In brief
- Jay-Z plans to auction off an NFT tied to a digital artwork inspired by “Reasonable Doubt,” his debut album.
- The album turns 25 this year.
- Earlier this week, Roc-A-Fella Records sued Damon Dash for attempting a similar NFT sale.
Sotheby’s will auction an NFT inspired by Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, just days after Roc-A-Fella Records sued to stop Damon Dash from doing the same.
The NFT is tied to a digital animation from Derrick Adams, which features a reinterpretation of the album’s cover art. Titled “Heir to the Throne,” it’s meant to commemorate the album’s 25th anniversary.
“‘Heir to the Throne’ is the only official event authorized by JAY-Z to commemorate ‘Reasonable Doubt’s historic 25th anniversary and is being presented as a standalone online auction,” reads a press release from Sotheby’s—a clear dig at what Roc-A-Fella alleges was an attempt by Dash to sell the copyright to the album, along with an NFT, on a platform called SuperFarm. The Dash sale was halted, but the label claims its co-founder is still “frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale.”
Roc-A-Fella Records Sues Co-Founder Over NFT of Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’
Roc-A-Fella—the storied hip-hop label that launched the careers of Jay-Z and Kanye West—is suing one of its co-founders over an NFT. A lawsuit filed in federal court last week claims Damon Dash was planning to sell an NFT tied to Jay-Z’s debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” on an online marketplace called SuperFarm. The album was released on Roc-A-Fella in 1996. The label was founded by Jay, Dash, and Kareem Burke; Roc-A-Fella is saying that while each co-founder owns a third of the company, Dash ha...
Sotheby’s has also said that the Adams animation was commissioned by Jay himself (whatever that means), and that a portion of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Shawn Carter Foundation.
