“I would see more black people with mohawks than I’d ever seen my entire life. You see people who you thought you were the only one of.” -P.O.S., musician
It's where black people who's lives do not only revolve around rap music come to have fun. It's a music festival which incorporates all types of alternative music and activities. Hosted by Afro-Punk whom's slogan is "The other Black experience". It is THE platform for what is not shown in are media. The representation of black people you do not see on television. Of course, it is not only specific to blacks, it is all in good fun, expression, and entertainment.
Here's a description of this year's festival via
Afropunkfest.com :
The Afro-punk Festival is returning to Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park for the 8h Annual Afro-punk Festival on August 25-26.
The 2012 festival has the most stellar line up yet with Erykah Badu, Gym Class Heroes, Janelle Monae, Das Racist, Skindred, Toro Y Moi, Reggie Watts, Spank Rock, Ninjasonik, The Memorials, Bad Rabbits, Gordon Voidwell, The London Souls, Cerebral Ballzy, Phony People, Body Language, and more to be added! In addition, the Nike Battle For the Streets Skate and BMX Competition, the largest street skate and BMX competition in NYC will return this year with the nation’s top amateur skaters and BMX riders in a competition to be judged by top professionals in both sports.
Last year’s festival was unfortunately cancelled due to Hurricane Irene which almost put an end to the Afro-punk Festival but through the organizations work and this year’s sponsors which include Nike, Vitamin Water, and media sponsors The Fader and WNYC, the festival is back and still free to the public!
Described by the New York Times as putting “rock and rebellion squarely in the category of African-American music,” the Afro-punk Festival has become a Brooklyn intuition, the focal point for the burgeoning Afro-punk movement. Over the past seven years, the festival has presented new artists before they hit it big, such as Grammy-nominated Santigold, The Noisettes and Janelle Monae. Afro-punk mainstays like Saul Williams, The Dirtbombs, and Dallas Austin have also graced Afro-punk’s stages.
Last year was my first hearing of this fest, I did some research and loved what I heard. Here's some footage from 2010's fest:
You all probably know my love for Hip-Hop music and should know that I am a big fan of KanYe West as well as his record label G.O.O.D. Music. Last year KanYe announced a G.O.O.D. Music album to be released this year and now there is more buzz than ever before. The whole fam is featured, on the cover and, in the August/September 2012 issue of complex magazine:
