The Afro- Punk in Solitude

Joining the Afro Punk community wasn't a hop on the bandwagon type of thing. My friends didn't ( and still don't) understand the movement. My family thought that I was just doing anything to be defiant. Coupled with the fact that I don't know any other punks from Cleveland. I felt like just walking away from the movement. It wasn't until I found out my mother was a fellow punk , I gave it another chance . Am I the only one who feels like the odd one out in this community sometimes ?

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Permalink Reply by mahad ahmed on December 31, 2012 at 9:10am

I feel you, I´m from a small town in Holland and i´m not only the only punk there butt my family is the only coloured family in town. and i have never met a fellow afropunk yet. which bums me out cause i joined afropunk to meet more black punks.

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Permalink Reply by shon lee on January 11, 2013 at 10:13am

I'd just like to say first and formost that whatever it is that you subscribe to stay true to it, even when you have to stand alone. I've been AP since the age of reason and yes I have caught grief for it but that only fueled my resolve and even made me seem rebellious. My mother would say to me "you are just like i was when i was younger" , little did she know, she's been part of the movement since way back when. Remember some people will say "why you acting white?" but the fact that you were born black is what makes you black, not an attitude, and what makes you AP is all the things that make you free. I suppose thats in the blood as well, thanks ma.

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Permalink Reply by Kristen Kimira Scott on January 11, 2013 at 10:34am

"the fact that you were born black is what makes you black, not an attitude, and what makes you AP is all the things that make you free."

Love that!

shon lee said:

I'd just like to say first and formost that whatever it is that you subscribe to stay true to it, even when you have to stand alone. I've been AP since the age of reason and yes I have caught grief for it but that only fueled my resolve and even made me seem rebellious. My mother would say to me "you are just like i was when i was younger" , little did she know, she's been part of the movement since way back when. Remember some people will say "why you acting white?" but the fact that you were born black is what makes you black, not an attitude, and what makes you AP is all the things that make you free. I suppose thats in the blood as well, thanks ma.

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Permalink Reply by Rosenda on January 30, 2013 at 12:51pm

You learn over time to be proud to be black. Your own definition of black. What do black people do? They do what they want to do, create what we want to create, and move to the music we really enjoy, be it punk soul heavy metal hiphop ska rockabilly etc etc. We are not someone else's definition of a Black person, we are OUR definition! So true, the things that make you free, Do what ya like!

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Permalink Reply by SHOGNOSIS Lab Group on March 1, 2013 at 10:48pm

I was taken by this movement while being a part of one myself at the time called GHETTO METAL that was headed up by an artist by the name Bazaar Royale. I like what AP is doing here in NYC but i have some iffy things I feel about how this is intended. The cliquish feel and the not cool if you are not tattooed thing. First off I am a Mature B-Boy...so when growing up i was with big ears for a lot of music, I know true punk, glam rock, new wave, metal, soft rock, hard rock, classic rock. But I love Hip Hop as well. So to come into this and be wowed and then turn around and see the weak links and the facade's of wanna be, trying to be....look it's time to be advanced.

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Permalink Reply by اندرى ليتل on March 1, 2013 at 11:31pm

im an older cat too SHOGNOSIS, u must be around 40 like me!...aint no shame in our ol skool, ...too skool fo cool, game,...i mean i got tatts n crap, but the truth is, the hipsters, not unlike the jazz era beat poets or hippies or the 60s tryin to be revolutionary, is just NOT A REBIRTH OF COOL. COOL IS FOOL< when rebirthed or remixed w/o revolutionary spirit, a.k.a. REAL PASSION for the artform/or any art form. lets face it, most of todays pop culture is remixes of the 80s,...remixed movies, fashion, politics, art, music;...the MAJOR difference being the lyrical content and message being a BANG on the SYSTEM! today, these kids are scared to write and smash and push the limits like a BLACK FLAG, an NWA, a P.E., a BAD BRAINS!...they jus SOFTER in the ASS!

SHOGNOSIS Lab Group said:

I was taken by this movement while being a part of one myself at the time called GHETTO METAL that was headed up by an artist by the name Bazaar Royale. I like what AP is doing here in NYC but i have some iffy things I feel about how this is intended. The cliquish feel and the not cool if you are not tattooed thing. First off I am a Mature B-Boy...so when growing up i was with big ears for a lot of music, I know true punk, glam rock, new wave, metal, soft rock, hard rock, classic rock. But I love Hip Hop as well. So to come into this and be wowed and then turn around and see the weak links and the facade's of wanna be, trying to be....look it's time to be advanced.

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Permalink Reply by Can't Be Like Me on April 5, 2013 at 12:48pm

This is a great post!

I definitely feel where you're coming from on this matter, since it's difficult meeting those in Atlanta that love the same things I do. Growing up, I found that I didn't want to be categorized or stereotyped, so being that rare black girl that loved 'weird' stuff (as my former classmates put it) like alternative rock and gaming was very isolating, and still is. As others have mentioned, you just have to follow what you think is right for you, and hopefully others will come along with similar interests.

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Permalink Reply by Arianna Garcia on April 21, 2013 at 2:20am

I've learned to embrace it. I'm not one of those people who is "proud to be black". I don't see my race or the color of my skin as my identifier or a show of my worth. So "coming out" about it wasn't a big thing. I enjoy all it has to offer and what it stands for but it's a part of me, I'm not a part of it. I'm just a girl who loves heavy metal who happens to be black and loves that something like afropunk exists.