The “Music Brings People Together” tee dubbed “Music Unity” tee is very important to us. This design was inspired by the powerful connection made between DJs and people around the world during the pandemic. Reflecting on that time and the community that was built through music has stayed with me long after things opened up and we commenced to a “normal” life again.
It was said by many that the DJs were instrumental in helping people get through the pandemic, we wholeheartedly agree. Suddenly, people worldwide were home, stuck in lockdown, feeling scared and uncertain of the days and months to come. With DJs worldwide being abruptly out of work now too, it didn’t take long for us DJs to jump online for live streams via Facebook or Instagram, then eventually Twitch as an outlet to play music and create while seeking some connection in the same. These streams quickly became daily parties with DJs playing for hours, with daily sets and weekly themes for shows becoming a standard. Twitch allowed for a full interactive experience including live chats, raids into other DJs streams to bring your streamers to another channel, and even compensation from viewers to say “thank you” for the music. It was a lot of fun.
The unfortunate circumstance of the pandemic provided priceless opportunity for an organic connection between DJs, music nerds, people looking for interaction, and more. A community of people networking, building, discovering, and simply coming together for the sake of music. You saw familiar faces regularly and formed friendships with people from across the globe that you wouldn’t have otherwise. Also, the number of famous musicians, music producers, DJs, artists, actors, and so on that popped in the streams was incredible. It was cool to share a moment with them; it was humanizing and humbling for all. Many relationships built during this time are still strong today and a huge number of DJs still have successful shows on Twitch too. Simply amazing.
As 2021 crept in, I was anxious to return my focus towards Akepele and really wanted to create something special for the next design drop. One night after my Soul Good (funk, boogie, and soul music) live stream, while feeling grateful about all the people I’ve met during my DJ streams and how cool it was that music brought so many people together, it hit me. Music Brings People Together… that would be a dope phrase on a tee. True, it’s not a unique phrase but it’s a simple and impactful statement and at the time it wasn’t used on any apparel or in any marketing, so I pushed forward with the concept. I designed a few versions but settled on the design you see today with the word “PEOPLE” embodying flags from around the world, implying unity and togetherness. This expressed my sentiments of the experience perfectly.
We dropped it at the first pop-up post pandemic in June of 2021. It’s been a staple piece since, released in 3 different tee colorways as well as on a black and navy heather midweight sweatshirt.
-Renzo
