< ---ju$t so aFro $punKy--->

Quick glimpse Afro-punk 2010 Festival

2010-07-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since I started working with Afro-punk and the journey has been great. This summer was the 6th annual Afro-punk festival in Brooklyn, NY and it was one of the most amazing experiences ever. I couldn't believe that Bad Brains, Mos Def, K-OS, J*Davey, The Cool Kids, and NinjaSonik (just to name a few bands) all performed at the same venue. It was a dream come true. I took a couple of pictures while I had a chance (I was running around working like crazy), but wanted to post a few here. Thanks for following up with me and I will be posting more frequently. Thanks!

-afrospunky

Mos Def, Talib, KRS One + more-- a night in Brooklyn of spliffs and stars

2010-01-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

The other night I got an invite from a friend to see Talib Kweli at The Knitting Factory- this dope little concert venue snuggled away in Brooklyn. Normally in the winter there is no way to get me out of my house if I didn't wrap my mind around the concept of bracing the cold for hours before hand, but I've recently been on a raw hip hop rampage-- and Kweli has been on repeat.

What my friend failed to include, was that along with Talib, the night would also feature old school hip hop heads, including rap pioneer- KRS One, Mos Def, Jay Electronica, A Tribe Called Quest, Greg Nice, and Dres from Black Sheep. (Don't you just love unexpected surprises?)

To be honest, you didn't even need to be a hip-hop head to enjoy this line-up, although 90 percent of the audience were mostly white hip-hop connoisseurs who voiced each lyric to every rapper who touched the stage. The highlight of the night was KRS One's eight minute freestyle about the metaphysical and reality form of the human body. He's an actual lyrical genious and has released a 600 page hip-hop bible for rap religion, I kid you not. It's called The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, check it out.

KRS One @ The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Talib @ The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Mos Def @ The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10
Jay Electronica and Mos Def share the stage at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Dres from Black Sheep at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Greg Nice at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

KRS-One performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Q-Tip at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Talib performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Jay Electronic performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Greg Nice and crowd performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

Talib performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, 1-20-10

An interview with the feather man for Afropunk.com

2010-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

While on the Afro-punk 2009 tour, I had the pleasure of interviewing Saul Williams, the headlining musician for the 20 city black rock experience. Needless to say Saul is an amazing performer- I watched his show at least 15 times and would probably buy tickets to go see him perform again- and it was inspiring to hear conscious poetry blended with rock beats produced by top rock musicians in the game. Here is my interview with Saul Williams that was conducted on a rainy day in Portland, Oregon- this is part of an extended interview. My complete interview and pictures of Saul can be found on afro-punk's website.

Saul Williams- the man behind the feathers

For a man who's name evokes intensity with a shield of mystery, Saul Williams' single presence can quiet an entire room packed with people crossing all racial demographics. Making history with Afro-punk as the headliner of the 2009 U.S. tour, Saul Williams seemed like the perfect candidate to represent our idea of freedom of expression fused with tossing out racial boundaries and social norms. At 37 years-old, Saul has touched every aspect of the entertainment industry, ranging from his lead in 1998 poetry documentary, Slam, to working with MTV to publish a collection of poetry books, to touring with System of a Down and Nine Inch Nails. Throughout the Afro-punk tour, he performed music off of his 2007 album, "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust," (produced by Nine Inch Nails founder, Trent Reznor) and spent an hour using MAC make-up before each performance to transform into his alter performance ego, Niggy Tardust-- a colorful persona he adopted from David Bowie's 1970's character, Ziggy Stardust. Saul's character was accompanied with equally theatrical band mates, including an electric pianist, Kwame Brandt-Pierce, who looks like a skeleton vampire with a cape and goggles, Davin Givhan on guitar, who rocks a bright yellow tuxedo jacket and bow tie depending on the night, and Saul's college friend who was also a performer on the tour, CX Kidtronik on electric beat machine-- who performs like a mad scientist in a lab creating the perfect formula to Saul's off the wall lyrics. Thanks to Niggy and to Saul, Afro-punk interviewed our man of the hour to reveal if his serious stage persona trailed into his personal life and why his songs such as "List of Demands" and "DNA" take such a tone of emergency.

Interview and photos by Whitney Summer, "@fro$punky"

Afro-punk: Do you ever get tired of interviews?

Saul: Not if the questions are good.

PERFORMANCE AND CORPORATE

Afro-punk: We noticed after your performances, you casually walk off the stage and hug audience members and it never seems like it's for the camera. Why do you do that if you don't have to?

Saul: To break the wall. I think because of the work that I do and because some of the things that I say or what have you, I think that sometimes people can take it to some level where it's not necessary. So it's a mutual exchange. Because if I don't do that, one, I would have left an empty room behind the stage, walked onto a stage with four people, performed in front of an audience and gone back to that empty room. I don't think there is anything more lonely than touring. A lot of times I look into audience and say, man it would be nice to meet some of those people. And if I have enough energy, it would be nice to meet some people. It also depends on the venue. With me touring with Rage Against the Machine or Nine Inch Nails or System of a Down, that individual reaction is just lost.

Afro-punk: While on the Afro-punk tour, have you had a chance to speak with people who consider themselves a part of the Afro-punk community?

