UMG’s Metaverse Band KINGSHIP Has a New ‘Manager’ — It’s Also a Bored Ape
Celine Joshua's 10:22PM label paid 125 ethereum tokens — over $360,000 — for Bored Ape #5537, now named Manager Noët All.
Here’s a sentence you may not immediately get: “The female character, named Manager Noët All, will serve as the manager for KINGSHIP, the first-ever metaverse group that consists of a Mutant Ape and three Bored Ape NFTs.”
But what’s not to understand? A Bored Ape non-fungible token (NFT) — #5537 — has been purchased by 10:22PM, the Web3-focused label launched by Universal Music Group. The NFT’s name is Manager Noët All and it’s — sorry, she’s — going to manage three fellow Bored apes and a Mutant one in their metaverse band called KINGSHIP.
According to UMG, this marks the first time a label at a major music company has purchased a member of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, a collection of 10,000 NFTs living on the Ethereum blockchain. With the purchase, 10:22PM joins an exclusive club whose member rolls include Justin Bieber (#3001), Eminem (#9055), Jimmy Fallon (#599), Paris Hilton (#1294) and Post Malone (#961). Those with membership cards get access to THE BATHROOM, the BAYC’s communal graffiti board. Members also have the right to monetize their Ape.
Manager Noët All was minted a year ago and, following a couple ownership changes, was sold on Feb. 12 to 10:22PM founder Celine Joshua (“CelineTheThird”) on the OpenSea forum for 125 ETH, which at the time of sale would have put the price at $364,792. The previous owner of #5537 purchased the NFT on June 17 for 2.04 ETH, or roughly $5,905 at time of sale. (Joshua was recently featured by Billboard as one of the female executives behind the major label’s Web3 push.)
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According to the label, Manager Noët All features several rare traits, including a blue dress, pilot helmet, white fur and sad eyes.
When announced in November, 10:22PM’s KINGSHIP project was billed as a “landmark, first-ever exclusive agreement to create a metaverse group.” Bored Apes are sold as numbers and can be given names by the collectors who buy them. UMG confirmed that Joshua gave #5537 the nom Manager Noët All, however the four members of KINGSHIP — including one with a crown and another with mutant features — have yet to be named publicly.
In a statement, Joshua elaborated on what Manager Noët All’s role will be in the KINGSHIP universe, which she said will include “many new characters” in the future. On Friday (March 18), the band also unveiled a logo on its dedicated Instagram account.
“As the manager of the group, Manager Noët All will help drive the storyline and allow us to communicate with the community,” says Joshua. “We hope to make the KINGSHIP universe as entertaining and immersive as possible, while simultaneously building value for holders. With the launch of KINGSHIP’s official Discord, the community will have a home where members can interact with one another and get all the latest updates on KINGSHIP’s journey, including how to access the allowlist. Stay tuned, there’s so much to come.”