KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, who is better known as Namewee, became an instant millionaire after releasing his song Fragile as a non-fungible token (NFT), reported Malay Mail.
Within three hours of its launch, the song reportedly earned him 209 ETH (Ethereum) or about NT$27 million (RM4 million).
A collaboration between Namewee and Australian singer Kimberley Chen, 'Fragile' was removed in China as it is deemed insulting to the Chinese. The country also banned Wee and Chen's Weibo accounts.
Singapore portal Today said 'Fragile' was banned as it contains mockery of Chinese president Xi Jinping. There are also sensitive topics such as Covid-19, censorship, cancel culture and the Uighurs.
In a Facebook post, Namewee, who hails from Muar, said he released 99 NFTs of 'Fragile' on the platform OpenSea. Within three hours, all minted units had sold out.
"I am overwhelmed at becoming a millionaire overnight,” he said.
The song has been played more than 10 million times in a week, with Taiwan topping the views. Hong Kong came in second, followed by Malaysia.
Namawee that he has also produced a song dedicated specifically to NFTs called Go NFT. He also 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 regardless of the amount he earns. Namawee will release more NFTs on November 12. – The Vibes, November 9, 2021