Saul: Most of the people that I meet at these shows are learning about Afro-punk through me. That's who I end up meeting at these shows.

Afro-punk: Do you feel like you have a responsibility to the Afro-punk movement because of this.

Saul: Yes and no. When I'm doing Lollapalooza, I don't feel like I have a responsibility to represent Lollapalooza. I've toured with tons of festivals, at least 12, and performed at least 100, where there is no personal investment. This differs because there is a personal investment. I think it would be cool if more people were involved. But I don't like for people to feel alienated. So I am always questioning the idea and the process, on every level. Even with using the term, "afro." But I know that some people who come from the afro experience kind of need that sometimes to feel like it's theirs. So I think the incremental stepping stones are cool, but do I feel a responsibility... the responsibility that I feel comes from my own personal ideals on being a human being. There is tons of shit that would be different if it were Saul Willams presents Afro-punk as opposed to Afro-punk presents Saul Williams.

Afro-punk: Knocking our beacon of perfection? In what way would it be different?

Saul: For one, the placement of sponsors. There was one show where I said, you can't put the sponsors name over the stage when I am performing. It has nothing to do with accepting finances from a corporation, but there is no reason why their name, this big, needs to be hanging over the stage while I'm performing. I just see no purpose in that because I know I'm not getting any money from them. Or, little things, like, the amount of meat on the bus. If it was my experience, then we would have vegan chiefs at every point along the way. It would be a much greener experience. The last tours that I have done have been with bio-diesel fuel. The only stops you make are at whole food stores.

Afro-punk: Is there anything else you would do to shake up the tour experience?

Saul: The main thing is, what is the difference of a movement and a lifestyle campaign? The first movement that I was a part of was the spoken word movement and I watched what that movement did and there were lots of corporations that sponsored poetry readings, but no corporation, not even HBO, can say that they were significant in forming the movement. Because it wasn't a lifestyle campaign, it was a movement where people felt the need to speak up. And we learned to listen and use hip hop and poetry. Our generation would express ourselves in a way where we don't need music, we don't even need stages. You see it now when you see Brave New Voices and all of those 14-year-old kids who speak up. It's like lyrical skateboarding. (Poetry) was like a movement. Even with Afro-punk, the way I see it is a safe haven for kids who may feel singled out for being exceptional or different or for not wanting to wear the uniform and feeling ostracized for being different. For wanting to find a place where they can come and gather and get into the stuff that they're into and I think as a movement, that's important. As a lifestyle campaign, I could give a fuck. A movement promotes and instigates change.

Afro-punk: Why did you decide then to work with Nike and allow them to use your song, "List of Demands" in a commercial ad?

Saul: Because with Nike, one, I have owned Nikes, several pairs. So, part of it was just keeping it real. Secondly, I thought that it is was essentially going to reach people that I normally wouldn't reach. They weren't telling me what to say, they weren't asking me to write anything new, they wanted to use something that was four years old that was already written and embedded in who I am and what I believe in. So basically I felt like Nike was doing a Saul Williams campaign. And based on sales and charts after the commercial, Nike's sales didn't spike, but mine did.

Afro-punk: A lot of the lyrics in your music are extremely controversial and in your face. There are no subjects that you'll shy away from in regards to race relations. During this tour, there have been quite a few white people in the audience and they are singing all the words to your songs. Your lyrics don't even seem appropriate for white people to sing.

Saul: Well for one, that's because you are black. But I would say it's written just as much for them. When I decided to do music the way that I have, I knew that I would essentially be in the process of alienating a certain group for part of the journey, that some people wouldn't be ready yet. It's the same way people look at Afro-punk, like, that's cool, but, it's not hood enough, or whatever they may think. With the poetry, the most hoodest of cats were like, yo, I rep for that. The audience, depending on if I'm doing a poetry reading or a music show, tends to fluctuate. But it's been like that for years, so in writing the songs, I think what would be the craziest thing to hear white people say.

Afro-punk: So, you're thinking this as you are writing?

Saul: Yes, I'm talking directly to them. Because I want to see it come through their mouths. Because I know that the process of reciting it will probably be the closest that they will ever come to getting into my brain. It's not only written for them (white people), but I think it's as essential for black people who learn it and recite it because it's beyond pro black, I think of it as meta-racial- using race in order to step beyond it. I think that there are as many, if not more, black people caught up in racial politics than white people perhaps in America and it's detrimental to our health and growth, although it is necessary in the incremental process of growing. My music and lyrics are set up for the process of catharsis. The part of the process of rebirth. I sometimes set up (my lyrics) for white people to be confused whether they could or should say it, so they can think about how retarded it is that they had to think about that. I set it up the other way so black people could see the confusion in it too, because at the end of the day, what the fuck, these are words.

GROWING UP AS BLACK STACEY

Afro-punk: One of your songs that elicits the most response from the crowd is called, "Black Stacey" where you talk about a guy who humped his pillow at night and used bleaching cream because of his insecurities. Who exactly is Black Stacey?

