From ‘PsychoKitties’ to Mad Hares: ‘DaRealGenius’ of Nelson J. Madera
The “PsychoKitties” co-creator speaks on stepping into the spotlight with his own PFP project, the “Mad Hare Society.”
For an artist who calls himself “DaRealGenius,” Nelson J. Madera is admirably humble. Having played an integral role in “PsychoKitties: The New Era,” the first curated profile picture (PFP) project on Crypto.com NFT, he forwent top billing on the wildly successful sold-out collection that has generated over $12 million in total volume traded to date — initially giving its creator Ulysses “Ugonzo” Gonzales full recognition for his brainchild. In fact, Madera was even reluctant to share a photo of himself for this interview. “I’m more of a private guy, so I don’t have much,” he explained.
Since its mint in December, and subsequent “PsychoKitties: The Rise of Mollies” airdrop for collectors, the project’s community has grown exponentially — as has Madera’s reputation with it, despite his modesty. Now, with his name prominently featured alongside Ugonzo’s on a “PsychoKitties” billboard in New York City’s iconic Times Square, DaRealGenius is ready to step out from behind the curtain and take center stage with his own PFP project — the “Mad Hare Society” — which will bring 10,000 villainous rabbit avatar collectibles with over 245 traits to Crypto.com/NFT, just in time for Easter, on April 15.
“The truth is that I did not expect such incredible acceptance from the community. We have created a bond where love and respect abound, and we have been able to grow this project together.”
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Madera found early inspiration in the graffiti and street art of his neighborhood — and on school trips to The Newark Museum of Art. He started drawing at age five and, by fifth grade, a teacher recognized his talent — advancing him to an eighth grade art class. He went on to attend Newark Arts High School, following in the footsteps of esteemed alumni such as Frankie Negrón, Michael B. Jordan, Sarah Vaughan, Savion Glover and Tisha Campbell — a career-shaping experience he cherishes dearly. Madera aspires to be known as one of the magnet school’s most notable graduates.
Following a move to Puerto Rico, where his parents were born, Genius made a name for himself on the Latin music scene — creating album artwork, animated videos, show flyers and more for artists like Don Omar, Farruko, Ivy Queen and Ñengo Flow. He also designed a viral image to represent a local movement for peace, painted on building walls and donned by Omar, Farruko, Ñejo and Nicky Jam, among others.
“Of all the works that I have done for various Latin music artists, I have to say the peace movement was [the] one that I was [the most] proud of.”
A dedicated social advocate, Genius has created art to raise awareness for other causes too. In the wake of Hurricane Maria and subsequent earthquakes, he documented the devastation in Puerto Rico with poignant imagery depicting the destruction he witnessed and designed a powerful piece to express solidarity with nearby Haiti when it was ravaged by earthquakes last year as well. More recently, Genius and Ugonzo made Mad Hare and PsychoKitty artwork in observance of National Autism Awareness Month.
Genius and Ugonzo’s contributions to society aren’t limited to advocacy, however. According to the “PsychoKitties” website, the project has already raised over $70,000 for charity. Earlier in April, Ugonzo shared a video of himself delivering a $54,000 check to a domestic abuse treatment center on behalf of the “PsychoKitties,” with funds raised from the Mollies collection. In March, the duo took part in Crypto.com’s “Art of Giving” collection to aid victims of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as well — offering up a PsychoKitty and a PsychoMolly with 100% of the primary sale proceeds going to The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Genius also intends to donate a portion of proceeds from the “Mad Hare Society” to support veterans in honor of his late younger brother, who served his country for six years.
“I know my brother would [have] been proud. I thank my Lord and Savior for all the blessings that have come my way and I thank the community for their continued support. This project is my way of putting a dent in this world.”
With 10,000 murderous PsychoKitty-hunting bunnies about to run amok on the platform, Crypto.com NFT spoke with Genius about his artistic evolution and the origins of the “Mad Hare Society” — as well as his role in “PsychoKitties” and relationship with Ugonzo.
Read the Q&A with DaRealGenius below and visit the “Mad Hare Society” drop page for more information.
Where are you from and what was your upbringing like, and how has it affected your work?
I was born in Newark, New Jersey to Puerto Rican parents. I grew up with my mother and my little brother and sister. There were difficult times — but thanks to God’s blessings, and to my mom’s efforts and hard work, we were able to move forward. While my mother worked, my grandmother took care of me and it was she who taught me to speak Spanish from a young age. I am proud to be Latino; that is why I use such vibrant colors in my artwork.
How did you get into art and evolve as an artist?
