Doodles Records has launched ahead of the release of a project featuring Lil Wayne and others. Photo Credit: Doodles
Self-described “next-generation art and entertainment studio” Doodles has launched a namesake label as it prepares to release a project featuring Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, and others.
Miami-headquartered Doodles, founded by Dapper Labs vets Evan Keast and Jordan Castro as well as artist Scott Martin (known professionally as Burnt Toast), reached out with word of Doodles Records.
Back in 2022, the overarching company, billed then as a “web3, media & entertainment brand” specializing in NFTs and more, unveiled a $54 million raise. Now, amid ongoing market shifts, Doodles’ official description lacks any mention of web3 or non-fungible tokens.
However, the three-year-old platform still sells NFTs alongside a variety of physical products, according to its website, with items in both categories based on stories, characters, and animation developed in-house.
Running with the point, Doodles is teeing up a “debut short film” entitled Dullsville and the Doodleverse for October, following a smaller-scale premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
With Pharrell Williams handling the project’s music, the aforementioned Lil Wayne and Lil Yachty have signed onto the film alongside Swae Lee and Coi Leray.
Besides having voice roles in the work, Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Swae Lee, and Coi Leray have recorded for the three-song soundtrack behind Dullsville and the Doodleverse. This EP is poised to debut via the just-established Doodles Records, and Sony Music’s The Orchard is set to handle distribution.
Those tracks are “Not in the Store” by Coi Leray and Pharrell Wiliams (scheduled to become available, complete with an animated music video, in early August); “Can’t Hold Me Down” by Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, and Kyle Richh (later in August); and “Doodleverse (Draw Me Closer)” by Swae Lee, Lil Yachty, and Pharrell Williams (September).
Also on the horizon for Doodles is a “direct-to-community media platform” called DoodlesTV, through which subscribers will receive early access to music videos, premieres (including for Dullsville and the Doodleverse), digital collectibles, and more.
Particularly given the industry’s ongoing superfan-monetization focus, it’ll be worth closely monitoring the results of Dullsville and the Doodleverse and the other releases Doodles is preparing. Though it perhaps goes without saying, commercial results aren’t guaranteed for films even when they feature superstar acts.
But generating solid fan interest via a comparatively accessible format (short movies watchable at home as opposed to full-scale theatrical releases) could well pay off for Doodles owing to the comprehensive music, merch, and fan-community infrastructure in place. And there’s certainly something to be said for having direct control of animation and creative direction.
In a statement, Doodles CEO Julian Holguin made clear that music will play a significant part at his company moving forward.
“Music is and will continue to be a core pillar of Doodles,” the former Billboard higher-up communicated, “so we’re thrilled to announce the official formation of Doodles Records.
“Releasing music with some of the most legendary and relevant artists in the world on our first project is a dream come true and a massive source of pride. Moving forward, we will fuse music, animation and technology to create groundbreaking content experiences that will empower artists and their communities,” finished Holguin.