Saul: Who I was when I was 13, 14, 15. I never went by Black Stacey, I went by my middle name, my name is Saul Stacey. I grew up an hour outside of New York City in a very troubled, poor, black neighborhood, but there were no other black guys named Stacey. Black Stacey....it was there, I was never called that to my face and I just always knew that's how I was referred to. I thought it was funny, but as a kid, I went through so much because of my complexion. Especially juxtaposed with the way that I spoke. Especially juxtaposed with what I chose to speak about.

Afro-punk: What were you talking about at 15?

Saul: I mean, I was reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, Assata Shakur, I was just on one. Big time. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey...and I would just read these things and be like, don't you know you are perpetuating the blah, blah, blah. I was on the most black political front that one could ever be on, and be 14, and articulated in a way that would make black people say stuff like, why do you sound so proper or so white, but they would look at me and be like, you are the blackest nigga I know. So, you're so black, sounding white, talking all that super black shit. If you want the essence of why my songs have that sort of weight and why I'm comfortable with putting things in the mouths of all of those people it's because of that experience as a kid and I see what it did to me. And basically what it did to me was it opened me up.

Afro-punk: How long have you been growing out your hair?

Saul: I have no idea. I've had locks I think five times. The first and second time were probably the longest about shoulder length, the second time I grew out locks, it was around the time of Slam and from that point forward, I've just always.

Afro-punk: When did your self realization come into play, when you were like, I am this complexion, and I'm okay with it?

Saul: Well politically, it was there in words when I was 14 and 15. My favorite past time was cracking on people and what was hard was that people loved roasting on me. But I remembered all of the jokes that they could say and only a few would have the comebacks where I was like, fuck. I started feeling comfortable with myself, well, it's an ongoing process, but when I started growing locks. I didn't spend a lot of time in the mirror.

Afro-punk U.S. Tour

2009-12-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of touring with Afro-punk on their first U.S. music tour. My job- yes, job,- was to document the experience of all of the bands with interviews, photographs, and publicity of the black rock experience. It was tiring, none the less, but an adventure I will never forget. All of my work can be found on www.afropunk.com, including the city-by-city tour diary of each day while on tour. This month, I will feature my favorite photos taken while hanging out with some of my new favorite artists, like Krak Attack, Earl Greyhound, and the American Fangs, along with an old time fav, Saul Williams. Enjoy my pictures this month and I hope to hear from you soon.

-afro$punkY

Brooklyn rollerblader killed in shooting

2009-10-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

He wanted to go pro.

But at 18-years-old, dreams of ripping down ramps on his rollerblades came to an early end for Brian Scott Jr., when he was shot and killed on Park Side Avenue Tuesday night.

Police say that Brian, a well known black rollerblader in Brooklyn, NY, had no affiliation with the gun fire that hit him twice in the chest and his friends in the arm. At the time of the shooting, Brian was sitting in a bodega, eating and enjoying his youth with his friends.

There is no word yet on the gun man, but a surveillance camera recorded the scene.

Many condolences to Brian's family from Afro$punky and the Afro-punk community.

-a$

Black Stacy - Saul Williams

Harry's $till hitting it hard

2009-10-06T23:42:00.001-07:00

Celebrating 30 years of spinning tunes in New York's hottest spots, DJ Hard Hittin Harry proves that even in his 40s he's still the party's most important guest.

By Afro$punKy

In a city that ditches more DJs faster than it can sell an I Love NY t-shirt, DJ Hard Hittin Harry has a lot to celebrate.

On Saturday night Harry splashes Sky Vodka in the glass of friend and fellow NYC promoter, Trina Sunshine, at Deity Lounge-- right after blowing out the candles on the vanilla iced birthday cake for his 43rd birthday.

His cake says, "Happy Earth, Strong DJ Hard Hittin Harry" with two musical notes dressed on the side. He says he has tried to shake the Hard Hittin Harry name several times, but it has stuck. He acquired the name in the 80s when Chicago House music was big and many of the DJs had three-part names such as “Farley Jack Master Funk.”

"My friends used to say I go hard at parties," he says. "And it kind of stuck."

Harry with NYC model and actress, Khayriyyah Muhammad

Harry's finished birthday cake

He smiles warmly at everyone. A tiny labret piercing accents his chin and has a subtle resonance of a time when the labret was once reserved for male members of the higher castes in Mayan ancient civilizations. His neatly combed salt and peppered beard hangs four inches down from his grinning chin. Haiti-born, Harry is a Brooklyn resident by way of Canada and New Jersey.

Dressed in an orange ti e-dyed t-shirt and a black hat perched on his head, Sunday night was day two of his month long birthday celebration. He has a weekly DJ'ing gig at Deity Lounge-- along with a weekly gig at one of NY's hottest clubs in the Meatpacking district, Hotel Gansevoort, along with DJing events for Adidas/ Heritage, Sketchers, Diesel USA, and Nike Town.

He has DJ'ed at several Afro-Punk functions, including this year's block party along with several days at last year's festival. (Did I mention he also has his own weekly online radio show called "Global Jam Session" at axiomonline.tv.

Instead of being glued to his usual post this Sunday night, Harry casually broke away from the DJ booth to mingle with the large crowd that gathered to celebrate not only his birthday, but the marking of his 30th year in the DJ'ing arena.

