This article was drafted by Norman Busigu. Special thanks goes to: Reckyy, Kdarg, Eaasy E, Shadrack, Jeremiah, Bigg Micks, MKSGFX, Obzerve, Dpshotitt, Kay_Captures_Creations, DirByPlayback, CertifiedByKoko and VisionsByFunmi

There are few places where we as humans can fulfil our innate desire as social creatures to freely connect with strangers in a communal setting, like on a night out while clubbing. Much more than just a place to hear the hottest tracks of the times (whilst discovering new ones), these dimly lit realms become a sanctum of sorts where individuals enter alone, and can leave as friends or even lovers(!) And at the heart of the clubbing experience, lies community: regardless of social class, colour or race, individuals can mix at will – and as we all descend onto a dancefloor - we are met with the opportunity to temporarily escape the troubles of the world through the soundscapes which are skilfully sculpted by DJ’s who (when done properly) lead us on a journey through different genres, emotions and tempos…

Image supplied by Kay_Captures_Creations

The potential and power of club/party culture to act as a uniting force in society has long been experienced in a city like London (UK), whose unique composition means that it exists as a melting pot of cultures in the truest sense. Despite their long-standing significance as a staple in British society (that subtly weaves together the varying fabrics of London’s multi-culturalism), clubs are rapidly eroding from physical existence. Indeed, in 2024, it was estimated that over 37% of UK nightclubs have closed since March 2020 – which marked beginning of the first COVID Pandemic lockdown. A 2024 report by The Night Time Industries Association forecasted that UK nightclubs could be virtually extinct after 2029, should this trend continue. The result: the spirit of London’s party scene and night-time economy are dwindling.

But despite the existential threats to very survival of this very industry that we see in real time, Popout LDN – a group comprising of six ambitious Black (British) men - was launched in 2024 in London to fill this void. Over the years, Popout LDN have evolved to become a respected force that are restoring the feeling of fun that so many are yearning for on a night out… With a dedicated following, they have curated events that have sold out the likes of Shoreditch Boxpark in spectacular fashion. Committed to the community they have cultivated, and as they continue to grow, they intend to remain loyal to their audiences. In their words, it's about “scaling up without selling out”.

Off the back off their incredible R&B themed clash event last week (28 February), I had the chance to speak with the victor of the showdown/one of Popout’s original founders, Reckyy (who is also the Official DJ for British Rapper and Songwriter Jay1). Reckyy shared exclusive insights about the origins of Popout LDN, plans to push forward the boundaries of club/nightlife culture, creating safe spaces for African/Caribbean diaspora audiences through music, and more…

Reckyy and Norman Busigu - Image supplied by Dpshotitt

What is your role in the creation of Popout LDN?

I'm one of the six founders of Popout LDN, myself (Reckyy), Kdarg, Eaasy E, Shadrack, Jeremiah, and Bigg Micks. It's a collective effort through and through, but yes, I'm one of the people that built this from the ground up.

Why did you and the team decide to create Popout LDN, and how does it differ from other events?

Initially it started as a collaboration between myself, Eaasy E and Kdarg had been running events together for a while and Shadrack, Jeremiah and Micks had their own events set up too. We just wanted to link up and throw something big together. But after a few conversations between us, me, Kdarg, and Eaasy felt the time was right to rebrand our whole operation. And rather than doing that separately, it made sense to bring everyone in under one roof. We already had a TikTok live doing really well with a lot of engagement and views so we renamed that Popout Thursdays to match the brand direction. We launched on September 22nd 2024 at Brixton Jamm, which went brilliantly despite the typical UK weather doing what it does! Shortly after, Jeremiah, Shadrack, and Micks had the same conversation on their side and decided to shut down their other events company to fully commit to Popout LDN. From that moment, we've been building steadily, with each event growing bigger than the last.

What makes Popout LDN different?

I genuinely believe it's the experience. When you come to one of our events, it doesn't matter if you walk in by yourself, you leave with new people you'll actually keep in contact with. Everyone there is on the same frequency; good vibes, good intentions, no gatekeeping. We go out of our way to give back to our guests too with lollipops, cupcakes, microphones, stickers and free shots for the early birds. It sounds simple but that level of care actually means a lot to people and I don't think many event brands match that attention to detail. The music is a massive part of it too. The talent we have other than myself (Reckyy) DJ Kdarg, DJ Eaasy E, DJ Stun, DJ Lumes, DJ Bigg Micks and DJ Big B every single one of them has done incredible things individually. Having them all on the same lineup under the Popout banner is something really special.

And then there's the content team MKSGFX and Obzerve GFX handling our graphic design, Dpshotitt on photography (with assistance from Kay_Captures_Creations) and myself alongside Dpshotitt heading up the video and aftermovie production under Production Company DirByPlayback. CertifiedByKoko and VisionsByFunmi are our iPhone shooters making sure we don't miss a single moment on the day. It's a well-oiled machine behind the scenes and I think that shows.

There is an ongoing conversation that nightlife in London is dying — how do you feel Popout LDN is combatting that?

I hear that conversation a lot and I understand where it's coming from: venues closing, rising costs, people being more selective about where they spend their money. But I actually think that's what's pushing us forward, not holding us back. When going out becomes less frequent for people, the standard is higher. They want to feel like it was worth it. They need more than just a room with music. That's exactly the gap Popout LDN fills. We're not just throwing a night, we're creating an experience with a genuine community behind it. People come back every time because they feel something when they're there. The regulars bring their friends, and those friends become regulars. We've built something that people feel invested in, and that loyalty is what keeps us growing even when the broader narrative says London nightlife is struggling. If anything, we're proof that the right energy in the right room will always draw a crowd.

