“This is more about culture. This is Atlanta's version of 'Beat Street,'” said Jermaine, who executive produced the project along with Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, 21 Savage and several others.・Dupree said. The documentary premiered Tuesday night at SXSW in Austin, Texas. It will be distributed on Hulu on March 21st.
“This is a story about our contribution to culture,” Dupri continued. “Through the music and parties that happened during Freaknik. It's so much better than people standing on cars and playing music outside.”
“Freaknik” features the perspectives of Killer Mike, Jalen Rose, CeeLo Green, Rasheeda, and Too $hort. The project features Freaknik founders Emma Houghton, Amadi Boone, Monique Tolliver and Sharon Toomer, who discuss the origins of the festival and the name Freaknik, which is a portmanteau of Picnic and Freak. Masu. The song was inspired by his 1978 song “Le Freak” by the R&B group Chic.
Dupri initially had doubts that the documentary would focus solely on the sexual nature of the festival. However, the music mogul was convinced otherwise after meeting with Swirl Films producers Jay Allen and Nikki Biles and being told that the documentary would focus on the full backstory.
“I want people who have never experienced Freaknik to relive the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Allen said. “Those who were there will be able to tell their stories and their truths.”
Dupri wanted viewers to see how Freaknik elevated Atlanta's now thriving hip-hop music scene and helped make it a destination for black entrepreneurship and empowerment. There is. He has heard criticism that the documentary “looks backwards at black people.” He also said there were reports that some women would take legal action to prevent the documentary from being released, fearing they could be exposed in flashback clips. It is unclear whether a lawsuit has ever been filed.
“It's all educational. For me personally, this is Black history,” said Dupri, who attended Freaknik. “For those who need that assurance, I will never allow my name to be associated with anything that reflects negatively on Atlanta or reverses this culture.”
Uncle Luke calls critics who took part in vulgar freaknik activities 'hypocrites' and praises hip-hop artists like Cardi B, Ice Spice and Sexy Red who are known for their suggestive performances He criticized this generation.
“They're going to get a little taste of their own medicine,” said Luke, who is considered the godfather of freakniks who brought a provocative nature to the festival. Most of the footage for the documentary was crowdsourced, but some came from his own VHS tapes that were converted to digital.
The other footage was secured by Mr. Biles through his social media activity and by knocking on the doors of past Freaknik participants and offering them things they were willing to give him.
“It's easy to criticize other people's children and say they're living the life you actually lived as a parent,” Uncle Luke said. “I wanted to show that perspective. But there's a big myth about freakniks. A lot of people on the West Coast heard about it. Some people heard stories. This story is actually never told. We wanted to tell where this story actually came from.”
Freaknik was a massive street party held throughout Atlanta from 1983 to 1999. His three-day event, held in April, was organized by black college students from the DC Metro Club (Morehouse College and Spelman College) who were holed up on campus during spring break. At the park, boomboxes, coolers, and food will kill your boredom.
Over the years, Freaknik has become a spring break destination in a grassroots way, drawing approximately 250,000 partygoers from across the country. This event was so large that it spread throughout downtown and the metropolitan area.
However, as Freaknik's popularity grew, uncontrollable crowds caused many problems. By the mid-1990s, this fun-filled event had become unruly, and after sporadic looting, massive traffic jams, and lewd acts, the welcoming atmosphere eventually faded. . As tensions continued to rise between festival participants, police, and local residents, city authorities suspended activities.
Toomer, one of the original organizers, said he was impressed with how much the documentary explored Freaknik's full backstory. Although Toomer is disappointed that the festival is ending, she hopes viewers will understand the essence of their work.
“I think people are going to have a 'I didn't know that' moment and have a certain appreciation for it,” she said. “I'm excited about that. It was a really special event, both in the best of years and in the so-so years. In contrast to what so many young Black people have experienced, I'm excited about that. I’ve been frustrated for years by having to start.”
Director P. Frank Williams said the documentary deals with the convergence of politics, media, music and culture. He said people who tried and failed to revive Freaknik will also be touched upon.
“I know people on the internet, and everyone's looking for candy, fun, girls, people to hang out with, cars, etc.,” Williams said. “I gave it to people who saw the movie. But there's also a vegetable that is black culture. Black identity. As we were getting ready for the (1996) Olympics, we didn't necessarily want these kids They're trying to rebel against a system that didn't want them on the street. It's a much deeper story.
“Everyone's worried about their aunt and their meme,” he said. “But I think when you see it, you'll see that we did more than just a party.”
This story has been updated to correct Amandi Boone's last name.