afropunk bk playlist: 5 bops we’re looking forward to

You see the Brooklyn line-up, right? There’s some incredible music set for Commodore Barry Park in late August. And in the spirit of making sure you catch it all, we wanted to spotlight a few bops that will not let you down. We’re gonna keep doing this from here on in, so keep scrolling, keep up and turn it up.

Upchuck, “Boss Up”

This brand new hardcore band from Atlanta is making their AFROPUNK debut. And “Boss Up,” from the Demos EP they released last fall, is a rager, pointing out all the fucked up things happening around us, but…”I Don’t Complain / Man, I know I need to boss up.” It’s “tear shit up” music.

BCUC, “Yinde”

A seven-piece from Soweto, South Africa whose acronym stands for “Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness,” BCUC makes hedonistic, percussive music, somewhere between jazz and funk, that is also a weapon of political and spiritual liberation. Like many of their tracks, 2016’s “Yinde” is a trance-inducing groove, 20 minutes of voice, bass, drums and uplift.

Goldlink feat. Wale & Radiant Children, “Summatime”

You can chart the rise of DMV rap’s great breakout star by where he’s been on AFROPUNK line-ups, upon making his 2015 debut, when he arrived unsigned but on fire. Link hasn’t been to Brooklyn since dropping “Summatime,” so there are few things we’re looking forward to as much as singing “it’s a love crime, a love crime” at dusk in August with a few thousand friends.

Muzi, “Zenzile”

“Zenzile,” from Muzi’s incredible 2018 album Afrovision, is a great example of why South Africa’s dance and electronic music keeps getting more and more love around the globe. There’s so much going on: It’s house, it’s pop, it’s Africa, it’s the future, it’s tradition. “Zenzile” has a beat that references all of it, and Muzi’s late-arriving gorgeous Zulu vocal.

Leikeli47, “Girl Blunt”

Maybe you’ve noticed, we’re obsessed. So we’re just gonna keep telling you about how much we love Leikeli47 and Acrylic. Honestly, we could’ve put any number of bops from that incredible album on this list, and said, “It!” Maybe you heard “Girl Blunt” on Insecure, or maybe you saw its dope video. Who knows? Just recognize that it bangs.