If the web3 music space is for the hungriest artists, today’s i-wave spotlight is exactly where it needs to be. Today, we’re going global to welcome ambitious soul & rap artist Reespect in what is also our first time covering an artist outside of North America!
Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Reespect’s web3 origin story is as similar and unique as most of us: after once and then twice hearing about this new internet world from a trusted source, that’s all it took for her to fall down the rabbit hole — and the rest is web3 history.
Reespect doesn’t shy away from exploring on the blockchain. In fact, I believe she’s the first spotlighted artist to have minted music on NEAR, which I’ve heard lots of buzz about from other web3 sectors, but not so much from the music crowd. Indeed, this bravery and confidence to explore the unknown shines through with conviction in every Reespect bar, including onstage.
One of the most impressive things about Reespect & her work is the quality of collaborations in her small but growing catalog. She floats on each one with ease — the mark of a true music professional. On “Happy Song” with Mo’Believe, she speaks to all of us in our darker, more doubtful moments in a bouncy flow:
And the people you meet, they are cold
And the money is never enough
And we all sing ‘save our soul’
Her 2019 collab with Joyce Olong, “Lust For Life,” features a gorgeous, more laidback instrumental; between Reespect’s self-reflective, wordplay-filled verse and Olong’s ethereal vocals, magic happens. This one is a true gem and my most played track of the week.
And yet, there are more sides to her; check out the video for “Misdirection” where we watch a moodier, edgier Reespect vent about societal ills over what feels like a vintage Drake type beat. All of this thoughtful music and video creation leads us to the present day: Reespect is back with the drop for sensual track “Great Silence” alongside the launch of Planet Lukukul (look who’s cool!). What comes next? More innovation and exploration, I’m sure; Reespect is a web3 force to watch.
Artist Statement of the Moment:
i’m reespect (aka 2ees), a nigerian musician, based in lagos right now.
i’m a rap artist, but not necessarily a hip-hop head, rap is a medium for me, but my preferred genre is soul…mostly.
i consider my music diverse and real, every verse is a window into my life and reflects my emotions, thoughts and journey.
in 2020, a friend told me about crypto art and lord knows i paid attention, but it didn’t really click in my mind because it just wasn’t time and i wasn’t ready. fast forward to 2022, i met this friend again and he mentioned the web3 again and this time it made so much sense to me. it was perfect.
prior to that time i decided to stop putting out a moodswing playlist that had sort of become tradition. moodswing playlists were born from working towards creating a longer ep. anyway, reconnecting with my friend made me change my mind to instead release the moodswing playlist iv as nfts :
https://www.mintbase.io/meta/nxm.mintbase1.near:236ad259573773e74895136f5f5d1cce
https://www.mintbase.io/meta/nxm.mintbase1.near:5047245862729428af8b947baa89e2f6
the experience reaffirmed my newly found conviction about life, time and its flow.
you really can’t force an alignment and when it’s time, it’s time and everything in you would just know.
right now, i’m building an experience world called planet lukukul (look who’s cool) where the messaging is for us to just be, be and be. because quite frankly, we’ve done enough as humans. let’s not cause anymore harm.
just kidding, but not really.
i want everyone to be and know that just being as they are is cool.
my recent release great silence is tied to the first story coming from planet lukukul.
great silence is a song i wrote in 2018 the lead single off a coming ep and it signifies many things; an end to the long wait since the last song i put out, an unfulfilled crush; which inspired the song and the fermi paradox in the current state of earth.
yes, i believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life.
the record has an unearthly vibe that conjures images of a night sky void of the moon.
produced by jayblakez, visuals created by gibson and artwork from ayonete
there’s currently an open collection for the lyric book of great silence to raise some funds to support the artists at planet lukukul: https://app.manifold.xyz/c/great-silence-lyrics
How are you feeling now?
many things, but mostly hopeful. hope has seen me through different times and the web3 rekindles it so well. in this moment, i feel some fear, i’m overwhelmed, i’m excited, i’m tired, i’m rest assured that i’m loved…and still somehow, hope sits on top of all these.
What does success mean to you?
in 2020, i went through a phase that made me decide what was most important to me, i landed on peace, money and communion, (i couldn’t say family because it’s not just blood, i couldn’t say community because it’s beyond that) success to me is when those three pillars are catered to. by the way, it’s prioritized in that order. life itself will continue to change for me, but i’ll always find success in them being set right.
What work of yours has you excited & inspired right now?
planet lukukul!!! the world i’m building with some cool friends. we’re going to continue to put out different iterations of stories from this planet and the first story is out along with the website on the 19th of this month. this story is tied directly to the very first single i’ll be releasing this year, when we have our first physical onboarding event, it will double as a listening party to my ep. it’s exciting because like i mentioned before it’s a depth to me, and the music. however, the intention of planet lukukul is to hold space for non-male, african/african decent creatives, this way at the heart of the planet we know this is who we are to protect, hold space for and nourish. it’s just interesting the different stories we’ll tell (we are currently working on the second iteration) and games we’ll play, product’s we’ll create, lives we’ll change. whew. i’m just grateful for this path!
What does web3 mean to you, and what excites you about it?
it’s literally living in 3d to me. 2d being who i am/was as an artist. my mind is a world and music is my way of expressing it, but there’s only so many songs that can show the world. finding the web3 has given me a reason to literally build that world. that’s what i’m doing right now, and as i grow as a rap artist, i also feel the world manifest under my hands. it feels like a 3rd dimension to me, like extra depth to reespect. and that extra is real, because it’s been there all along.
What artists/creators are inspiring you right now & why?
i’d say latasha, i love her little rants. i like iman europe for what she represents in the space and i’m always going to love grl, she’s simple, kind, and extremely hardworking. grl motivates me! a lot of creators on the $near blockchain also inspire me, like sarah kornfeld, the woman just somehow manages to stay informed and involved. dedeukwu onboarded me to web3 so i never forget him and i also love watching his path. the list is pretty much endless.
Fill in the blank: I wish the web3 music world was more ___________________.
easy to access. the learning curve is too steep. i wish all the technicalities were put aside for a bit and web3 is explained as what it is; a chance to imagine the future, or at least a future, to stand by it and to own it.
Describe yourself in one word!?
cool.
What question do you wish more people asked you?
nothing actually, i like to be left alone because i over share. don’t ask me anything so i don’t tell you things you didn’t ask about haha
What message do you have for fans/supporters?
now more than ever i need you to trust me. i got this and i got you. trust that when it all comes to life my intentions for you are good and time will show that.
How do you stay grounded in the VERY online world of web3?
lmaoo i’m learning breathing exercises, i’m learning detachment, i’m learning to stay active irl, it’s all a process really, at times life feels surreal and i just live in it instead of fighting it. i chose this. lool it’s lucid asf though.
xo C