AFROPUNK 2024 Celebrates Expansive Black Experiences

AFROPUNK Blktopia Bkyln celebrates the diversity within.

The 2024 AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN Festival brought audiences to the grassy fields of Prospect Park for two days of music, activations, and community. Making steps to emphasize the origins of the festival, AFROPUNK channeled its energy into platforming subcultures that speak to the diversity of the Black experience. 

The air of the festival was akin to a community picnic day at the park, as Black people across generations set up across the field for the days ahead. Many festival goers arrived in maximalist fashion of various genres: renaissance wear, gravity-defying hair, gender expansive styles, intricately designed and handmade ensembles, and of course, the on-theme punk attire with jet black platform boots, metallic nails, safety pins, and spikes galore.

Day one welcomed aspiring rock bands from across the east coast to perform on the Lena Horne Bandshell stage during an open-invitation Battle of the Bands segment. Acts on the lineup included: Student 1, Ose, Lara, Ferrari Smoke, Pilot Jonezz, The Arti$t, My Friend Shawn, and Trust Nobody. The battle was MC’d by dance superstar Amari Marshall whose warm presence welcomed each act to the stage, exposing curious audiences to new rock bands of various subgenres. 

In between the musical acts, Legacy Pro Wrestling (LPW) put on quite the sequence of entertaining wrestling matches. Fixed adjacent to the main stage, a boxing ring stood elevated allowing spectators to witness the action up-close. LPW uplifted Black pro wrestlers’ talent and affirmed their presence in a predominantly white sport. The final title match saw Oni King and WWE wrestler JTG compete, resulting in Oni King defending his title. At the conclusion of the match Oni King took to the mic with an intentional message: “I need to give [JTG] his flowers.” He praised JTG for having the tenacity to break into a space such as WWE and likens his efforts to the purpose of the festival, “AfroPunk is the epitome of breaking through.”

Before the larger musical acts of the night, The House of Juicy Couture graced the Bandshell stage and ring to bring attendees Black ballroom culture. Ushered in by the talented MC Julz Romell and panel of judges (including Caroline Wanga, Robot Moon Juice, Giselle, DJ Mike Q, and Starr Juicy Couture) the Fancy Ball hosted several Juicy Couture house members as they performed and competed in several ballroom categories. Miss Honey Balenciaga herself added to the ball’s excitement by briefly taking to the floor before enjoying the rest of the day’s events. 

Activations on the grounds boasted a range of Black art and innovation, from Penguin Random House’s Black book selections to the henna art station, complete with a display detailing the history and significance of nail art and hand adornment in the Black community. Community organizations and partnerships such as Stand Up and L’Oreal were present to encourage attendees to advocate for their local communities.

At the top of the hill sat the SOKO MRKT which held space for Black businesses to connect with the new customers and sell anything from bodycare products to customized denim and eyewear. Blktopia lived up to its name as it supported multiple facets of Black creation and expression. 

Brazilian singer Larissa Luz brought in the evening with a performance that transformed a subdued crowd into a fully active and dancing audience. She instructed the crowd to form a dance circle and sent her backup dancers directly into the heart to invite spectators to dance along to the rhythm of Bahia. 

Luz sat down with AFROPUNK to discuss her performance, artistry, and how global Black communities are connected through similar artistic origins. In her decisions to speak so consciously against social ills through her art, she quotes Nina Simone who once said, “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times,” and states that “this is about my existence, our existence. I have to use my art to transform everything around me because this art is not just about me. I use my instrument to make a difference.” Luz’s powerful set made for a seamless transition into headliner Erykah Badu’s closing performance. 

Badu’s incredible band drew in the night crowd with instrumentals as they awaited Badu’s arrival. All that could be seen through the dimmed lights was the silhouette of a large hat making its way across the stage, which caused the crowd to erupt instantly.

Early in her performance she addressed the audience, noting “I see a whole bunch of afros, but I want to pay homage to [the punks], those Black men and women who were in the movement.” She named the 2003 documentary, “Afro-Punk” which inspired the festival’s inception and named iconic Black punk bands such as Bad Brains who paved the way for today.

“All of us here are the children or grandchildren of the punk movement,” Badu affirms, “It’s in the bones.”

She continued through an engaging performance including a bass solo from Thundercat and guest appearance from Rapsody, before closing out night one with “Didn’t Cha Know.”

Day two offered a stacked line up of Black punk bands, all with their own artistic style. Throughout the afternoon acts including Phunky Nomads, Winter Wolf, Rebelmatic, Breezy Supreme, Jenny Hates Techno, and Hue took audiences through genre-blending sounds highlighting screamo, punk rock, soft rock, hip hop, and more. Many of the bands had intentional messages to impart to the crowd relating to unity, reproductive rights, and taking back space. Gitto’s liveliness guided the audiences through the day aided by DJ Moma who provided the tunes between live sets.

Crowd favorite Durand Bernarr came out channeling rockstar energy in a chrome leather and chain link ensemble. His electric stage presence was felt throughout the grounds, and, mid-performance he recited the dictionary definition of “humble” which states ‘to make a low estimate of oneself.” He rebukes this and instead urges that he is grateful, “ain’t nothing humble about me. I operate in gratitude.” Bernarr’s choice to step into his bold self resonates with audiences. In conversation with AFROPUNK, he explains that an element of his identity he shares with his fans is his “mental health journey.” He strives to be “aware, mindful, and transparent,” as he believes, “we connect to things that we identify with.”

Sunday evening saw the grassy hill completely covered as people gathered to listen to the musical acts. Like a picturesque summer night, the park set the perfect scene for the community to enjoy the perfect weather and bask in the Black beauty amongst each other.

Erykah Badu closed out the night once again, as part two of her Ba-Duex experience, this time bringing out Durand Bernarr to sing backup vocals. She educates the audience once more on the origins of AFROPUNK, explaining the nature and significance of the documentary, and how all the performers thereafter have been “the children of the funk and the punk.” 

“Punk means rebellion,” she explains, “it means I’m not having it.” She goes on to highlight Thundercat on bass guitar once more, this time discussing his old punk band “Suicidal Tendencies” and playing some of their music. She made space for Rapsody to perform alongside her and closed out the night celebrating the myriad of Black artists that have contributed to the eclectic Black musical legacy. 

AFROPUNK Blktopia Bklyn left its mark on Prospect Park with a slightly new format and pointed intention to support expansive forms of Black art.