Harry with friends and business partners

Harry, who says he plays for the crowd, not for himself (although he admits he gets personal satisfaction of playing 80s hiphop tunes), has DJ'ed at more parties across the country over the last 30 years that he's lost count. He does remember one of the first tracks he ever spun, The Sugarhill Gang's, Rapper's Delight, and he placed it as the first song on his 30th anniversary compilation c.d. that he passed out for free on Sunday night. The c.d. takes a journey on his career, serving as a musical timeline over the last three decades.

Saturday night he started his celebration by throwing a birthday bash at the grand opening of Littlefield, a new performing arts center in Brooklyn. That night Harry was presented with a plaque from hiphop pioneer, DJ Kool Herc, transcribed with "in honor of 30 years of keeping the masses dancing through the decades."

"I was like, wow, man," Harry recounts of Saturday night. "I look up to DJ Kool Herc, he's a legend."

But meeting with DJ Kool Herc was not his first encounter with a musical legend. Harry's career took off in 1993 when he was hired as the resident DJ for the Fugees and toured with them, with their debut album project, “Blunted on Reality.” After the tour, his career took several turns, including starting his own PR company called Meridian Entertainment where over the past decade, his company has represented numerous record labels, artists, producers, actors, special events, clothing lines, and the beauty industry. But he never stopped DJ'ing.

Along with his weekly gigs, Harry recently shot a pilot for an upcoming DJ reality show tentatively called "Rock Star DJ." Right now he's listening to Jay-Z's new album, The Blueprint 3, and considers himself a mush of music tastes.

"I like it all," he says, "the reggae, the rock, the pop, the hiphop, all of it."

And when asked if he thinks he fits the afro-punk mold, he says "yes."

"I definitely don't fit that corporate mold," Harry says with a faint laugh. "I've learned in my life, if I want something done, I'll just do it myself."

Dancin Til Dawn - Lenny Kravitz

Afro-Punk i$ coming to a ciTy near yoU.

2009-09-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

If you googled the word afropunk in the google news tab last Sunday night, a couple of news links would come pop up, all linking the movement to the New York based summer Afropunk Festival. The stories would use terms as "new-age underground black punk kids" or "cutesy rocker black kids with skateboards gathering in New York's BAM parking lot."

Type afropunk in the news tab today.

Ohio's daily online paper, The Akron Journal, pops up with the word "Afro Punk."

Minneapolis's daily online paper, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, pops up with "Afro-punk."

Plug In Music lists :

Toronto

Chicago

Atlanta

San Francisco

Orlando

Los Angeles

along with 13 other U.S. cities that Afro-punk will tour kicking off October 21st at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza during the CMJ Festival. According to the Afro-punk website, their first U.S. tour will be headlined by top artist/song/poet/ and social activists Saul Williams's "The Niggy Tardust Experience" and a explosion of other artists (including The Activators) to 20 cities in the US and Canada October 21st-November 17th 2009.

A better detail what the tour promises will soon come to this blog. But for sure, according to AP spokespeople, the tour should be a night of surprises: shock and awe. The New York AP festival, but on the road.

Schedule:

October 21: New York City @ The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza (CMJ Festival)

October 22: Cleveland, OH @ Cambridge Room at The House of Blues

October 23: Toronto, ON @ The Opera House

October 25: Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater

October 26: Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

October 27: Chicago, IL @ Double Door

October 30: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts

October 31: Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street

November 1: Washington, DC @ Black Cat

November 4: Atlanta, GA @ The Loft

November 5: Orlando, FL @ The Social

November 6: New Orleans @ House of Blues

November 8: Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre

November 10: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

November 12: San Diego, CA @ Delta Room/House of Blues

November 13: Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy

November 15: Portland, OR @ The Aladdin Theater

November 16: Seattle, WA @ Neumos

November 17: Vancouver, BC (details coming soon)

Dirty Water - k-os

New York Fashion Week- afro punk fashion hits the street$

2009-09-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Punk rock and grudge hit the runway this week for 2009's New York Fashion Week. Feeling the financial falls in the fashion industry, designers, including Donna Karan and LAMB, have tailored their looks to present pieces that will stand the length of time and work for any season.

The Mercedez-Benz semi-annual fashion week, which kicked off last Wednesday and ended this Thursday, featured more than 60 designers and will be followed by fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris. Although the afro punk scene did not have their own line of clothing strutting down the runway, the streets of Brooklyn serve as the perfect platform for creativity. And in ode to fashion week, Afrospunky has assembled some of the top looks for Spring 2010, afro punk edition, complements to the models walking around New York.

Afrospunky's list of favorite trends:

(click on the picture for a larger view)

1. Aviator clear frames and braces. There is something endearing about large 80s frames and the youthful look of braces. Similar frames can be found at American Apparel or random shops in Chinatown. Braces, ask your dentist. It's a pricey trend, but way cooler than the outdated grills.

2. BMX skate t-shirts, even if you don't skate are cool. Black leather jackets will never go out of style. Jazz it with angry message buttons, and the jacket can stand the test of time-- depending on the war, president, or current genocide. Black skully hats are also grudge posh and are a staple to any afro punk closet.

3. Afro's will be stylish as long as people can grow them. Celebrities such as Solange are ditching their perms and weaves for a more natural look. Vintage scarves are the perfect accent for color and sophistication.

