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, London, Salvador, Dakar, and Johannesburg. The festival was co-founded by James Spooner and Matthew Morgan, and grew out of the 2003 documentary titled Afro-Punk which studied black punk rock musicians across America.AfroPunk Started With a Documentary, Village Voice
History
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.Gentrifying AfroPunk, New Yorker Due to festival alterations that deviated from the original Afropunk culture, former co-founder, James Spooner ended his involvement in 2008.We Still Need to be Seen: The Rise of Black Punk Culture, The Guardian
2009–2019 Jocelyn A. Cooper became involved with the festival in 2009. Afropunk Festival grew to hundreds and thousands of attendees, expanding into the cities of Atlanta, Paris, London, Johannesburg South Africa, Salvador, Brazil, Miami, and Minneapolis. Some notable artist performances by FKA Twigs, Tyler, the Creator, and Erykah Badu, set a new standard for the impression made by the festival.
Afropunk 2019's lineup also featured celebrated artists such as Jill Scott, Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, and EarthGang, further amplifying the festival's reputation as a space for diverse and radical Black expression. In addition to musical acts, the event provided a platform for activism, beauty showcases, and photobooths that enriched the overall experience.
2020-Present Afropunk is acquired by entrepreneur Richelieu Dennis and Essence Ventures.Richelieu Dennis’s Essence Ventures Has Acquired BeautyCon Media, Inc., Forbes Magazine The festival adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting its first virtual event in 2020, branded as Planet Afropunk: Past, Present, and Future is Black. This virtual edition, held from October 23 to 25, showcased global talent and tackled critical socio-political issues. The lineup included artists like Ari Lennox, Meshell Ndegeocello, Moses Sumney, serpentwithfeet, and Tiwa Savage. Alongside performances, it featured virtual art galleries, Black hair showcases, and discussions on topics such as systemic racism, prison reform, and the criminal justice system. Attendees were encouraged to donate to organizations such as Color of Change and the Equal Justice Initiative.
Criticisms Having emerged from political punk roots, Afropunk Festival has faced criticism at times,AfroPunk's Growing Pains, Mail & Guardian including backlash over booking artists such as M.I.A., Ice Cube and Tyler the Creator.
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,How to be a Good Ally at AfroPunk including an instance of attendees being removed from an area of the festival for wearing a homemade t-shirt critical of the event.Couple Thrown Out Of AfroPunk VIP, The Root In August 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".Afropunk Editor ResignsFestival Staff Abuse, Vibe Magazine
Performers
Brooklyn, July 4, 2005
Saul Williams
Living Colour
Tamar-kali
Cipher
Honeychild Coleman
Brooklyn, June 30-July 4, 2006
Cipher
Honey Child
Tamar Kali
Brooklyn, June 29-July 7, 2007
Apes
Bear in Wolf Fur
Cx Kidtronic
Cutlery
Dragons of Zynth
The Drugstore Cowboys
Ellul
The Exit
Game Rebellion
Mighty Fine
No Surrender
The Objex
Philmoore Browne
Rich Medina
Stephannie McKay
The Smyrk
Suffrajett
Taylor McFerrin
Tiombe Lockhart
Whole Wheat Bread
Brooklyn, July 5-13, 2008
Afrika Bambaataa
Janelle Monae
The Apes
Shawn Hewitt
Millsted
The Five One
No Surrender
Jen Militia
P.O.S.
Hollywood Holt
Tim Williams
Shala
Proton
Sky hy
Echo Jinx
Whole Wheat Bread
Disaster Us
LIke Gravitiy
Cutlery
McRad
Planety Ubiquity
Voodoo Fee
Lets Go To Wear
Bazaar Royale
Game Rebellion
Bone Crusher
The Noisettes
The Dirtbombs
DJ Hard Hittin Harry
Sophia Ramos
Bermuda
Little Jackie
Tamar Kali
The Caesarz
The Carps
J*Davey
Kudu
Arthur Baker
Rich Medina
The Dustbin Brothers
Brooklyn, July 3–8, 2009
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
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
2011 cancelation Cancelled due to Hurricane Irene.
