I was 12 the first time someone called me a sellout. 

It was around the time that Reel Big Fish song came out with the same title. That was one of the best and worst songs to happen to many of us back then. It captured everything we felt about selling out while giving everyone a term to tear down anyone we thought not cool enough.

Why did he call me a sellout?

In hindsight, the reasoning is immature and shouldn’t have had a lasting impact, but it was because he felt I was neglecting him and spending too much time with my girlfriend. I was abandoning my first true “fan” to become a version of myself that this girl would like even more. The feeling from being called a sellout sticks with me even as I write this piece. I've since used that term to criticize others, whether for their taste in music or movies, or bands that got too big and changed their sound. To this day, I do everything in my power to avoid being called a sellout ever again.

When I was older, one of my closest friends from film school said all he ever wanted was the chance to sell out, to make a big-budget Spielberg-style movie so he could be famous. This shocked me because he was the poster child for hipster culture and the underground music scene.

Selling out has a variety of meanings and a multitude of conflicting viewpoints. 

In the ever expanding pro-capitalist world, it's often celebrated as a sign of success.

But should we strive for it? 

Selling out, to me, means sacrificing something to appeal to the masses. It's about making your creation more palatable, less offensive. This compromise is the epitome of selling out. 

On some level, we've all been selling out our whole lives.

We sacrifice our moral convictions to survive. My best friend who dreamed of selling out took a stable job in graphic design instead of chasing his directorial dreams. We're not all afforded the opportunity to chase our dreams. We need to survive and selling out seems like the path; not an option.

Fast forward.

Three years ago, I entered the Web3 space, carrying the same imposter syndrome that plagues so many artists here. I launched a project called UNDRGRND (pronounced underground), yet I feel like a fraud. We like to pretend our movements are inclusive, but in reality, we often cling to exclusivity, defined lines, those in and those out. Growing up, I never felt punk or hardcore enough. Even now, my wife points out how my preppy style clashes with my inner anti-establishment self. I never felt enough—not punk enough, not cool enough, not anything enough.

Underground, to me, was defined by those bands I discovered on Napster, stumbled upon in small music blogs, or found in tiny record stores that supported local music scenes. It was about authenticity, raw creativity, not fitting a mold: never selling out.

I thought the promise of Web3 was the same. That we were striving to get away from corporate, capitalistic viewpoints. So when I see larger platforms and well-funded projects not staying true to that ethos, it's frustrating—to put it mildly. 

It's been difficult to find like-minded people because it's easier on the internet to say the right things, to play a role, and to find financial success. You don't have to look people in the eye and tell them something you know isn't true.

Many of us came here seeking change. We were promised it. We bought in. Now we're holding the bag.

So what do we do now? 

Get back to our roots, go underground. 

UNDRGRND started as my idea, but it belongs to all of us. It's about cultivating a culture where art and interaction foster real value, and everyone is recognized and rewarded. This isn't just another project; it's a movement.

How?

Create a system that aligns with our values. Utilizing the technology rooted in Web3, we’ve created the $GRND token - not just another cryptocurrency, but a tool to redefine interaction in our community.

With $GRND your passion for discovering and appreciating undervalued creators is rewarded, your voice matters in curating content; the power of influence is in your hands. Read articles, listen to podcasts, engage in conversations - all while being rewarded for your genuine interest and participation: earn, buy, give.

Our goal?

To build a community that thrives without selling out. To create a space where success doesn't mean compromising our values.

Our mission?

To never sell out, again.

In the past, this meant sacrificing practical needs for creative freedom. 

What if we reimagined success? Instead of concentrating wealth at the top, what if we shared it among all of us? What if our collective taste and our ability to unearth hidden gems in this space became our key to finding financial success? 

Many of us have been here for years. We've learned that much of what we were told would matter in this space doesn't. We've witnessed the pump-and-dumps and endless hype cycles with the focus padding influencer’s bags.

However, we've also seen a sliver of something else:

The real trendsetters are those who believe in something bigger than themselves. They're willing to sacrifice a bit of their own potential gain so that others can rise up alongside them.

That is the essence of UNDRGRND; not about getting rich quick but building something sustainable, something that benefits us all, and brings us closer to the reality we seek.

Napster in the early 2000s connected indie artists with audiences hungry for something new. UNDRGRND will do the same for Web3. We will set the tone, redefine the norms, and spotlight worthy creators without falling into the trap of unsustainable hype cycles.

I've faced the choice between chasing a creative pursuit and the necessity to survive. I think many of you have too. We came here because we were disillusioned with the status quo. We were promised that all of us could make it here.

But making it shouldn't mean selling out. We shouldn't have to compromise our moral, creative, or intellectual integrity. We can build a community that values authenticity over hype, collaboration over competition, and shared success over individual gain.

This is our chance to create the world we've been seeking - right here, in the digital underground.

If you've ever felt out of place in a world that demands conformity...

If you've been labeled, judged, or cast aside for being different...

If you believe in the power of art to change the world...

If you're tired of the hype and hunger for something real...

If you dream of a community where everyone's voice matters...

Then you've found your people.

You found the underground of Web3. 

You are UNDRGRND. 

We are all UNDRGRND.

– NFTjoe, Founder