Grace Aisha Hameed, known as Reespect, is a computer scientist and graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. She is a mean femcee with the potential to evolve the hip-hop music prerogatives with her unique sound and authentic style. She raps, writes, and build worlds, one of them being Planet Lukukul.
Background
Growing up, I wasn’t exactly surrounded by a sea of music like some other artists. Access was limited. So when artists talk about being influenced by music subconsciously from childhood, I sometimes feel left out.
But recently, I asked my uncle, the only person I remember actively playing music around me as a child, what he used to spin. He mentioned Fabomo, Peter Tosh, and Koffi Olomide. At the time, I didn’t understand the impact. But listening to them now, I get it.
What I consciously remember is being in the orchestra, singing in my school choir, playing talking drums. I’d transpose melodies for tenor singers, then return to my alto section. That was fun.
On the side, I was writing poems. Rhyming was everything back then. If it didn’t rhyme, it didn’t work. A boy once told me in JSS2 that he’d want me to write his rap songs when he became a rapper. If I had a manager then, I might’ve ended up a ghostwriter.
First Encounter with Hip-Hop
The moment it clicked was when I heard Lil Wayne’s 6 Foot 7 Foot. It wasn’t just the bars. It was the confidence, the rhythm, the bounce. It made me think, maybe I could write like this… but for me.
Before that, I didn’t even like my voice much. I got teased for how deep it was. But I loved rhythm. I loved dancing. I loved melody. I wrote my first song with a rap part because I didn’t want to sing. I gave the singing parts to classmates and saved the rap for myself.
Today, I love my voice deeply. It’s one of my favourite instruments.
Writing Hip-Hop
Writing started as poetry. Eventually, I outgrew the rhyme-only phase and moved into poems that healed, poems that felt. My pen became my therapy, and that healing made its way into my music too.
After secondary school, I stepped into the studio and recorded my first song. It blew up in FUTA. Like, really blew up. I got a taste of campus fame, but I was more focused on building something long-lasting. So I kept writing. I kept evolving. I knew I wanted to put out a debut EP that truly sounded like me, I got obsessed with creating this body of work so much that I was hardly ever satisfied, the dissatisfaction birthed the moodswing playlists.
Now in 2025, I finally am with R is for Romance
Hip-Hop Head to Emcee
I always say J. Cole’s Forest Hills Drive helped me understand what I wanted my music to feel like. It’s still one of my favourite albums. I call J. Cole, “my best rapper” because of it.
But truthfully, my favourite rapper is Reminisce. He’s balanced. He’s raw. He’s reflective. He’s nasty when he wants to be. I love it.
People didn’t expect me to rap at first. I think my voice catches them off guard, but in a good way. And as I found my voice, my poems, and my power, I became more confident on the mic.
Most Underrated Song or Verse
Watch Me with Tim Lyre. It’s so underrated, and I take responsibility. It dropped on Moodswing Playlist 2 alongside Misdirection, which overshadowed it.
The verses on it came too easy. That was the moment I started to believe that the double e in Reespect might just stand for “too easy”. My pen never fails me.
Worst Song or Verse
This one’s tricky. All my verses are fire. But if I had to choose, I’d say Levels. Sonically, I think I could’ve done more, but that didn’t stop it from hitting. I performed it during NYSC camp and the crowd went wild. So maybe it did what it was supposed to.
Plans
Right now, my focus is fully on R is for Romance, my debut EP.
It’s a body of work I built with intention, blending storytelling, passion, and the reality of navigating love, ego, and ambition. This EP isn’t just a project — it’s a statement. It’s the announcement of my readiness to take over the whole world. The rollout includes visuals, appearances, a listening event, Planet Lukukul’s exhibition.
My greatest plan is to enjoy to process! The beauty of everything is in the process. You put your head down in whatever you want to do and life takes you on an incredible story. And when you look back everything makes sense. You can’t afford to not be submerged in your process.
I’ve juggled my music, politics/activism (i don’t think i mentioned the mark i left of FUTA in this regard, it’s a conversation for later), tech, and of course fun and now I’m building a beautiful world called Planet Lukukul for “cool kids” like me and my fans. Sweet life.
Everything beyond that? You’ll have to stay tuned. Life’s already writing it.
keep up with Reespect
