How Rolling Loud Plans to Bridge Hip-Hop and Web3

As the NFT space expands, the line between IRL and URL has continued to blur. This is most evident at the intersection between digital and physical goods, but also virtual and personal events. With virtual concerts branching out into meatspace and physical conferences going online, many big brands have staked their claim on what the future of events could look like.

One such device that recently kicked up dust in this intersection has already set itself up to be a serious contender. Months ago, Rolling Loud, the world’s largest hip-hop festival, made a splash, announcing its entry into Web3 with the help of an upcoming large-scale PFP project called LoudPunx. Now LoudPunx has taken another step forward, sharing a roadmap and new information about the project’s usefulness exclusively through nft now.

The lowdown on LoudPunx

Simply put, LoudPunx is the generational NFT collection created by Rolling Loud. It represents Rolling Loud’s first major step into Web3, despite information emerging behind the project’s veil in a slow fashion. Still, fans can expect thousands of unique PFPs, all with varying characteristics, each offering a unique array of incentives to holders.

Sounds familiar? Good, because LoudPunx is made to be straightforward. However, where the project takes a major departure from others, is that each NFT in the collection will provide global entry into each Rolling Loud Music Festival. That means that by owning a single LoudPunx NFT, a collector can potentially attend every single Rolling Loud – from New York to Miami to Portugal, Toronto, Thailand and beyond – for free.

“We’re kind of catering to underserved markets. You don’t see a lot of NFT gatherings offering meets in Europe, you know? Some smaller meets, maybe, but definitely not with Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar,” Rolling Loud’s head told Web3 Ronald De Luise in an interview with nft now. “We’re excited to bring that IRL experience [of Rolling Loud] to Web3 worldwide. And I don’t really see anyone else doing that with our size and scope of talent anytime soon.”

De Luise went on to note that festival entry isn’t the only incentive for those planning to purchase a LoudPunx. As, at each show, there will be different tiers available to holders of specific traits, as well as unique 1/1 exclusive experiences for those who draw rare tokens from the crowd. But mostly, the global initiative that LoudPunx will bring to Rolling Loud fans can only be communicated via the project’s roadmap, which shows the many locations and facilities that will be included in the LoudPunx ecosystem.

Building LoudPunx for the future

Beyond the obvious utility that LoudPunx NFTs will present to their holders, De Luise says a secondary function of Rolling Loud’s flagship project will be to expand the horizons at the intersection of hip-hop and Web3. Commenting on the less-than-ideal history rap/hip-hop has established so far in the NFT space, De Luise says he sees LoudPunx as a kind of incubator for future endeavors.

“I think [hip-hop representation in Web3] hasn’t been very good so far. There have been many poorly launched projects, said De Luise. “We have an idea that LoudPunx will be an incubator for the hip-hop space. Others can look at our collection, see that it’s backed by tons of utility, and come to us for guidance.”

De Luise noted that he is critical of brands entering the NFT space for the right reasons, and has high hopes for considering talent that wants to provide value to their fans. “Blockchain technology is evolving in a way that will better serve artists, and not even just hip-hop artists, to deliver to their fans,” he said.

While LoudPunx as an incubator is certainly an appealing feature for Rolling Loud’s Web3 fans, the project will apparently be primarily a service to its holders in hopes of creating an inclusive and thriving community. While the coin details have yet to be announced, both De Luise and his colleague Charles Kieu of Rolling Loud’s Operations/and Partnerships team said those planning to attend should keep an eye out for more information to come over the next month.