The Hip Hop community is on the brink of a revolutionary shift, as .HipHop domains gear up to integrate with blockchain technology, opening up fresh avenues for ownership, monetization, and control. This groundbreaking initiative stems from a partnership between the domain name registry that operates .HipHop, and the Web3 content network, Cortex.

This partnership was first unveiled on July 19 during an exclusive rooftop event in New York City, attended by key influencers in the Web3 space. Since then, the project has made significant progress, marking the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with tangible steps towards integrating traditional Web2 domain names with Web3 blockchain domain names.

Once operational, this innovative solution will enable creators to connect with users and explore additional revenue streams through the creation of unique digital objects, facilitated by a registry. A key feature of this integration is the ability for .HipHop domain owners to register a corresponding Web3 domain that functions as a digital wallet address for blockchain transactions. This is made possible through integration with the Ethereum Name Service (ENS).

In addition, domain owners will have the opportunity to mint non-fungible token (NFT) subdomains. This will enable them to create new kinds of digital objects such as music, concert tickets, merchandise, and more. These integrated domains will also facilitate publishing on the user-controlled Web3 Cortex Network with content hosted on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), a decentralized peer-to-peer file system for data management.

This integration promises a host of benefits for users. They can publish content just as they would on a traditional Web2 website or social media platform, but within a blockchain framework. This opens up new possibilities for monetization, ownership, and community-building.

For instance, imagine two iconic artists announcing a one-off performance. They could sell NFT tickets as subdomains to the concert that unlock exclusive merchandise and other perks for superfans attending the event, creating unparalleled levels of excitement.

This concept extends beyond music. Fashion designers or artists could embed a digital identity into their works – akin to a link that can only be accessed through a QR code on the artwork itself. Anyone who interacts with it can add their signature and a note to the link, documenting their part in the piece’s journey. This creates a verifiable history of the piece that anyone can access, generating buzz and transforming static work into an interactive experience for fans.

Leonard Kish, Co-founder of The Cortex Network, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are excited to collaborate with Dot Hip Hop to provide a scalable foundation for user-owned content. Both our teams value ownership in the hands of the creator, and we eagerly anticipate the creativity and collaboration that the online Hip Hop community will unlock with access to Web3.”

Ajene Watson, Managing Director of Dot Hip Hop, LLC also shared his thoughts: “There is a pressing need for a robust community-owned home for Hip Hop culture. .HipHop Websites, .HipHop email addresses and now other types of .HipHop digital assets in Web3 provide creators more control and full ownership over content, user data and fan interaction.”

Watson further added that the .HipHop domain extension serves as an immediate identifier that a platform and its creator are part of the global multinational culture of Hip Hop. The integration with Web3 would provide users of the .HipHop extension with an additional financial tool to generate, collect and safeguard earnings from their talents.

Cortex estimates the launch of this digital bridge to take place before or during October 2023.

About DotHipHop, LLC
Dot Hip Hop, LLC was established in 2021 as the exclusive ICANN Accredited domain name registry for the .HipHop top-level domain. Its mission is to empower artists, entertainers, musicians, athletes, brands, and the culture and community of Hip Hop to further brand their identity with domain names that truly represent who they are.

About Cortex
The Cortex Network, a project of YouBase, Inc., is at the forefront of pioneering how Web3 content is published and distributed. It is committed to addressing privacy concerns, enabling ease of use for Web3 tools, facilitating individuals and businesses in adopting Web3 technologies, creating verifiable history/record for data and resolving existing architecture challenges in transitioning from Web2 to Web3.