the NFT space.
- Programmatically create Images & Metadatas.
- Upload your Images & Metadatas on IPFS.
- Read and write a Smart Contract.
- Deploy a Smart Contract on Ethereum or Polygon.
- Register your NFT collection on OpenSea.