Teyana Taylor Stepping In for Jazmine Sullivan at AFROPUNK Brooklyn 2023. See Who Else Is in the Lineup

Teyana Taylor is Brooklyn-bound. The "How You Want It?" singer and Harlem, New York native is crossing the bridge and stepping in as the headliner for AFROPUNK Brooklyn, taking the place of previously announced Jazmine Sullivan, who recently lost her mother to cancer.

“We've been supporting Jasmine through that in spirit as much as her fans are,” Allen T. Lamb, chief operating officer and brand lead for AFROPUNK globally, tells EBONY. “She is just a fantastic queen, as is the majestic Teyana Taylor.”

Along with Taylor, the stellar lineup for the Brooklyn event, taking place August 26 and 27, 2023, includes rappers Vince Staples and Joey Bada$$, as well as multimedia artist Steven Ellison, a.k.a. Flying Lotus.

“I can't wait for people to really be exposed to Flying Lotus’ art, and Joey Bada$$ is right out of Brooklyn” Lamb exclaims.

Other performers include legendary beatboxer Rahzel, Columbia hip hop duo Dawer x Damper and singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr. “Duran just turns it out, so I can't wait to see how Brooklyn reacts to the performance," Lamd exclaims. "It really is an international experience.”

Afro-Punk, the documentary that launched this global brand, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Started as an exploration of punk music for Black youth, AFROPUNK has expanded to include a wide array of genres.

“[The documentary] spoke to young Black poeple who operated differently in the world; they listened to metal and what we would call punk today. But just like any other movement, music itself has really evolved. And so we have kept up with the times,” Lamb says.

The music may have changed, but the concept behind AFROPUNK stays the same. "We operate with a set of core tenets: no sexism, no racism, no ableism, no ageism, no homophobia, no fatphobia, no transphobia and no hatefulness,” Lamb states. “I always say that last one and pause because that should be standard across any place in the world. What’s special about this brand is we really create a space for all.”

For those seeking their pure metal and mosh pit metal experience, AFROPUNK offers smaller stages featuring artists in the genres.

AFROPUNK Experience 2022. Image: courtesy AFROPUNK.

“Whether it be for skateboarders, metalists or anyone else along the way who has thought about themselves as non-conforming, that's all the future is representing. We’re looking to bring people together to think about what Afrofuturism looks like, from Brooklyn to Brazil,” Lamb declares.

Whether it's Paris, London, Atlanta or South Africa, AFROPUNK is constantly seeking ways to spread its message of acceptance across the globe. In November 2023, it will return to Brazil for the second time.

“There are 100 million self-identifying Black people in the country,” Lamb points out. “But there aren't a lot of media outlets there where you get to see yourself represented in any way. AFROPUNK has taken on such a fantastic form of cultural expression there. We're really very intentional about who we put on stage and even for the festival itself, somewhere between 85 to 90 people employed are Black.”

AFROPUNK Brooklyn will also include its SpinThrift Market. “This is where you're going to find black vendors with everything, like apparel and goods and some services, and not-for-profit organizations who help with education. These are highly curated spaces, we get well over 1000 applications,” Lamb shares. Bites & Beats is back with some of the best food trucks from around the country, including Creole Soul, The Southern Comfort, TryVegan and more.

“If you think about how music and food go together—like any good Black experience—we have that too. It's all tied together through art and creativity. At its core, AfroPunk is a DIY experience.”

Visit AFROPUNK Brooklyn for more information and tickets.