French Montana opted for a unique release strategy for his previously unreleased track “Bag Curious.” On March 14, the Mac & Cheese 5 account on X (formerly Twitter) announced that the song had been inscribed onto the Bitcoin blockchain.
This marks an early example of a mainstream musician exploring blockchain distribution. The Mac & Cheese 5 account detailed the process of this event, stating that it made the singer the first mainstream artist to inscribe a complete song onto the Bitcoin blockchain.
Montana’s MP4 file’s “Bag Curious” inscription occupies an entire BTC block, bearing the inscription number 64333690 and a size of 3.956 megabytes. This inscription ranks as the third-largest Ordinal inscription to date. Prior to its release, French Montana’s use of the Bitcoin blockchain generated mixed discussions within online communities. The Mac & Cheese 5 account reported a high level of engagement, citing 50,000 comments related to the project. The Ordinals account, Ord.io, also acknowledged the milestone on X.
Commentary surrounding the release ranged from enthusiastic to critical. Some members of the music community expressed support for French Montana’s utilization of blockchain technology for distribution, highlighting its immutability and resistance to censorship. Others voiced concerns surrounding the use of the Bitcoin blockchain for purposes beyond financial transactions. The potential use of Bitcoin Ordinals within the music industry raises questions about the balance between innovation and the blockchain’s intended function.
French Montana’s “Bag Curious” project could potentially encourage further exploration of decentralized technologies within the creative sectors.