4. If I could afford permanent groupies in my crew, I would do it in a heart beat. Groupies make you look wanted, cool, and mysterious. Works every time. Deep v's are very Euro, and look great on men and women.

5. Grudge facial hair is free to grow and also gives character. The color cruiser is a perfect spring accessory, for the simple fact that you can use it instead of the train and it can match your outfits. Chucks, only dirty, should be worn as often and as much as possible. This is important so they can become more dirty and look even cooler.

6. Mohawks are everywhere. The trick with keeping mohawks unique is not on the hair side. It's on the side that is missing hair. Cool designs with political statements are a must shave in this spring complemented with unnatural hair colors. Bob Marley anything. Enough said.

7. Better than any jacket, hat, or shoes you can find in a thrift store, having a crew of boarders, especially female, is heavy and a must have for the spring wardrobe. Skate shoes are smart and safe for quick breaks with the foot. Fancy necklaces with torn jeans and vintage t's are also a must have.

8. Dressing in gothic chic is always appropriate for a night out on the town. Proving ultimate grundge, not wearing a shirt or pants is the best way to prove your thrifty nature.

9. Yes, this is Monsta Black. A true model of afro punk culture. Dressing how you feel in the morning, no matter how crazy people in the streets may look at you. Putting on clothes should be fun and functional. In this economy, don't stress out on designer labels that will mean nothing to you 15 years from now. Mix it up with thrift and trade unwanted clothes with friends. It's all about loving yourself and letting your clothes represent the color inside your soul.

Convict Colony - Saul Williams

ditching the book$ for her board -- this chick is now in talk$ with MTV

2009-09-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Right now, she says her life is pretty dope. At 23, Nathalie Herring (pronounced like the fish), is one the few professional female long boarders in New York and was recently signed with Bustin Boards custom longboards to promote their gear.

After graduating from high school, Herring left her home in Laurelton, Queens and moved to Miami, Florida to attend Barry University. But it only took a year away from the New York bustle before this eclectic rocker chick (she is currently jamming on her iPod to Silversun Pickups along with Santogold) felt bored and stifled from the slower Miami lifestyle.

"I was studying biology. Shit closed down around campus at ten at night. Every minute I was in class, I felt like I should be doing something else. Anything else. You can only go to the beach so many times before it gets old. I knew I had to come back to the city," she says.

But the campus life wasn't a complete waste. It was at Barry University where she saw her first longboard. Once she saw a guy glide pass her so groovy on his way to class, she says, she knew she was buying one as soon as she got home.

Wait, wait, wait....

According to the most trusted site on the web, wikipedia.... a longboard is a longer version of a skateboard commonly used for cruising, downhill racing, or skateboard tricks. Compared to a traditional skateboard, it's harder to do tricks on a longboard, like an ollie or kickflip, but because they are wider, heavier, and lower to the ground, longboards are easier to maneuver and provide more momentum.

thanks afrospunky for the info, now back to how Ms. Herring is rocking her board...

Herring bought her first board for $150 in 2005 while she was interning with The Source magazine. Her first board was a Sector 9, the most commonly bought longboards for first time longboarders because of their affordability.

Like many parents, Herring's mom and dad thought she was trying to kill herself by dashing away on the little piece of equipment strapped with wheels and no brakes, but she didn't care. Every single day Herring went out, often times taking the train to Central Park, to practice her moves.

Eventually, Herring says she started to get good. Really good. But after three years of training herself, she still didn't see any female longboarders around the city. Especially not black female long boarders.

"For a while, I thought I was the only one in New York," she says. "People used to just stare at me when I would skate by them."

Herrings solitude skate days came to an end this past May, when she ran into a fellow city longboarder, Solomon, who happened to be team captain of Bustin Boards longboarding crew. Solomon introduced Herring to a crew of other longboarders in the city, including three other girls. Their skill level blew Herring away, and from then on, she knew that she could pursue longboarding as a sport.

"These guys were going 20 to 30 mph in the city streets as a mode of transportation," she says. "I had to practice for months to keep up with them."

The momentum to keep skating pushed forward, when Herring was asked by crew members of overboard.com to work on a potential MTV series about a group of longboarders going across country promoting the sport while doing community service. Traveling in a veggie-fueled school bus across the U.S., the show will follow several longboarders skating through different cities while teaching how energy efficient longboarding is compared to driving. The series is now in talks with Converse and Diesel to sponsor the project.

Herring will soon be featured in TRACE Magazine and Concrete Wave magazine for her envolvement in the longboarding NYC community and constantly encourages other females not to shy away from getting into longboarding. She is currently training for the Broadway Bomb, a 10 mile city wide longboarding race in October that runs from Broadway and ends at the Bowl on Wall Street.

Her favorite part of skating, aside from cruising down 42nd street at night as the bright lights zip past her, is talking to little black girls that stop her while she's skating and ask her questions.

"The people who stop me the most are 7-year-old black girls," Herring says. "I want to be the role model for them to say, you don't have to be that girl with the attitude. You don't have to live that structured life if it doesn't suit what you feel is natural to you."

getting $mashed.

2009-08-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Collaborating with Bronx Underground, last night Afropunk had their monthly Epic Smash concert series and dance party at The Studio @ Webster Hall on 11th street.