Brooklyn, August 25–26, 2012
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
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
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings D'Angelo Lianne La Havas Trash Talk Meshell Ndegeocello Body Count Valerie June SZA Cro-Mags Alice Smith The Internet Tamar-kali Straight Line Stitch Fishbone King Britt Bad Brains The Bots Cakes da Killa The Tontons Denitia and Sene Gordon Voidwell Loaf Muzik Ho99o9 Princess Nokia Shabazz Palaces Clipping. DJ SLIINK THEEsatisfaction A Tribe Called Red LOLAWOLF Activator Unlocking the Truth The Wilding Incident Baby Baby Sunny Gang AFRICA LATINA Lonely Horse SEWER RATS BK The oOoh Baby Gimme Mores TECLA Junior Astronomers Kandace Springs BLXPLTN Cipher DJ mOma MikeQ UNIIQU3 Jasmine Solano and MeLo-X Mista Selecta + Mane Squeeze Papi Juice Byrell The Great DJ Dhundee Juliana Huxtable Roofeeo Gianni Lee Dub-Stuy Sound System CX KIDTRONiiK DJ Underdog $1 Bin Beverly Bond Blaqstarr + Smallwood Pat Pervert AfterThem
Brooklyn, August 22–23, 2015
Lenny Kravitz Grace Jones Kelis Suicidal Tendencies Kele Thundercat Danny Brown Cakes Da Killa Lion Babe GoldLink Sam Dew Raury Petite Noir Young Paris Adia Victoria Curtis Harding Kaytranada Everyday people Soulection Mobile Mondays MikeQ Brenmar UNIIQU3 Nadus Papi Juice WC Kids Palaceburn
Brooklyn, August 27–28, 2016
Ice Cube Tyler, The Creator Flying Lotus Janelle Monáe The Internet Skunk Anansie Laura Mvula Young Fathers Benjamin Booker Skye & Ross from Morcheeba Earl Sweatshirt George Clinton Thundercat Shabazz Palaces Saul Williams PowerJam Living Colour, Fishbone, Bad Brains Ceelo Green Angel Haze Kelela Trash Talk Ho99o9 Gallant Prayers Radkey Seinabo Sey The Suffers Sate Downtown Boys In The Whale Roman GianArthur Xavier Omar BLXPLTN Sir The Baptist The VeeVees Tank and the Bangas Qaasim and the Juggernaut War Party Sango Esta Roofeeo DJ Moma Juliana Huxtable Larry B The Whooligan Joe Kay Yaadcore Spank Rock Lsdxoxo CX Kidtronic DJ Lindsey DJ Dhundee Underdog PBDY Mono/Poly Ras G Blkkmorris
Brooklyn, August 26–27, 2017
Soul II Soul Sampha Thundercat Kaytranada Dizzee Rascal Gary Clark Jr. Macy Gray SZA Jojo Abot
Paris, July 14–15, 2018
SZA D'Angelo Wizkid Damian Marley Gary Clark Jr. Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue GoldLink Davido Nneka Sandra Nkaké Mahalia Ecca Vandal Estere The NoFace Anais B Cheetah Queen CI Manare Mo Laudi Pllow Rokia Bamba
Brooklyn, August 25–26, 2018
Erykah Badu Tyler, the Creator Miguel Janelle Monáe The Internet Twin Shadow Ibeyi H.E.R. Lolawolf Daniel Caesar Wicked Wisdom Jaden Smith Willow Smith Trash Talk Fever 333 Denzel Curry Smino Solange Knowles Fantastic Negrito Lion Babe Jamila Woods Jessie Reyez Mahalia Nakhane JPEGMafia Duckwrth Nova Twins Sho Madjozi Manthe Ribane Youthman Black Pantera
Atlanta, October 13–14, 2018
N.E.R.D. The Internet Wicked Wisdom Benjamin Booker Noname Little Simz serpentwithfeet Gaika Yves Tumor Kari Faux
Johannesburg, December 30–31, 2018
The Internet Kaytranada Public Enemy Flying Lotus Thundercat Thandiswa Mazwai Moonchild Sanelly YoungstaCPT
Paris, July 13–14, 2019
Solange Knowles Janelle Monáe Masego Ibeyi Lizzo IAMDDB Tiwa Savage Maleek Berry Burna Boy Rico Nasty Tank and the Bangas Samurai Shotgun Anais B Muzi BAMBII Black Square Club
Brooklyn, August 24–25, 2019
Jill Scott FKA Twigs Leon Bridges Brittany Howard Kamasi Washington Gary Clark Jr. Santigold Lianne La Havas GoldLink Toro y Moi Nao Death Grips Ho99o9 Danny Brown Tierra Whack IAMDDB JID Ravyn Lenae Kelsey Lu Masego Leikeli47 Rico Nasty Scarlxrd Thandiswa Mazwai EarthGang Kari Faux Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber Fire From The Gods Tank and the Bangas Junglepussy Rahbi The Suffers Hyro the Hero Alxndr London Hello Yello Chika Rebelmatic Samurai Shotgun BCUC Upchuck Red Arkade babygotbacktalk Anahata Black Haüs BYHAZE Fade Em All Vibe World Order Soulection MikeQ DJ Moma UNIIQU3 Rich Medina DJ Kenzhero Rudeboyz BAMBII Papi Juice Lsdxoxo Muzi DOOWAP Batekoo DJ Nativesun Boston Chery Underground System BMAJR BAE BAE GABSOUL
Atlanta, October 12–13, 2019
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals FKA twigs Danny Brown Fever 333 Gallant Smino SiR EarthGang Masego Leikeli47 Mahalia Ravyn Lenae Fantastic Negrito Cautious Clay Lucky Daye Louder Than Quiet Sho Madjozi Duckwrth Upchuck
Johannesburg, December 30–31, 2019
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
Afrobapho Afrocidade feat. Majur and Mahal Pita Ari Lennox Arka'n Asrafokor ASIATICA ÀTTØØXXÁ feat. Hiran Balimaya Project Blac Rabbit BLACK HAÜS Bongeziwe Mabandla Bootsy Collins Common DJ Poison Ivy DJ Ruckus Dua Saleh Duckwrth DUMA Duo B.A.V.I. Durand Bernarr Ecko Bazz Elaine Jahmed Johnny Cradle Jonah Mutono KIRBY Larissa Luz + Carlinhos Brown Loshh Lous and the Yakuza Masego Mayra Andrade MC Yallah Mereba Meshell N’Dege Ocello Moonchild Sanelly Moonga K. Moses Sumney Muneyi Muzi Nêssa Rebelmatic Sampa The Great serpentwithfeet Smino Solo Ntsizwa Ka Mthimkhulu Songhoy Blues T. Nava Tawiah TCIYF The Veldt Theon Cross Tiana Major9 Tiwa Savage Tobe Nwigwe Tomi Agape