Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture and speculative fiction, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afro-diasporic experiences. While Afrofuturism is most commonly associated with science fiction, it can also encompass other speculative genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and magic realism. The term was coined by American cultural critic Mark Dery in 1993 and explored in the late 1990s through conversations led by Alondra Nelson.
Afro-punk refers to the participation of African Americans and other Black people in punk and alternative subcultures, especially in the United States.
James Spooner is an American film director, tattoo artist, and graphic novelist. He is best known for his 2003 documentary film Afro-Punk, and for co-founding the Afropunk Festival. He also directed the 2007 narrative film White Lies, Black Sheep. His first graphic novel, titled The High Desert, was published in 2022.
Afro-Punk (2003) is a 66-minute documentary film directed by James Spooner and produced by Matthew Morgan, exploring the roles of African Americans within what was then an overwhelmingly white punk scene across the United States of America—and taking place as the world shifted with the galvanizing power of the internet. The film focuses on the lives of four African Americans dedicated to the punk rock lifestyle, interspersed with interviews from scores of black punk rockers from all over the United States. Fans of the film and the music inspired an alternative movement, that later became the annual Afropunk Festival beginning in 2005.
Janelle Monáe Robinson is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. Monáe has also been honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award, as well as the Rising Star Award (2015) and the Trailblazer of the Year Award (2018) from Billboard Women in Music.
The Electric Lady is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe, released on September 6, 2013, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. It is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (2010), and likewise, received universal acclaim from music critics. This album serves as the fourth and fifth installments of her seven-part Metropolis concept series. Musically, The Electric Lady incorporates influences of hip hop soul, funk, gospel, jazz, rock, pop, and reggae.
Afro-soul is a music genre that has African characteristics of soul music. It has emotional vocals, especially of the lead singer. There is a very strong link between Afro-soul and other genres like afro jazz, afro house, afro tech, amapiano, afrobeats and gqom
Kelela Mizanekristos born June 6, 1983) is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5 year long hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023.
Jidenna Theodore Mobisson, known mononymously as Jidenna, is an American rapper and singer. He signed with Janelle Monáe's record label Wondaland Arts Society, an imprint of Epic Records to release his debut single, "Classic Man" in 2015. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was followed up with the single "Yoga" that same year. Both of which preceded the release of Wondaland's debut compilation project, The Eephus (2015). Jidenna's debut studio album, The Chief (2017) peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200. His second album, 85 to Africa (2019) explored the afro fusion musical style.
EarthGang is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu and WowGr8. They are co-founders of the musical collective Spillage Village, with JID, Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, 6lack, Mereba, and Benji.
"Q.U.E.E.N." is a song by American recording artist Janelle Monáe featuring the singer Erykah Badu. It was released on April 23, 2013, as the lead single from Monáe's second studio album, The Electric Lady. Stylized in the form of question and response, each line of the song has Monáe expressing her thoughts on subjects ranging from sexuality to religion. Prince, a mentor to Monáe, called the music video for "Q.U.E.E.N." the best music video of 2013.
Melt Festival is one of the biggest open-air electronic music festivals in Germany. The festival takes place at the Ferropolis open-air museum, near Gräfenhainichen. It has been held since 1997. MELT will take place July 11-13 2024.
Ho99o9 is an American punk rap group founded in 2012 in Newark, New Jersey by theOGM and Yeti Bones. They relocated to Los Angeles in 2014. They attracted a cult following on account of their live performance and began collaborating with Ian Longwell who plays drums and produces for Santigold. In 2016, former Black Flag member Brandon Pertzborn became the band's drummer but left in 2023 after joining The Offspring as their new drummer.
Nana Kwabena Tuffuor is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ and sound engineer. He is most noted for co-producing Jidenna's certified platinum single, "Classic Man." In 2015, the song was nominated for a Grammy at the 58th annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Tuffuor also co-produced "Made To Love" by John Legend and "Yoga," featuring Jidenna and Janelle Monáe.
The Roots Picnic is an annual music festival created and hosted by hip hop group, The Roots. Co-founder, Shawn Gee, and manager of The Roots serves as executive producer of the festival. The festival is held in Philadelphia, their hometown at the Mann at Fairmount Park. The first festival was held on June 7, 2008.
The 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were held on June 18, 2017, outside 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada. It was hosted by Joe Jonas and Alessia Cara. Initial announcements were made on April 26, 2017. This is the final ceremony to be held in June and on Father's Day.
"Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" is a song by American singer Janelle Monáe. It was released as a free digital download in September 2009 as a promotional song for Kia Motors' Kia Soul Collective project, and was the first song announced from Monáe's debut studio album The ArchAndroid (2010). Critics praised Monáe's vocal range and delivery of the song, as well as a mix of genres such as rock and roll and new wave. Monáe often performs the song as the closer to her live performances.
Erin Patrice O’Brien is a portrait and reportage photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. She has extensively photographed the entertainment industry.
Nikki Nelms is an American hairdresser. She has worked with celebrities including Solange, Janelle Monáe, Zoë Kravitz, and Yara Shahidi. Her best known work includes the hair styling in Solange's "Don't Touch My Hair" and Janelle Monáe's hair in "Pynk". Nelms is known for using non-traditional materials and bold silhouettes in her styling.
Ahmanti Booker, professionally known as Monte Booker is an American producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is part of the musical collective Zero Fatigue, and has worked with artists such as Smino, Ravyn Lenae, Noname, Saba, Mick Jenkins, Sango, Ari Lennox and JID, among others.
