NFT NYC has come and gone.

From June 20-23 the fourth annual conference took advantage of everything New York City has to offer. From the meet-ups to the parties, good vibes were all around. Despite the current bear market we are all experiencing, there was no lack of enthusiasm. Founders like Bobby and Ben Hundreds evoke the perspective that helps us to understand that we are in it for the long haul. No FUD, only fun to be had over the four-day event.

It was an incredible few days where Adam Bomb Squad and The Hundreds completely took over the Big Apple, and I can’t be the only one still reeling from the adrenaline rush of being a part of it all. After infamously missing every official Adam Bomb Squad IRL event to date, I was beyond ready to spend a couple of days with my Squad and experience firsthand what it’s like to attend ABS events IRL.

Day One kicked off on June 20 just before noon at The Hundreds Pop-Up shop at Flowcode in SOHO. Doors opened at 11 AM but it was best to arrive well before that because the line started a few hours earlier. The Hundreds know how to make a statement and they did so in the form of a protest where an “angry” mob spewed anti-NFT sentiment from a megaphone. The protesters carried signs that reflected their disapproval, reading “Crypto is a sin” and “God Hates NFTS.” The Squad who had been waiting in line were shocked and also delighted. The moment went viral on Twitter and began trending under several different categories. Some people on social media believed that it was a real protest and not staged, though longtime fans of The Hundreds know that the brand makes a splash when it comes to your city.

It was the morning of Day One and Adam Bomb Squad had already made headlines all over NYC. A brilliant guerrilla marketing strategy brought art to life, a giant inflatable Adam Bomb looming over the intersection of Broadway and Grand, and a Pop-Up Shop full of exclusive collabs, including capsules with VeeFriends, Amber Vittoria, and Degen Toonz. The first half of the first day was already unbelievable and the ABS X Coinbase “IYKYK” party was still to come.

The daytime hype carried well into the night. Usually waiting in long lines to get into a venue can be a drag but this was an Adam Bomb Squad party with the greatest NFT community in Web3. Naturally, the line turned into its own event in a way, a sort of appetizer for what was waiting inside once the doors opened. ABS Community Liaison @WillLexHam might possibly be the best hype man in the NFT space, emceeing an impromptu push-up contest outside of the Paradise Club in Times Square where nearly a dozen participants got onto the floor to duel each other in a feat of strength for a free T-Shirt. The man was all energy all night and the next day. 

The vibes inside the Paradise Club were phenomenal. The drinks were free, the Squad was lit, and Pusha T did his thing. Push had the whole Squad moving, playing the bangers, mixing some old with the new. He hit the stage with Chief Keef’s generational anthem “I Don’t Like” being the first song on his setlist. Cutouts of Adam Bomb, Badam, Madam, and Piña Adam floated above the crowd and got passed around as if they were crowd surfing. The night was amazing and I didn’t think it could’ve gotten any better until I somehow snatched a free commemorative T-Shirt that was flung into the crowd. The party went on late into the night and the overwhelming response to the event seemed to be that it was “sick.”

I’m not sure who to thank for such understanding scheduling but luckily the Bomb Talk Live on Day Two featuring Spike Lee and Eliot Greene wasn’t until 5 PM EST. The late start allowed the Squad to rest and recover from the open bar the night before. Before Bomb Talk Live, it was time for the community photo. Once again, @WillLexHam was energizing the crowd. As he rounded up everyone who was there to move in for the picture he turned waiting into fun, hurling whatever he had in his tote into the crowd.

Shortly after the photo, the Bomb Talk got underway. The crowd gathered in the shop,  standing room only. Spike was amazing. He talked with passion and conviction about storytelling and filmmaking. He credited his children for introducing him to the NFT space and went into detail about his upcoming collection of nearly 4,000 NFTs featuring original frame-by-frame stills of Spike Lee’s  Mars Blackmon character from his 1986 film, She’s Gotta Have It. 

NFT NYC came and went but the memories made will last a lifetime. It’s amazing how people who were strangers a day before can become instant frens through a shared connection in the ABS community. Whether it’s a bull or bear market during the next official ABS event, you know the Squad will turn up. Shout out to everyone who came through to any of the events in NYC! Can’t wait to do it again with y’all.