The rappers follow-up NFT launch has generated around $12 million, platform CEO Pavel Durov has said

Veteran American rapper Snoop Dogg has released a music video promoting Telegram's latest digital feature, celebrity gifts. A subsequent launch of about one million non-fungible tokens (NFTs) built on the platform's blockchain generated multi-million-dollar sales and was sold-out in less than an hour, according to Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov.

The video, titled Gifts, premiered on the rapper's official YouTube channel on Wednesday as a promotion for the follow-up drop. The video features notification and call sounds from Telegram, while the lyrics reference the messenger itself and its creator. In the track, Snoop calls himself "real," talks about blockchain and privacy, and encourages everyone to upgrade their Telegram profiles.

It opens as a news report, featuring a fictional TGLA anchor questioning what was happening on Telegram. The reporter says: "Mr. Moneybag's giving away $17 billion to his 106 kids." The remark refers to Durov's recent statement about having more than a hundred children, a topic over which the rapper and the billionaire had previously traded barbs.

The video also features a mock message from Durov, reading, "You drop fire. I drop code. Together we break the internet."

In a Thursday post on Telegram, Durov announced that unique NFTs, inspired by Snoop's iconic style, had sold out within just 30 minutes, generating $12 million in sales.

The campaign further strengthens Snoop Dogg's growing presence on Telegram. The rapper launched his channel on the platform in May and later announced it on X, with Durov sharing the post in support. Since then, the channel has grown to nearly 210,000 subscribers.

Earlier this month, Snoop Dogg addressed the Telegram CEO in a post on X, writing: "Yo, Pave Durov, heard U got 106 kids now??"

"Neffew you not havn babies you droppn litters... slo down," the musician advised, adding cat and dog emojis and the hashtag #PuppyLove.

Durov replied in the comments: "Takes a dogg to know a dogg, I can give you some tips." He also suggested continuing the conversation on Telegram in a more private setting.

The celebrity collaboration shows Telegram's ongoing move into Web3, combining entertainment with blockchain-based monetization, focusing on decentralization and token economics.

(RT.com)