Namewee single ‘Fragile’ sells for RM4 mln as NFT
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian rapper Namewee became an overnight millionaire after releasing his song Fragile as a non-fungible token (NFT).
Taiwan News reported that the song earned him 209 ETH (Ethereum) or about NT$27 million (RM4 million) within three hours of its launch.
The song is a collaboration between Namewee or his real name Wee Meng Chee, and Australian singer Kimberley Chen.
After the release, China banned Wee and Chen's Weibo accounts and removed the song as it is deemed insulting to the Chinese.
Despite that, the song continues to gain popularity with the tune being played more than 10 million times in a week, with the most views coming from Taiwan, followed by Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
Taking to his Facebook, Namewee said he released 99 NFTs of Fragile on the platform OpenSea and all minted units had sold out in three hours.
“I am overwhelmed at becoming a millionaire overnight,” he reportedly said.
The Muar native revealed that he has also produced a song dedicated specifically to NFTs called Go NFT, and he deleted all the related original musical documents to ensure the uniqueness of the virtual items.
The NFT of Go NFT is now available for purchase on OpenSea.
He also promised that he would not convert virtual currencies into real money no matter how much he earns and that he will release more NFTs on Nov. 12. According to Singapore portal Today, Fragile was banned as it contains jabs at Chinese president Xi Jinping and touches on sensitive topics such as Covid-19, censorship, cancel culture and the Uighurs.
One line mentions a love for ‘dogs, cats, bats and civets' which apparently alludes to the pandemic, and another which goes, “It's illegal to breach the firewall, you'll be missed if the Pooh discovers it,” is a dig at the Chinese leader who has been likened to Winnie the Pooh by social media.
I am overwhelmed at becoming a millionaire overnight.
Namewee