Image via Complex Original
This weekend, the annual Afropunk Fest comes to Brooklyn's Commodore Barry Park. The show has become a yearly highlight of New York City's musical summer, featuring an eclectic, increasingly prominent line-up and a drawing a crowd to match. The New York Times has called the festival "The most mulitcultural festival in the U.S." But as it becomes a tradition, an institution even, it raises a question. What exactly is "Afropunk?"
The festival's official site says. "The word AFROPUNK itself has become synonymous with open-minded, non-conforming and unconventional, placing the institution at the epicenter of urban culture inspired by alternative music."
Hmm. That's a lot of big words. And we're not very smart.
So we decided to go to a reliable source to help us get it. We asked a person who is playing the festival, Sacha Jenkins, of the White Mandingos, to explain. Because Sacha knows us, knows that we are computer-addled, short-attention-span products of the 21st century who can only undestand ideas when they're presented in an easily digestible list, with pretty pictures to look at while we read, he humored us by explaining The Ten Most Afro-Punk Things in the World.
(After the White Mandingos themselves, we're pretty sure.)
10. 'Ol Dirty Bastard/Rick James
'Ol Dirty, rest in peace. Nobody can touch you when it comes to raw emotion on wax or stage. Johnny Rotten could never do it like you. Rick James, rest in peace. Nobody can touch you when it comes to raw emotion on wax or on stage. An all those leather suits that Rick used to wear? You've gotta have balls sport outfits like that. You just can't care. That's punk.
9. Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu is a true artist who doesn't compromise. And if she feels compromised, she's gonna scream on you and let you know (like a true black woman would). When homeboy Wayne from the Flaming Lips got a bit too freaky with a video starring bad-ass Ms. Badu, she let him know that she might have to get thorough. Gangsta punk move right there. The White Mandingos would also like to make wonderful music with Ms. Badu so we're exploiting this platform to put that out there. You know how black people do: they'll win an award, grab the trophy, shout out everyone in their projects. The stage manager will cue up music to nudge said black artist off stage. Then, on the way out, they'll scream "my album is coming out March 24th!" Us letting Ms. Badu know that we wanna work with her this way is kinda like that.
8. Afrika Bambaataa
He was in the Black Spades. He Sported a Mohawk. He wore provocative clothing like a punk rocker. He is the Godfather of hip hop. 'Nuff said.
7. Ericka Huggins, Kathleen Cleaver, Angela Davis: The Ladies Of The Black Panther Party, And Black Women In General
The Black Panther Party changed things in America and in the world. It was legal to carry guns in Oakland—as long as said guns were visible. You know, these black dudes in Oakland were just trying to stand their ground. As Americans. But some folks didn't like that. Being a member of the BPP was a dangerous proposition. Women like Ericka Huggins, Kathleen Cleaver and Angela Davis laid it all on the line. And black women lay it on the line for their families every day, often inside of very difficult circumstances. Doing what you've gotta do to hold it down is PUNK.
6. Jimi Hendrix
Some people say that "Purple Haze" is the first heavy metal song. Jimi did what he wanted, and chaps like Sid Vicious wanted to tap into the same kind of creative liberation that Jimi exhalted. Do you really believe that Jimi choked on his own vomit? LOL. Yeah RIGHT. Jimi's music was going to new places, and he had lots of white women and the Black Panther Party courting him. That's a dangerous cocktail right there. Some people don't like that cocktail. Can you guess who might not like that cocktail?
5. Martin Luther King Jr.
Much respect to Malcolm X and Clarence 13X, but MLK was the man. He hasn't received the props he deserves, in this scribe's estimation, from the hip-hop nation. So I'ma go ahead and give him that punk light. MLK's tactics weren't for everyone. But at the end of the day, he used mental chess and sophistication to collect wins for all humanity. And he wasn't no punk as in "chump." What he did forced the term "fear" to reexamine itself. MLK was punk because he wasn't afraid to push and go against the grain and redefine "standards."
4. Sammy Davis Jr.
Sammy was a wild cowboy who wasn't afraid to dabble in lots of different things. The man was going places where most blacks couldn't go when he was going where he was going. He flirted with Judaism, Satanism, white women, cocaine (his white girl mistress), had crazy mob connections, and, more importantly, the dude was half Puerto Rican! PLUS, the man could out dance-and-out-sing anyone. He made glass eyes fly, too. Punk all day. In your mouth.
3. Death/Pure Hell/Bad Brains
People are just getting up on Death—amazing story. Now more people need to get up on Pure Hell—amazing story. Many more people know about the Bad Brains—the hardcore punk band with a reggae twist who emerged outta Chocolate city, a.k.a Washington, D.C. in the late '70s. The Bad Briains have changed lives. Listen to "Drain You" by Nirvana and then go back and listen to "The Big Takeover" by the Bad Brains. Go listen to the Deftones. Go listen to Jeff Buckley. Go listen to Jane's Addiction. Go listen to the Beastie Boys. Go listen to the White Mandingos.
2. Being Black
What's more punk than being black? When white kids started wearing hairstyles rocked by Native American peoples for billions of moons (The Mohawk) the white establishment got scared. And yes, the white punks were seen as a threat. But once it was time to grow up, clean up and get a job, those white punks could easily transition back into everyday civilian life. If you're black in America, largely, there's a target on your back and a new hairstyle will only make so much of a difference. Does Supercuts do black hair? I've always wanted to know.
1. The Stooges/Iggy Pop/Detroit
The Stooges come up outta Detroit. Detroit is the home of Motown. Detroit is where whites and blacks worked side by side in auto factories and made beautiful cars. Detroit is a place where people make things with their hands, even if they have nothing. Iggy Pop and the Stooges pioneered this punk shit. Much respect to the Ramones and the Brits who came afterwards. But Iggy was stage diving and smearing peanut butter on fools at the same time. Punk all day and night. Detroit? Punk all day and night. Iggy loved the blues, too. They wanted to be an American version of the Rolling Stones. The Stones worship the blues. Which means that the Stones and The Stooges secretly want to be black. (The song "Paint It Black" is the proof in the proverbial pudding).