Was NoEmotion there this year?
Afropunk Started With a Documentary. Ten Years, Two Websites, and Eight Festivals Later…
While Afropunk deals with the same lineup struggles as other festivals, those struggles are compounded by the fact that it’s a festival celebrating black alternative culture; not only is that a vast and complex topic, but many rising black alternative artists shy away from aligning their music with the race conversation (it’s already tough enough to get signed). For another, Morgan and Cooper—a veteran A&R queenpin who signed Nelly and Cash Money Records in the early ’00s and now runs Afropunk’s sponsorship operations—are also dealing with potential brand sponsors who hesitate or downright refuse to partner with an explicitly racialized festival, often because they view it as an “urban” (read: black, poor, profitless) demographic.
via @_anupa