The earlier portion of the event started with an all ages dance party rocking powerpop, indie, electro, and techno featuring DJ Tim, DJ Rambunctious, Redlight Dystrict, Blast rocks midtown, and DJ Mike. DJ WAZU held down the late show, starting at 9:30 featuring performances by two noted afropunk groups, The Juggs and Activator.

Old school and newbie rockers filled the studio-- mobbing and boozing of course, including legendary rock star, Moby, along with New York's finest rising afropunk stars and faces. If you missed this month's party, join afropunk and Bronx Underground at the end of every month to get epically $mashed while jamming to good live music at Webster Hall. Check back on this blog every Monday for dates, location, and artists scheduled to perform.

The Studio @ Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, New York, New York 10003

Activator, visit their page on Afropunk at: http://www.afropunk.com/profile/activator

shannon - vocals jared - guitar cavass - bass jimmy - drums

Activator lead vocalist, Shannon, drinking a brew on stage while performing

onlooker saluting Activator as they got on stage

The Juggs, guitarists, bass, and drums
Kareem Bunton(vocals, guitar), Marcus Farrar(drums), Torbitt Schwartz(guitar), Tada Hirano(bass), Danny Chavis(additional guitar,bass), Case Newcomb(lead guitar)
visit their Afropunk page at: http://www.afropunk.com/profile/TheJuggs

The Juggs vocalist, Kareem

onlooker and local $kater chick, Cherry

$ound production at Webster Hall

Kareem (The Juggs) on vocals and guitar

Top 10 finds: ladie$ bikes and boards under $200 in Brooklyn

2009-08-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

There is nothing spunkier than seeing a lady hop on a bicycle or zip by you on her skateboard. As a male dominated hobby and sport, ladies tend to shy away from biking and skating to keep up with their feminine image. However, after speaking with several successful guys around the city, it appears that seeing a lady on wheels often times exhibits confidence (the, "I don't care if I am the only girl doing this," vibe), social awareness (riding is good for the environment), independence (yes, I can take myself to the library myself, thanks), and just overall coolness.

(Some guys also noted that riding a bike or skateboarding also delicately tones the thighs, gluts, and calve muscles).

So, to further encourage ladies to maximize their mobility rights and to give NY guys a run (or skate) for their money, I have decided to post the ten best craigslist.com finds of vintage ladies bikes and skateboards for sale in Brooklyn under $200.00. If you find anymore or are selling a bike or board, please post the information of the wheels and the price, along with the sellers contact information under the comment section.

Don't forget to e-mail me at afrospunky@yahoo.com. Thanks and happy riding ladies!

Vintage ladies ranger. 10 speed road bike. Blue. $120.00. Location: Carroll Gardens. Free delivery. 347-371-7617. E-mail: bigcitybikes@msn.com

Lightweight ladies cruiser. 10 speed. Metallic blue. $175.00. Location: Williamsburg. Pick up L-train, Bedford Ave stop. 646-705-2531.

Ross Grand Tour vintage ladies bike. 12 speed. Burgundy. $150.00. Location: Park Slope. Pick up 23rd street. E-mail: sale-rm2zj-1328372613@craigslist.org?subject=Ross%20Grand%20Tour%20vintage%20bike%20-%20%24150%20%28Park%20slope%29&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fnewyork.craigslist.org%2Fbrk%2Fbik%2F1328372613.html%0A

Schwinn ladies road bike. 10 speed. Silver. $180.00. Free delivery. 718-930-8586.

Huffy ladies mountain bike. 18 speed. Black. $ 140.00. Location: Park Slope. 347-539-2073.

Stalker ladies mountain bike. 12 speed. Blue. $70.00. Location: Carroll Gardens. Free delivery. 347-371-7617.

Skateboard: Orange skull deck. Black and white skull wheels. $60.00. Location: Williamsburg. E-mail: sale-tk4fb-1325025827@craigslist.org?subject=skateboard%20-%20%2460%20%28williamsburg%29&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fnewyork.craigslist.org%2Fbrk%2Fbik%2F1325025827.html%0A.

Blind skateboard: 31 inches. Green wheels. $80.00. E-mail: sale-cpgtt-1324431277@craigslist.org?subject=Skateboard%20-%20%2480%20%28Brooklyn%29&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fnewyork.craigslist.org%2Fbrk%2Fspo%2F1324431277.html%0A

Murray team ladies road bike. 10 speed. Light blue. $120.00. Attached w/ folding basket. Location: Astoria. 718-395-2275.

Element skateboard. Several stickers on deck. $30.00. Location: Battery Park. E-mail: sale-mx3tt-1328349761@craigslist.org?subject=Element%20Skateboard%20-%20%2430%20%28Battery%20Park%29&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fnewyork.craigslist.org%2Fmnh%2Fspo%2F1328349761.html%0A

$neakeR di$ordeR

2009-08-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

A Nike sneaker lined with brown leather exterior. Political statements scribbled in fabric paint on another tennis shoe. A colorful acrylic painting depicting Micheal Jackson strapped in Adidas kicks. Last night tucked away on Dean Street, a cozy brownstone house was transformed into an artsy social for sneaker feens. The crowd spilled into the street with the many sneaker obsessed New Yorkers who attended the launching party for Anivram Sneaker Boutique-- a cross cultured store that will sell custom styled tennis shoes along with sneaker inspired wall art.

