Afropunk Festival is an annual arts festival that features music, film, fashion, and art produced by alternative black artists.
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Afropunk Festival |
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2013 Afropunk Festival |
Years active | 2005-Present |
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Website | afropunk.com |
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The Afropunk Festival began in 2005, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. By 2018, Afropunk Festivals had also been held in various major cities, including Atlanta, Paris, France, London, UK, Salvador, Brazil, Dakar, Senegal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. The festival was co-founded by James Spooner and Matthew Morgan, and grew out of the 2003 documentary titled Afro-Punk which studied black punks across America.[1]
2005-2008
The festival was targeted towards black alternative-minded punks and supported by The Brooklyn Academy of Music. As the festival grew and the music industry became more diverse, the musical curation shifted towards reaching a broader black audience and the festival also began charging an admission fee.[2] Due to festival alterations that deviated from the original Afropunk culture, former co-founder, James Spooner ended his involvement in 2008.[3]
2009-2019
Jocelyn A. Cooper became involved with the festival in 2009. Afropunk Festival grew to hundreds and thousands of attendees,[4] expanding into the cities of Atlanta, Paris, London, Johannesburg South Africa, Salvador, Brazil, Miami, and Minneapolis.[5]
2020-Present
Afropunk is acquired by entrepreneur Richelieu Dennis and Essence Ventures.[6]
Having emerged from political punk roots, Afropunk Festival has faced criticism at times,[7] including backlash over booking artists such as M.I.A.,[8] Ice Cube[9] and Tyler the Creator.[10]
Attendees have also critiqued the values of Afropunk's organizers surrounding LGBTQ concerns, treatment of employees, and its corporate leanings. Some attendees critique the festival for appealing to white audiences,[11] including an instance of attendees being removed from an area of the festival for wearing a homemade t-shirt critical of the event.[12] In August of 2018, Afropunk's Editor-In-Chief resigned after over a decade of work for Afropunk citing mistreatment and a corporate agenda he labeled "performative activism".[13][14]
Brooklyn, July 3-8, 2009
[15]
- Pure Hell
- Whole Wheat Bread
- American Fangs
- Game Rebellion
- The Objex
- Joya Bravo
- Living Colour
- Earl Grey Hound
- Tamar Kali
- The London Souls
- Apollo Heights
- Sabatta
- Saul Williams
- Janelle Monáe
- The Dallas Austin Experience
- Elevator Fight
- Chewing Pic's
- Peekaboo Theory
- Blackie
Brooklyn, June 25-27, 2010
[16]
- Bad Brains
- P.O.S
- God Forbid
- Ninjasonik
- The 54
- Cipher
- Game Rebellion
- The Bots
- Belikos
- Activator
- DJ MU$A
- DJ D://BOI
- Mos Def
- 24-7 Spyz
- J*DaVeY
- The Cool Kids
- Martin Luther
- K-OS
- The Memorials
- Bad Rabbits
- Galaxy of Tar
Brooklyn, August 25-26, 2012
[17]
- Reggie Watts
- Janelle Monáe
- Erykah Badu
- Gym Class Heroes
- Straight Line Stitch
- DJ Smoke L.E.S.