I started drawing when I was five years old. It was my favorite hobby! As I grew older, my skills [got] better and better. As a teenager, I managed to get into Arts High School in Newark.
My experience at Arts High was the greatest ever. I was able to develop my skills as an artist and learn from great teachers such as Mr. K and Mr. Carden. I remember when Mr. K would ask for a 13-hour drawing and, when we would give him our artwork that we were so proud of, he would place the art on the board for all to see and — with a red marker — place a square where he felt that [we] should focus on, [making] us do it all over again. At the beginning, [I’m] not gonna lie, it really hurt. But after a while, I realized he was right. Times like [those] made me the artist that I am today.
Over time, I started working on flyers, logos and business cards — using [the] Illustrator and Photoshop programs. Years later, when I moved to Puerto Rico and had my first experience with a Category 5 hurricane and a [6.4-magnitude] earthquake, it [motivated me to] fully enter digital art — to show the world the experience and difficulties we had to go through.
Please tell us more about how the move impacted your work.
I moved to Puerto Rico a few years back and, while living here, Hurricane Maria and later on massive earthquakes destroyed many parts of [the island] — and many businesses had to close down. Work was not easy to come by, since there was no electricity and no Wi-Fi, so I went and purchased a used iPad and started working on digital art that reflected what I was seeing and what people were going through.
Later on, I started to create comic-style artwork of things and events that were happening within the Latin music [community], and started getting noticed. My Instagram started growing and artists such as Don Omar, Farruko, Ñengo Flow and Ivy Queen started requesting artwork for CD covers and concerts.
What were some of your favorite projects?
Of all the works that I have done for various Latin music artists, I have to say the peace movement was [the] one that I was [the most] proud of. There was a time in Puerto Rico where people were [calling] for peace on the streets. I created a peace logo that went viral and Latin music artists such as Nicky Jam, Don Omar, Ñejo, Farruko and many others wore a t-shirt in support of the cause — and posted messages on their social media pages using my artwork. Another of my favorite moments was seeing Farruko and Bad Bunny performing their hit song while my artwork was displayed behind them.
Through Instagram, creating art [inspired by] situations that were happening at the moment with urban music artists, people like music producer Raphy Pina and the actor, comedian and broadcaster Molusco were sharing my art — and through [the] millions of followers and artists who followed them, I became recognized. Little by little, it was the artists themselves or their teams who communicated with me to request my services.
What are some of the music videos you’ve animated?
I have created artwork for animated videos for Ivy Queen, one of the female pioneers in Latin music. I also worked on animated artwork for Farruko and many others. It has been a wild experience to be able to see your work animated and presented in Times Square for all to see.
What’s your favorite artistic movement, throughout time?
My favorite artistic movements throughout time [would] have to be surrealism and pop art. [I] love to create art that keeps the audience searching for more and at the same time love using colors that pop and bring life to the piece.
If you could collaborate with any artist throughout history, who would it be and why? What do you think you’d create?
It would have to be with Salvador Dalí, because he developed a style that was insignificant before his time. The way he would create such great masterpieces within a masterpiece is priceless. I wouldn’t focus so much on creating something with him, but more on learning something from him.
How did you first link up with Ugonzo?
Ugonzo and I were introduced by someone that felt we would [make] a great team. They told me he was a psychedelic artist and that I may be interested in working with him on NFTs. We started to develop a relationship and worked on a project for a team that promised us the world, [but] Bitcoin kind of crashed a bit and the team disappeared. But as luck [would have] it, we later linked up and decided to try it out on our own anyway.
Being new to NFTs, I contacted Ugonzo and we started thinking of ways that we as artists [could] create something new. At [the] time, the hype was [around] “CryptoPunks” and later “Bored Ape Yacht Club.” I remember Ugonzo had a cat and I stated that he was “el gato loco,” being that he is a psychedelic artist. At that point, we decided [to] create a PsychoKitty and a psycho Hare. He would work on the Kitties and I would create the Hares, and it would become one big project. But as luck [would have] it, Ugonzo had already established a business relationship with his agent. He introduced me to him and the rest is history.
Tell us about your relationship and how it’s evolved?
We decided to work on “PsychoKitties” together, while I would create what is [now] known as the “Mad Hare Society.” Being a part of the “PsychoKitties” has been one of the best things that has happened to me. We were able to be creative and create something that I never in my wildest dreams would [have] thought would reach thousands of people — let alone break the internet on the day of the drop, with 80,000 people waiting on queue to buy our “PsychoKitties.”
