5 Years Of Afro-Punk And Counting!

Afro-Punk is a lifestyle- a movement.  Co-curated by filmmaker James Spooner and Matthew Morgan back in 2002.  Their very first annual festival occurred at Brooklyn Academy of Music in the Summer of 2005. In fact- I was one of the few hundred over the 2 day festival- I knew back then that it was something special- a rabid growing audience of young urban kids across America passionate about alternative culture/punk and grunge!

One year I even collaborated with my company The Bloom Effect sponsoring the events.  I’m just super excited having watched Afro-Punk from its inception and knowing Matthew really well- watching its explosion to massive levels-  Kids are starving for something innovative, exploratory and they need a place for self- expression. This is the place for that. The social network to the gatherings, exchanges and interactions.  Just look at all the activity/commentary on their site. Everything’s archived since the inception including all the films and BMX/Skateboarding.   A couple years ago I spent 2 days straight just crowd surfing, vibe’ing out and meeting all kinds of young kids.  It was refreshing to see 8-14 year olds bopping heads and dancing too along with their parents.

So it’s going down as we speak.  The skate and BMX registration happening now and they’ve moved the festivities to Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene.

June 25th-27th.  The line up is bananas-  Best yet!   Everyone from Indie Alt Hip Hop faves P.O.S to 24-7 Spyz, Bad Brains, Ninjasonik, Game Rebellion, Mos Def, J*Davey, Martin Luther, The Cool Kids, Bad Rabbits and more along with BMX contests, pro-demos, Skate contests, Skate clinics, visual artists, fashion designers and food to make the experience even wilder. This is a Global event- Kids are traveling from every destination to be here this weekend.  It is a phenomena!   If you’re looking to experience true Afro-Punk Culture you need to be here!  I’m definitely popping through.  No such thing as too old- it’s the vibe, authenticity and movement which transcends. Young/Old as long as your heart is strong- not for the weak/weary.

The Festival is also coming to 2 new Cities. Atlanta and Chicago-  Stay tuned.