The key to navigating the crypto space can be discovered by observing the best MCs in the world of hip-hop.
I'm not suggesting you take financial advice from a rapper or anyone else for that matter.
However, those who reach the top of the hip-hop scene have mastered marketing and fully understand herd mentality.
Rivalries exist in every aspect of life and in every genre of music. However, the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones is nothing compared to the biggest rivalries in hip-hop.
Rap battles and diss records are a part of the culture, like baselines and sneakers.
Web3 often looks more like a freestyle battle than an emerging tech industry.
Projects are in constant competition for the top spot.
Hate it or love it; 🎵 the underdog is on top... Just kidding, this article needed some culture and vibes.
On a serious note, fighting for the top spot has become a part of the culture here too.
A few market cycles ago, numerous projects were launched as the "Bitcoin killer." The "ETH killers" emerged shortly after, promising smarter contracts, faster speeds, lower costs, and much more.
Like a fickle crowd in a rap battle, enthusiasts throw their support behind every new thing and insecure maxis become extremely toxic.
The madness reached new heights during the NFT bull market.
Each new project caused degens to jump ship faster than Ja Rule fans after 50 Cent's arrival.
Everything was either better than the CryptoPunks or a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) killer.
One lesson I've learned from hip-hop is that the top artists rarely respond to challengers who make outlandish claims.
Responding only legitimizes them. Red flags go off in my mind when I see founders and communities battling with small, up-and-coming projects with horrible branding, virtually no funds, and questionable technology.
Top developers and operators would ignore them, not mobilize their community to be toxic haters.
Haters are cringeworthy, but it makes me incredibly skeptical about a rap crew or web3 community that has to sling mud to maintain relevance.
Just as I wouldn't expect Nas, Eminem, or Jay-Z to respond to a random diss during a Twitter space, I would not expect any legitimate project to feel threatened by empty claims from so-called up-and-coming competitors.
Desperation and insecurity speak louder than words on a mic or in tweets.
So, if nothing else, hip-hop has taught me to approach loud projects with too much hype cautiously.
At best, they may not know what they're doing, but at worst, they could have malicious intent and be a potential rug pull.
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