With more than 100k followers on Twitter and no drop date released yet, HAPEBEAST is undoubtedly a project to watch till the end of 2021.
Just looking at the project’s Instagram page alone is enough to see how beautiful the collection is and why it is worthy of its hype. These cool-looking apes have been rendered to terrific detail, with every accessory and clothing a reflection of fashion and music’s cultural history.
While there has been a number of teases and easter eggs dropped, the team at HAPEBEAST has remained relatively hush on the specifics of the project. Until now, nothing concrete has been released apart from a roadmap hinting at some possible collaborations within music and fashion and the fact that the launch will happen sometime this month (Dec 2021).
For those who are interested, this article is meant to follow the breadcrumbs leftover Twitter, Discord, and Instagram to bring you up to date with the most hyped about project this year.
What is HAPEBEAST?
Derived from a play on the word ‘Hypebeast’, HAPEBEAST is a nod to the world of streetwear and fashion, as well as the now iconic NFT ape universe. The website calls it a “new art and fashion playground from London-based studio Digimental”.
The HAPEBEAST collection combines elements from tech, fashion, music, and the aesthetic of viral NFT apes like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) into 8,192 unique Ethereum-based NFTs for their initial drop.
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was –
A starlit ceremony, two million years ago. Lightning strikes the monolith and the universe fractures. Apes spin off in 10k tribes, distinct but familiar. Every ape is unique. Every ape is beautiful. Every ape is loved, and every ape is family, whatever their differences, wherever they are now.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the shattered multiverse, the PRIMAL HAPES wait for the whole family to return. They wait and they build out their style, they work the Hapewalk, and they plan for a bigger future.”
hapebeast.com
Drawing inspiration from several corners of streetwear culture, each HAPE from the collection is a visual personification of all your favorite 90s hip hop legends, combined with fashion from the hottest contemporary streetwear labels.
Who are the people behind HAPEBEAST?
HAPEBEAST GENESIS
If you’ve been looking around marketplaces searching for anything HAPEBEAST related, you might have come across HAPEBEAST GENESIS, a collection of 3D rendered apes similar to the description of HAPES. The HAPEBEAST GENESIS collection was created by Matt Sypien a.k.a. Digimental prior to the larger project we now know as HAPEBEAST. This collection is not part of HAPEBEAST, but rather, can be thought of as the prototypes or sketches of the project. While the HAPES from HAPEBEAST GENESIS collection do not possess the same utilities as the HAPES from the HAPEBEAST collection, owning a HAPEBEAST GENESIS may grant you some perks during the drop of HAPEBEAST (Read on to find out more).
What’s been speculated
There has been a ton of speculation circulating around the HAPEBEAST project. Let’s look into some of what has been predicted to happen, starting with the HAPEBEAST Roadmap teaser:
HAPEBEAST Roadmap (Teaser) predictions
Phase 1:
A new dimension – This is vague, but this is perhaps a new digital dimension for where these HAPES could live and interact with each other beyond just PFP performance.
First drop – The initial collection drop in Dec 2021 Jan 2022.
Music to HAPE to – Not much has been said about this but we’re hoping for bonus content with music from some big artists.
Phase 2:
Second drops – Another drop of complementary HAPES, or part of a staggered drop of the 8k HAPES.
Special collection – This could be pointing to another opportunity for people to own HAPES that aren’t part of the OG 8000+ – either a collection of completely different NFTs, potentially wearables for the existing HAPES.
Simian engineering – The definition of simian simply means ape, so simian engineering could mean a tech-related aspect for the “new dimension” developed for HAPEBEAST owners.
Phase 3:
Clothing collaborations – We’re hoping for some IRL clothing collaborations with notable streetwear fashion labels during this phase.
Runway to fame – Taking hints from the trailer, this phase could possibly be a manifestation of a digital runway or fashion show for HAPE owners to flaunt their fashionable HAPES.
Other speculations:
Seeing as the project has teased a possible ape multiverse that will bring all the elements of fashion and music together. And as HAPEBEAST founder Digimental is a fan and owner of a couple of BAYCs, many have speculated that HAPEBEAST might be included as part of the BAYC social club, as well as a Metaverse for the members of the ape multiverse to interact.
Some of these speculations include predictions that this Metaverse, if that is what the multiverse is pointing at, could allow interchangeable, buyable, and tradable skins, and other digital wearables for the owners of HAPES to engage in – perhaps an extended Metaverse game or playable Metaverse element that will be introduced post launch.
How can I get a HAPE?
The in-road to becoming a HAPEBEAST owner is not going to be an easy one, and with good reason. Seeing as the demand for these HAPES grow immensely every day, in order to lessen the chances of HAPES going to bots, with the added challenge of mitigating gas wars and discord spams, the team from HAPEBEAST have come up with a number of ways to determine who gets to mint a HAPE during the drop.
Here are some of the ways you can own a HAPE:
- If you are an OG: OG refers to the original supporters of the HAPEBEAST project. There are 1024 spots reserved for OG list, so the chances of owning a HAPE this way may be slim.
- If you own a HAPEBEAST GENESIS – As the article mentioned earlier, HAPEBEST GENESIS is a collection created by founder Matt Sypien prior to HAPEBEAST. Those who own a HAPE from the collection will be granted a mint spot, although it is unclear whether or not you have to be the primary owner of a HAPEBEAST GENESIS.
- Getting on the HAPELIST – The HAPELIST is the project’s version of a whitelist. There are a total of 4906 spots on the HAPELIST, for which some have already been taken. The team has specified that they will be giving spots away to those who have made significant contributions to the community, these include “one message or a thousand, a piece of art or a moment of kindness.”
- Giveaways – The team has made it clear that they want to grow the community organically, so getting noticed by grinding on the discord channel has also been discouraged as a way to get yourself on the HAPELIST. The good news is that there are spots reserved for giveaways, so participating in giveaways is a good way to get yourself on HAPELIST.
Going bananas for HAPEBEAST
From design to roadmap, it’s clear that an immense amount of thought has been put into the design and production of each and every aspect pertaining to the world of HAPEBEAST. Just the trailer itself justifies all the hype that’s been surrounding this project, with many already calling it the biggest project to drop since Mekaverse. From the creativity and artistry found in the design of each HAPE, to how well-executed their branding and marketing efforts have been, HAPEBEAST is without a doubt a project that will set the precedent for other NFT collections to live up to in the future.