Sam Robinson, CEO and lead designer of Anivram said her website Anivram.com is scheduled to launch next week and will feature her designs, along with sneakers designed by top artists in the New York area. International artists, including Gaby from Ireland, also attended the event to showcase his sneaker inspired paintings. His medium-- cardboard, acrylic, staples, Photoshop, and stitches. And if you wanted to kick it for a cause, proceeds from the party will be donated to scholarships for sneaker design students. Nice. For more info on the boutique and custom inspired sneakers, e-mail Ms. Robinson at Sam@anivram.com. And for more information on copies of my photography or covering any events, please contact me at afrospunky@yahoo.com. Thanks! More pictures to come soon!

Designer and President of Anivram, Sam Robinson.

The Rock $tar Society-- Imprompt photoshoot

2009-07-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

I ran into these dudes on 34th street one day and could tell they were Rock $tars. Originally from Jamaica, these group of young guys launched their own clothing, music, and film production and can be found throughout the streets of NY selling their hip-hop mix tapes. Now, they're not exactly punk, but it doesn't just take music genre to label a rock$tar. I got this impromptu photo shoot of some of the members recently at a weekly party they have in their community .
Good job guys. Keep it truckin. http://www.therockstarsociety.com/

what'$ there to do todaY?

2009-07-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's 2:00 p.m. and already, i'm looking for excitement in the city. It doesn't take much to catch my attention, like i'm sure many of my ADD readers experience daily, but it also doesn't take much for me to loose focus either.

I've only been in New York for five weeks and am thirsting for an underground grungy old school hip hop venue where break dancers and party goers unite. Somewhere you would run into strung out cool kids, minus the strung out drugs, but more so suffer from obsessively reading George Orwell books.

So. I ask you readers out there, what is there to do in the city on a Thursday night? And mind you, this city slicker isn't picky...just "slightly" distracted by bright lights, loud sounds, and pretty colors at times.

Here are several things I found on the internet. Update me if you know of sweeter things going on that will keep my attention.

Event: Open Mic at Billie's Back (Harlem)
COMEDIANS, SINGERS, POETS, AND OTHER PERFORMERS WELCOMED
Digging in the depths of your mind. Time: 7pm-10pm. Cost: $5 as a
cover and martini's to match. Venue: 271 West 119 Street, Between St. Nicholas Ave. & Frederick Douglass Blvd. Train: A or D to 125th or B or C to 116th. Contact: 212-280-2248

Event: 2009 Crotona Park Jams ... DJ Afrika Bambaataa, Kool DJ Red Alert, DJ Jazzy Jay, and host GrandMaster Caz, all take to the park tonight!.... Time: 5pm-9pm.... Cost: free.... Venue: Crotona Park (Charlotte St and Crotona Park East)

Event: Chico DeBarge performance...Soul singer Chico Debarge will release his new album, Addiction.... Time: 7pm...Cost: Free.....Venue: Von King Park in Brooklyn

Event: Katra lounge (Manhattan) Good music. Good venue. I've been several times on Thursday and always had a good time. Reggae on bottom floor, hip hop on top floor. Time: 5pm to 4am. Cost: Depends, not too expensive. Venue: 217 Bowery Street, New York, New York. www.katranyc.com

Hope to run into you tonight.

Peace, Blessings, Love.

bRooklYn face$ and $paces- afRo-PunK bLocK partY

2009-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who allowed me to capture your beauty today at the Afro-punk festival. Please e-mail me at afrospunky@yahoo.com if you need a photographer, model, or journalist for an event in the NYC area. I hope you enjoy my work and I look forward to working with you in the near future.

Peace. Blessings. Love.

W. $ummer Boyd

get off my pRopertY

2009-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Right outside of the Brooklyn Public Library yesterday, a group of kids skating on the steps were chased away by the library security/police officer.

Well, they weren't technically chased away. They more so skated away flailing their middle fingers up after ignoring the security/police officer (not sure what he was...he had hand cuffs but no gun) and told him to get a real job.

Then the library maintenance guy got involved and asked me if I was with the kids. I said no, but he proceeded to yell at me for encouraging the kids behavior by photographing the event. I told him to step off. Were black journalist encouraging clansmen by photographing them burning down negro houses. No. They were called journalists documenting history.

Thanks.

But I guess this is what happens when you mix Brooklyn air, kids out of school for the summer, a couple of skateboards, tired library employees, and a grumpy journalist. The pictures were at least note worthy.

Maybe we should have all been in the library, sipping tea and reading books.

ha. ha..

(Total sidebar** I checked out the book, The Zahir, by Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist. If you have not read any of his books, you are sleeping on life.)

Don't get $tuck in the meDia

2009-07-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Eyeliner. Black leather. Electric guitars. And black? It may seem like a new growing subculture of revolting black teens on the mainstream circuit, but this isn't the case at all.

The concept of afropunks, or blacks involved in the alternative lifestyle of rock music, extreme sports, and piercings -- all bottled with flare -- has been around since the brink of the Civil Rights Movement. Better yet, since inception of rock music.

