MF DOOM Announces Augmented Reality Blockchain Auction

Today, hip-hop anti-hero MF DOOM and Rhymesayers Entertainment announce an innovative partnership with Illust Spaceto deliver augmented reality masks just in time for Halloween. The enigmatic rapper is stepping into the realm of digital collectibles, teaming up with Illust Space to make a splash in the decentralized finance and art market with a collection of augmented reality masks minted on the blockchain.

MF DOOM’s augmented reality masks will be accessible at an auction, set to go live in two separate "Drops", the first auction starts on October 23, 2020 and the second auction starts on October 28, 2020 on the Illust Space auction platform. There will be a total of 11 masks available for auction, with eight masks in two variants for drop 1, and three more masks in two new variants for drop 2. Collectors will be able to buy, sell, and trade as well as project the augmented reality masks into the “real world” through Illust Space’s web application and participating partnerships. See below for more information on this cutting-edge collaboration.

Sign up for more information on the auction here: https://app.illust.space/

• About – Auction goes live in two separate "Drops", the first auction starts on October 23, 2020 and the second auction starts on October 28, 2020 on the Illust Space auction platform. There will be 4 variants available for a total of 11 masks across both auctions. Collectors will be able to buy, sell, and trade as well as project the augmented reality masks into the “real world” through Illust Space’s web application and participating partnerships.
• Finance – MF DOOM’s auction represents a first in the decentralized finance industry as Smart Contracts and the ERC-721 (Non-Fungible Tokens) standard are being used to establish value for augmented reality art, an artform that cannot be monetized using traditional models of appraisals, wholesalers, and gatekeepers. 3D art minted on the Illust Space blockchain platform is observable in the “real world” through AR and can also be transferred across the ubiquitous immersive layer (games, social networks, virtual worlds, etc.)
• Blockchain – The market for Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT’s) or crypto art continues to gain steam, the collaboration between MF DOOM and Illust Space represents a paradigm shift for artists, influencers, and culture as the technology forges a presence in the world of hip-hop.
• Art Market – Digital and augmented reality art are now viable mediums for creators as blockchain technology is able to track copyrights, authorship, ownership, and overall provenance for pieces. In turn, a new digital art collector has driven over $200 million in value for the emergent class of NFT projects (NFT Stats).
• AR/VR – According to Snap, over 170+ million Snapchat users engage with augmented reality lenses every day (Snap Stats). Facebook recently released new specifications for their augmented reality glasses in the most recent Oculus Connect. However, not a single piece of AR content on either social network is monetizable for Art Collectors, and they are susceptible to copyright infringement and piracy. The DOOM collection will be a north star example of how social networks can empower creators through blockchain technology.
• Music – MF DOOM is a fixture of hip-hop lore. For most musicians, royalties are accumulated every time a song plays on the radio or is streamed. Using the Illust Space platform’s Smart Contracts, MF DOOM will be able to receive royalties when some items are bought or sold again in the secondary market.
• Culture – Drawing parallels with the Sneakerhead community, Illust Space will be offering augmented reality art in the form of “Drops” or the opportunity to purchase rare items for a limited amount of time.

“This collaboration with MF DOOM represents a tipping point for augmented reality, the NFT market, and the ubiquitous digital layer that is a battleground for big tech ” says Rob McCarty, Co-Founder and CEO of Illust Space. “With Snap, Instagram, Niantic, Adobe, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Apple fighting for augmented reality platform dominance, the least we can do is ensure an equitable system for artists to create, sell, and track their work”.

More about MF DOOM:

One of hip-hop’s most beloved anti-heroes, the ever-inventive MF DOOM (often referred to as simply DOOM) has received widespread praise for his sharp, candid rhymes, as well as his choppy, sample-heavy production style. Initially known as Zev Love X, a member of the short-lived but influential Golden Era rap group K.M.D, the MC/producer born Daniel Dumile re-emerged at the end of the ‘90s with a persona and logo patterned after the Marvel Comics super villain Dr. Doom. He reinforced his enigmatic persona by donning an elaborate iron mask during all of his public appearances, in addition to occasionally hiring stand-ins for his performances. MF DOOM's music has been described as, "the fine line between insanity and genius". Unconventional, abstract, unorthodox; these words merely scrape the surface of defining his approach musically, conceptually, even rhythmically. MF DOOM is the living personification of hip-hop as an act of rebellion.

About Illust Space:

Illust Space is a platform agnostic gateway for artists, technologists, idealists, and pragmatists to populate the “immersive layer” with art and culture. Using its proprietary blockchain auction and minting platform “Hash the Mesh”, Illust Space is offering augmented reality artists the opportunity to publish and track provenance of their 3D art across video games, apps, social media networks, galleries, metaverses, and amongst the emerging class of digital art collectors.