To bring each Popout event to life, you exist as part of a collective of renowned DJs including Sneakbo's DJ, Kdarg — how did you all come together to form this alliance?

My relationship with Kdarg goes back to 2015, which is roughly when we both started our DJ journeys. We crossed paths at a booking in Brighton really early on and just stayed in contact from there. He was actually one of the first people I ever booked for an event (“TRBBQ”) back in 2016 in Coventry, old school! We've been friends ever since.

A few years down the line, I met Eaasy E and joined Inna City Sound with him and DJ Nash and brought Kdarg into that circle too. That's where the three of us really started working together in a serious way, throwing events under the Inna City brand and building our sound as a collective. Everything from there led to where we are now with Popout. That whole journey from the early free gigs, the mistakes, figuring out how to treat DJ’ing as a proper business rather than just a hobby… I actually documented all of that in my ebook, “How I Went From Free Gigs To Full-Time DJ”. It covers everything I wish someone had told me, including how incorporating events management was a game-changer in creating opportunities for myself. So if anyone reading this is on that early part of the journey, I will be releasing it very soon and all of that info is in there.

In the last year you've been able to achieve great things including securing an ongoing residency at Boxpark Shoreditch — what's the ultimate goal and dream for Popout LDN?

Boxpark has been a massive part of our journey. The relationship we've built with their team is something we're really proud of and you can see the growth every time we host there the numbers keep going up. They're brilliant to work with and we genuinely enjoy what we create together in that space. But the dream doesn't stop there. For Popout, it's about scaling up without selling out. We want to be filling larger venues - Boxpark Wembley being an obvious next step - and eventually taking our experience to other cities across the UK and beyond. There's something really unique about what we've built and I believe it can translate anywhere because it's rooted in community, not just location. Whatever we do next, the core values stay the same: look after your crowd, give them an experience they can't get anywhere else and make sure everyone in that room feels included.

You also have Popout Thursdays — a weekly showcase by you and Kdarg on TikTok. Why did you create this and how important is social media in growing your audience?

Starting a TikTok live was something I'd personally wanted to do for a while. I think Kdarg felt the same way. It just so happened that TikTok granted me live access first and the very day it happened I rang Kdarg and asked if he wanted to do a weekly live show with me. He said yes straight away, and from that moment it was history! We called it Reckyy & KDARG Thursdays originally, because this was before Popout existed. For the first month or so we were getting maybe five to eight viewers a week. It was slow but we stayed consistent, kept engaging with whoever was tuning in and it gradually started to build. People started watching us on their Thursday evenings replacing physically going out, sharing the clips, bringing their friends along.

Now it's Popout Thursdays, and we're regularly averaging over 100k likes a live with thousands of people tuning in every week… People call us their favourite show! That's purely down to consistency and how much we actually interact with our community. People feel like they know us and that connection is real. We even get DMs if we're late going live, which still takes some getting used to honestly. And it's crossed over into real life too! We get recognised when we're out just from TikTok and nine times out of ten the first thing someone says is "I watch you guys on Tiktok."

One thing people might not know is that the live show was also built with a bigger purpose in mind, I wanted to create a platform where me and my DJ friends could genuinely showcase our skills and personalities, not just play music into a void. TikTok live has been that space for us. We do get a lot of requests from people wanting to come on as guests and while we love the love, we're quite selective about it. We don't just let anyone jump on; we want to maintain a consistent energy and keep the vibes right. The moment it becomes too chaotic or loses that feel, it stops being Popout Thursdays. So we're intentional about it.

The impact on the business overall has been massive. More bookings, more followers, more people tuning into our Soundclouds, more people showing up to events. TikTok has genuinely changed the trajectory of what we're doing and that whole story of how I went from grinding for free gigs to building this into a full-time career is actually something I documented in my ebook, “How I Went From Free Gigs To Full-Time DJ”. To help other DJ’s figure out how to make it work as a real business…

What do you feel is the biggest problem affecting London nightlife right now, and how do we combat it?

There are a few things going on at once. The venue closures are a real issue; spaces that have been cultural landmarks for decades are disappearing and that takes away the infrastructure that events rely on. The cost of living is doing its thing too; people are more careful about what they spend, so you have to work a lot harder to earn someone's night out.

But honestly? I think the biggest challenge is relevance. There are so many options competing for people's attention now streaming, social media, staying in that if your event doesn't stand for something, it gets lost. People want more than just a DJ and a dancefloor. They want to feel part of something. The way to combat that isn't to copy what's worked before, it's to build community first and let the events be an extension of that. What we do with Popout Thursdays on TikTok is a perfect example. We build the relationship weekly online, so when we show up in person it's a reunion, not just an event. That consistency and connection is the antidote to dying nightlife.

What focus do you and the Popout DJ collective place on playing Black-American, Black-British, African and Caribbean music genres — for example: R&B, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Dancehall, Afroswing? And have you seen music act as a vehicle to bring diaspora communities closer?

This is something close to my heart. The music we play isn't just a playlist, it's a cultural statement. R&B, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Dancehall, House… these are the sounds that raised a lot of us, that tell our stories, that connect generations…. When you put on a track that someone heard in their mum's kitchen growing up or in a cousin's car, you're not just playing music, you're triggering memory and identity. That's powerful.

At Popout, we're very intentional about the music selection. It's not just about what's charting - it's about what resonates. And what I've seen first-hand is that these sounds genuinely do bring people together across different backgrounds within the diaspora. You'll have someone from a Jamaican household vibing next to someone whose roots are Nigerian, next to someone who grew up on early 2000s R&B in South London… And in that room, at that moment, the music is the common language. Nobody's thinking about the differences, they're just feeling the same thing. I think that's one of the most underrated things about what DJs in this space do. We're not just entertainers, we're community builders. And Popout, by design, is a space where that plays out at every single event.