For all of the pumped-up payola drops taking over web3 music, it’s more important than ever to celebrate artists building feel-good experiences for real people. And with that, we are off: to planet lukukul!
The hardworking artists who continue to push limits in the new internet are doing so in ways that don’t involve wash trading or quests at all; they’re bringing people together to celebrate art, and to celebrate the art of collaboration. Reespect (she/her) has been hard at work for a few years now, an unrelenting force as a web3 creative combining all her talents to create magical spaces for many.
The first ever IRL planet lukukul pop-up
On August 25th, 2024, reespect and planet lukukul rolled out its second story telling, and it did so with an IRL park party at Leisure Park in Lagos, Nigeria complete with vendors, stands, DJs, and creative groups of the community. “It’s built by creatives for creatives,” reespect told me — of web2 and web3, as the tech took a backseat to the people.
The goal? To bring together a growing number of creatives into the planet lukukul fold, and build a hub that benefits everyone. On this second story, the project indeed grew: five writers, five artists, five illustrators, a web designer, developers — all of the pieces.
DJs spun an eclectic mix of everything from dancehall and afro house to EDM. Creative collectives based in & around Lagos featured their work with stands, from Itan World (music) to WAC (We Are Creative) People, who brought live paintings to life at the event. Fashion also had a home, as S É W A S I M I L A R A brought her “timeless pieces that reaffirm unapologeticness,” with a focus on pieces for plus-sized and non-binary people.
Making it happen behind the scenes
What does it mean to reespect to produce an event of this scale in the name of her boundary pushing planet lukukul project?
“It’s hard — especially when it’s the first time,” she said. Two months in the making, she credits her marketing and pitch deck efforts with bringing in so many collaborators to this event, from vendors to fellow artists.
“It’s very important to me that African female creators have a stake in this new internet. It’s not just me — I have to do this for other people.”
What’s next for reespect and planet lukukul?
Energized off the success of the pop-up, reespect has already set her sights to the next planet lukukul storytelling. Interested creatives can get involved now by sending a portfolio in during this open call time. As for reespect the artist, who has never let up since the day I met her, she’s got new music dropping on 10/3 that she’s been promoting alongside her inventive reestyles that you can catch on socials.
xo C