Noted as the first all black rock band, Pure Hell was formed in 1974 at a time when the energy in New York City sparked progression, social change, and an aim for something new. As the nations first recognized all black rock band in a predominantly white-punk music scene, Pure Hell dished the expected soul sound for blacks in the 70's and cranked their electric guitars.

And a decade before Pure Hell was even formed, there was Jimi Hendrix-- who headlined the explosive Woodstock Festival in 1969. Jimi was and STILL is known internationally for his albums, Electric Ladyland (1968), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Are You Experienced (1967).

For black grundge bands, like Pure Hell, and rock icons, like Jimi, their music and fashion was their own way of life. It wasn't popularized in their culture, but they made it their own. They claimed it.

But despite the headway that many black punk artists have made, the media has done very little to mainstream and popularize their image. It's almost like a secret for blacks to listen to white punk artists, for fear that they are somehow disowning their black culture.

And because the media has done very little in accepting this genre for black artists, the D.I.Y (Do it yourself) foundation, and many other progressive artists are striving to change the sterotypes that distinguish race and music choice. There should not only be one white rap star- Eminem is not the only white boy who can rap **surprise if you didn't know that** and Lenny Kravitz is not the only black man in 2009 that can hold a guitar. Where are the asian rappers? The hispanic rock$tars?

They are out there and have been out there for a while.

You shouldn't depend on the media to tell you what to listen to, what to like, and who you should be because of your skin color. Create your own image and make it your own.

Free your mind. We've been waiting for you.

Peace, Blessings, and above all, Love.

College Day$

2009-07-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Life with the afro$punky crew at Hampton University. We smoked. We drank. We studied. We pulled all nighters. We gave each other amazing birthday bashes. We debated on how we were going to change the world for the better. We wrote papers for each other. We cooked for each other. We rode bikes and skated together. We were each others family. More than anything and despite all the petty drama that life unfolds, I believed in their potential to be leaders and to prosper in whatever they decided to do in life.

Each of my friends have touched my life in a special way and I am honored to have graduated from Hampton Univer$ity with them striding by my side in their own direction, but never too far away.

Peace. Blessings. Love.

Afropunk fe$tival in Brooklyn

2009-07-08T10:10:00.001-07:00

Rocking her Public Enemy t-shirt, Lillian knocked over four other girls scrambling to grab the feather accessory tossed off the stage by the performing artist.

The black feather was tattered and torn. Wet from sweat. But Lillian didn't care. And neither did the hundreds of other onlookers sandwiched towards the front of the stage trying to get a better look at one of the most recognized black poets and rising afropunk $tars in 2009-- Saul Williams.

Saul ran out on stage of this years Afropunk festival in Brooklyn this Sunday, jazzed in a tailored red sports coat and a headband tricked out with feathers. His sound. Rock. Electric. Rap. Soul. All blended by a beat boy d.j. and electric guitarist. Onlookers

walking around the BAM parking lot couldn't help but stop dead in their tracks by the site.

Traditionally reserved for parking for the indie film junkies that frequent BAM, this weekend, the parking lot transitioned into a grundge meets afro centric genre playground. Right on the corner of Lafayette and Flatbush Ave., hundreds: literally: of predominantly black "punks" united to recognize the growing trend of blacks living an alternative lifestyle. Noted as "Afropunk," the annual festival held in July was the perfect opportunity for black skaters, graffiti artists, BMX bikers, tattoo artists, comic book nerds, and rock musicians to come together under one circuit.

Not only did Saul leave the crowd begging for him to spit his poetry, but Janelle Monae funked out tunes from her 2008 album Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase. **Yes, she sported her recognizable funky fro-boop-hawk.** And if you haven't seen an all black mosh-pit or crowd surf, you have not experienced life.

It must be noted that the hairstyles and clothing attire worn by afro-punk viewers and participants were true to the afro-punk theme. From mo-hawk locks, afro twisties, perm ponytails, ceaser waves, razor cuts sported by chicks, to carefully crafted traditional locks sweeping the floor complimented with lip rings, tatts, and studded belts-- looking above the crowd was like looking at a sea of black panther revolutionaries with piercings and skateboards saying, "I don't give a fuck about what you think of me, here I am."

Across the street at the BAM theater, alternative black movies played -$11.00 a pop (probably the most expensive part of the weekend), including – A Man Named Pearl, Fred Hampton interviews, Crips and Bloods: Made in America, and Attica. And in honor of the beloved Spike Lee, on Sunday BAM played his films, including School Daze, A Huey P. Newton Story, and Get on the Bus.

Earlier in the weekend, the afro punk skate park was open (for free) for bikers and skate boarders to flaunt their skills. Graffiti artists came out with their paint brushes, i.e. spray cans to tag a collective mural lining the parking lot venue. A $500 cash prize was even awarded to top skaters and bikers with the best moves on Saturday.

And the event is big. Check it-- Top dollar vendors such as Mtn. Dew, Nike, Zoo York, and Guitar Center all promoted the event.

If you missed out on the weekend event, no worries, this Sunday there is a afro-punk block party on Clifton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby. It won't be your typical block party either. The crowd speaks for itself.

Hope to see you there.

Peace, blessings, and above all, love.

W.$ummer Boyd