We have a great relationship. We talk daily and always work on ideas [for] how to grow our projects and community, [and take it] to the next level. After working on “PsychoKitties” for over a year and only talking on phone, I had the opportunity to meet Ugonzo in Florida — where we created a mural for the “PsychoKitties.” [I] had a great time getting to know him and had a chance to go check out the Salvador Dalí museum, one of our most [inspirational] artists of all time.
Ugonzo is one of the reasons why the name Genius is known today. He will always be appreciated.
What exactly was your role in “PsychoKitties?” How do you and Ugonzo work together, creatively?
Together, we created the idea and developed the different traits that we [used] in each of the kittens. Each one [of us] contributed [our] art and creativity to develop what is now known worldwide as “PsychoKitties.” We will continue to work together to bring more creative art to the community, such as the Mollies.
How has your life changed since “PsychoKitties” dropped?
Through “PsychoKitties,” my name has become known in this world of NFTs — and as one of the most recognized artists [on] the Crypto.com NFT platform. Thanks to this project, the doors have opened for me to collaborate with other artists in the creation of new projects. One that I am proud of is the collaboration with Crypto.com, in which we were able to create a PsychoKitty and PsychoMolly for “The Art of Giving” — a project created to support humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
Did you expect the reaction you received from the community?
The truth is that I did not expect such incredible acceptance from the community. We have created a bond where love and respect abound, and we have been able to grow this project together — in this highly competitive world.
Let’s talk about the “Mad Hare Society”; what was the inspiration for this project? How has it evolved since it was first conceived?
[The] inspiration came from the many hours [I] spent watching morning cartoons before I headed out to school. The comedy behind those cartoons I used to watch as a kid made it easier [for] me to create traits that would bring a smile to holders and add personality to each individual Mad Hare.
This project stems from the same conversation I had with Ugonzo at the beginning of it all. At first, the idea was that the kittens and the rabbits were one project. Now, they are two projects united under the same story. This is one of those projects that will continue to evolve, and I can not wait for everyone to see what’s next for the “Mad Hare Society.”
Why rabbits? Do they have any special significance to you?
To be honest, I chose the rabbit for its cultural meanings: ingenuity, vigilance, prudence and skill, among others. The special meaning they have for me is that being ingenious, they have the ability to invent things by combining the knowledge they possess with intelligence and skill — equal to what I am, a genius [at] art.
Do you intend to build a separate community for Mad Hares, or do you see it more of an extension of the “PsychoKitties” community?
Yes, a new community is going to be built for Mad Hares — [but] just as the story unites us, [the] communities will unite. We have already built a website, Discord and social media for “Mad Hare Society.” I will continue to build this community and work just as hard as I am for the PsychoKitty community to bring growth to this project.
How did you get into NFTs? What attracted you to the space?
Seeing what BAYC has created caught my attention, so I started searching for information on NFTs. What attracted me to the space was the opportunity it provided [me] to bring my art to thousands, if not millions of people at once.
What do you like most about NFTs or working in the NFT space?
The thing I like the most about NFTs is that the artist will always have their name attached to every piece of art they make. This helps artists manage digital rights and allocate revenue shares to contribute to the creative process.
I understand that you intend to give collectors the commercial rights to their Hares; why was this important to you and the community?
For me, it was important to give holders commercial rights for the Mad Hares they acquire so that they can generate their own profits and, at the same time, take my art beyond the platform. I decided, however, to keep my rights to modify the artwork as I please so that I can continue to bring creative artwork [to the community] as the “Mad Hare Society” evolves.
I understand you intend to donate some proceeds from the collection to veterans; can you elaborate on this and why the cause is important to you?
For me, it is important to donate to veterans because they are people who expose or have exposed their own lives to defend their country. Many of these heroes come out with psychological and health problems that prevent them from covering all their expenses and those of their families. Being able to contribute to them leading a dignified and deserved life, after having served the nation, is something gratifying for me.
I dedicate this project to my baby brother. He passed away at a young age, however, he was able to serve his country for six years. This, to me, is very important to share and one of the reasons the “Mad Hare Society” will be donating to veterans charities all across the world. I know my brother would [have] been proud. I thank my Lord and Savior for all the blessings that have come my way and I thank the community for their continued support.
This project is my way of putting a dent in this world. I know Mom is proud of me, from her five-year-old son drawing Popeye on a sheet of white paper to a successful NFT artist creating art for the world to enjoy.
Do you have any goals or future plans for your art, in the NFT space or otherwise?
I have many goals and plans for the future, but I will talk about that in due course. Like always, I love to leave the community wondering what’s next!
Browse DaRealGenius’ “Mad Hare Society” collection.
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Editor’s Note (Oct. 10, 2022): an earlier version of this article was originally published on April 11, 2022 and has since been edited and/or updated.