- Joe Jordan's Experiment
- The Supasonics
- E.Z. Mo Breezy of Grits & Biscuits
- Purple Ferdinand
- Flatbush Zombies
- Sinkane
- Venus x GHE20 G0TH1K
- TV On The Radio
- Oxymorron
- Alice Smith
- Tess
- Roofeeo
- Stack-Aly
- Inky Jack
- Radkey
- Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely
- Ninjasonik
- The Memorials
- Spank Rock
- The Skins
- Cerebal Ballzy
- Gordon Voidwell
- Bad Rabbits
- Toro Y Moi
- Das Racist
- Phony Ppl
- Body Language
Brooklyn, August 24-25, 2013
[18]
- Wicked Wisdom
- Living Colour
- Roofeo
- DJ mOma
- Chuck D & DJ Lord
- ?uestlove
- Death
- The Heavy
- Trash Talk
- Danny Brown
- Saul Williams
- Theophilus London
- Vintage Trouble
- The London Souls
- The Coup
- Mykki Blanco
- k-os
- Big Freedia
- Rye Rye
- Le1f
- Jean Grae
- CX KIDTRONIK
- The Dust Rays
- The Skins
- MEAΔTLOAF MUZIK
- Rebelmatic
- Unlocking the Truth
- Sunny Gang
- Pyyramids
- MikeQ
- Mess Kid
- The White Mandingos
- Sebastian
- DJ Mr. Hernandez
- PatPervert
- Mursi Layne
- UNIIQU3
- J Lamar
- Small Axe
- Stack-Aly
- Prince Paul
- Mick Collins
- Larry B
- Teachers
Brooklyn, August 23-24, 2014
[19]
Brooklyn, August 22-23, 2015
[20]
Brooklyn, August 27-28, 2016
[21]
Brooklyn, August 26-27, 2017
[22]
Paris, July 14-15, 2018
[23]
Brooklyn, August 25-26, 2018
[23]
Atlanta, October 13-14, 2018
[23]
Johannesburg, December 30-31, 2018
[24]
Paris, July 13-14, 2019
[25]
Brooklyn, August 24-25, 2019
[26]
Atlanta, October 12-13, 2019
[27]
Johannesburg, December 30-31, 2019
[28]
- Solange
- Miguel
- Masego
- Goldlink
- Nao
- Sjava
- Sho Madjozi
- Kwani Experience
- Urban Village
- Zoe Modiga
- Blinky Bill
- Morena Leraba
- Darkie Fiction
- TCIYF
- Umlilo
- House of Diamonds
- House of Reve
- Jazzidisciples
- DJ Kenzhero
- DBN Gogo
- Batekoo
- Gina Jeanz
- Zara Julius
- Lelowhatsgood
- Fif_laaa
Virtual, October 23-25, 2020
[29]
Miami, May 20-22, 2022
[32]
Minneapolis, June 18-19, 2022
[33]
Brooklyn, September 10-11, 2022
[34]
Bahia, November 26-27, 2022
[35]
- Ludmilla
- Rayssa Dias
- Young Piva
- Baile Favelle
- N.I.N.A.
- Paulilo Paredao
- Margareth Menezes
- Emicida
- A Dama featuring MC Carol
- Baco
- Liniker
- Black Pantera
- ÀTTØØXXÁ & Karol Conka
- Psirico
- Mart'Nalia & Larissa Luz convidam Nelson Rufino
- Nic Dias
- Ministereo Publico Sound System
- Yan Cloud
- Dawer x Damper
- Masego
Manhattan, February 24-25, 2023
[36]
- Mahogany L. Browne
- Aja Monet
- Celisse
- Danielle Ponder
- India Arie
- Ebony Williams
- Sarah Jones
- Umi
- Mereba
Brooklyn, August 26-27, 2023
[37]
- Teyana Taylor
- Flying Lotus
- Joey Badass
- Vince Staples
- Tobe Nwigwe
- Baby Tate
- Durand Bernarr
- Sudan Archives
- The Beatnuts
- Dreamer Isioma
- Amindi
- Enny
- Rahzel
- Madison McFerrin
- Jack Freeman
- Iniko
- DBN Gogo
- Akwaeke Emezi
- Proper.
- Cleo Reed
- Dawer x Damper
- King Isis
- Uniity
- The Soapbox Presents
- Bembona
- Winter Wolf
- The Rack
- DJ SNS
- Stonie Blue
- DJ Mohogany
- Wemi
Brooklyn, August 23-24, 2024
[38]
Naasel, Kenrya (11 May 2015). "Jocelyn Cooper". Fast Company. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
40.697104°N 73.979037°W / 40.697104; -73.979037