Passage, a platform for creating and connecting metaverse experiences, today announced Knostalgia, a hip-hop / martial arts festival in partnership with rapper Philippe Prosper (better known as “Rap Is A Martial Art”).
With 3D video chat and spatialized audio, the virtual event will feature the exclusive release and performance of Rap Is A Martial Art’s new project on February 25, 2023.
The Knostalgia lineup will feature performances, talks, and appearances by prominent hip-hop and martial artists, including RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan; Martial Club, the fight choreographers from Everything Everywhere All At Once; Cory Gunz; Mickey Factz plus more to be announced.
“It’s been a long-time dream of mine to merge the worlds of hip-hop and martial arts in one event,” said Rap Is A Martial Art. “The Passage team shares my disruptive, out-of-the-box DNA. With top-notch 3D aesthetics and an unparalleled vision, they were the ideal partner and right hand to bring this experience to life. Hosting Knostalgia in the Passage metaverse is allowing us to create a one-of-a kind event with global reach, while maintaining a personal touch and delivering high artistic value.”
The brainchild of rapper and former International Kung Fu Grand Champion Rap Is A Martial Art, Knostalgia is a first-of-its-kind event merging the worlds of hip-hop and martial arts in an immersive virtual environment.
“As Martial Club, we have long prided ourselves in being on the cutting edge of martial arts in cinema,” said Daniel Mah, co-founder of Martial Club. “We are excited to work with Passage and Rap Is A Martial Art to contribute to a future where martial arts and hip-hop can be experienced on a whole new level in a virtual space. Innovation is key to the survival and evolution of our art form, and we believe the metaverse is the platform on which we can elevate it to the highest level.”
Knostalgia is hosted exclusively in Passage, a platform for building and connecting virtual and physical experiences. Attendees can join the festival via their internet browser on any device thanks to Passage’s in-browser streaming and 3D communication infrastructure. Passage is built with Unreal Engine 5, enabling high-end, real-time 3D graphics and immersive visuals.
This news follows the recent appointment of Passage CEO Caleb Applegate, a web3 and entertainment industry veteran who is currently leading a $9.2M private sale of the project’s native PASG token. To date, the team behind Passage has worked with leading brands like Capitol Records, Amazon Studios, and American Girl to host custom experiences using Passage technology.
