Beautiful Black bodies gathered in camaraderie at 787 Windsor to discuss activism, shop Black-owned businesses and see brilliant acts such as FKA Twigs and Anderson .Paak, all while flourishing in their own identities. This isn’t the run-of-the-mill festival. This is AFROPUNK Atlanta — a wondrous homecoming for Black and brown people everywhere.
As a first-time AFROPUNK attendee and a writer engulfed in hip-hop culture, I was prepared to feel out of place. While I know a majority of the performing artists, I haven’t lived with any of their material, except a few Danny Brown projects, so I did not expect to feel that delicious anticipation when one of your favorite artists is about to take the stage. Also, considering that pulling up to a festival alone can be down-right awkward, I was prepared for anything as I passed through security.
Once finally on festival grounds, my energy shifted as I was swept into the thick of it all — knee-deep into the atmosphere. An unlikely blend of disparate vibes, AFROPUNK’s all-welcoming appeal can hook people from the crevices of any scene in Atlanta. Ornate festival garbs mingled with streetwear simplicity, and everything from seasoned Dr. Martens to crisp Jordan Retros made an appearance. Sponsor activations from commercial giants like AT&T and Toyota coexisted with the SpinThrift market, a (not so well-ventilated) space where Black brands shared their products, all in tandem with thumping DJ sets.
The Carnival of Consciousness pulled off an impressive balancing act, and nothing captured that achievement more than its genre-spanning line-up. Metal quintet Paleos, hip-hop duo EarthGang and English singer-songwriter Mahalia made for a small sample of the acts who performed over the weekend, but their sonic diversity is representative of the entire bill and the all-encompassing nature of AFROPUNK.
Raven Lenae at Afropunk Atlanta, Niya Falls 2019 
Sir and Smino at Afropunk Atlanta, Niya Falls 2019 
Leikeli47 at Afropunk Atlanta, Niya Falls 2019 
Day one enjoyed the spoils of great festival weather — overcast, but balmy with just the right amount of breeze. Yet spaces such as the Red Stage and the SpinThrift market suffered from their stuffy enclosures, which yielded jumbled sound quality and poor ventilation. Thankfully, the main stage (deemed the Green Stage) was an open, spacious alternative and the source of some of the weekend’s best performances.
Ravyn Lenae, a Saturday Green Stage standout, brought her 2018 Crush EP to life for a soulful set with her soaring vocals and contagious groove, making for a hard act to follow. None of the subsequent artists could own the stage quite like she did. Performances from Sir and Gallant had their great moments, but the crowd’s level of engagement didn’t reach the heights of Lenae’s set.
Not until Leikeli47 hits the Red Stage, that is. The Brooklyn rapper’s show was galvanizing off rip, but her set gained steam when she said, “We see you Atlanta!” and broke into a lengthy tribute to the city. Atlanta staples from Crime Mob’s “Knuck If You Buck” to Gucci Mane’s “I Think I Love Her,” rang off into the night air as she continued the onslaught of local gems for nearly twenty minutes. Sure, she was essentially facilitating a sing-along to a playlist that any of us could have curated, but her interpretation of the festival’s theme was creative, effective, and wildly entertaining.
At this point, I’m sold on AFROPUNK. While I wasn’t moved by many of the performances, the overall festival experience was solid. Quite frankly, it’s Black as fuck, and being surrounded by droves of my people is grand on its own merit. I checked out Danny Brown’s set before I headed out to prepare for another day at 787 Windsor.
FKA TWIGS
Unfortunately, day two was plagued by rain before gates even opened, and a wet and much colder follow-up to Saturday awaited. Having fallen under the weather due to unfavorable festival conditions like these, I was reluctant to return, but I dragged my feet through security nonetheless. Sunday also faced technical difficulties on the Green Stage, which lead to noticeable delays and a complete adjustment to the entire festival schedule.
A hazy drizzle persisted as Fantastic Negrito closed his set with a spine-tingling medley critiquing ICE. When looking around, he said he sees a crowd full of immigrants, and warns us that ICE was waiting outside the gates of AFROPUNK. Strangely political, Negrito’s blues struck a chord with me that none of the performers did the day prior. Fever 333 picked up right where he left off with one more intense, visceral and punk rock outfit. Two songs in, the rain pouring down heavily, but I don’t think anyone, myself-included, cared. The energy that these three guys pumped out is enough to charge a Tesla. Following in Negrito’s conscious efforts, Fever 333 spoke their peace more cogently, making for one of the most uplifting performances of the weekend.
Pressed against the metal barricade between the stage and the large, slippery moshpit, joy rushed over me. The insanity of Georgia pits is no foreign experience, but the people surrounding me and the reason we were losing our minds is different than what I’m used to. Black and brown people surrounded me, happy to be seen, heard, and felt. As Fever’s frontman Jason Aalon Butler prompted the crowd to get low from inside the pit, we didn’t follow because he’s dropped the biggest record of the year. The empowerment racing through all of us moved our bodies.
This is AFROPUNK. This is home. And what a glorious homecoming it has been.
EarthGang
