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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 | 8:01am
What Ever Happened To Freaknik and the Urban Block Party/ Carnival?
T-Pain’s new animated collabo with Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim attempts to bring back the “fun”
T-Pain recently teamed up once again with The Cartoon Network & Adult Swim for a rather unique one-hour animated special Freaknik: The Musical. It will premier on the network next week (March 7th) and features the voices of Lil Wayne, Big Boi, Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, Cee-Lo, Bootsy Collins, Kid of Kid & Play, Rick Ross, DJ Drama, SNL’s Andy Samberg and Bill Hader. The rather unique “musical” will chronical a group of horney teenagers in their quest to bring back the legendary Freaknik a decade after it was shut down by its host city of Atlanta.
I had read about the show in an article in Rolling Stone and after our good friend Yeti at Woooha dropped the trailer/ behind the scenes video this morning, I got to thinking…what ever happened to the summer urban block party?
While Freaknik was clearly the wildest there were also others like the Greekfest in Philadelphia and Jones Beach (NY), Puerto Rican Day Parade, Black Beach in Daytona, Black College Reunion then there was the Myrtle and Virginia beach parties. And while some may still exist today they clearly arent were they were in the early 90′s…kinda like Hip Hop huh?
Freaknik was actually originally designed to be an annual picnic for Atlanta’s black colleges held at the AUC, and was actually sponsored by The DC Metro Club. But soon the sex, alcohol, drugs and foolishness took hold and the party balooned and at its height drew over 250,000 party goers. It was black Atlanta’s version of carnival
. 
“Back in the ’90s, Freaknik was Atlanta’s version of the ultimate block party,” T-Pain said in a statement. “It was Mardi Gras meets spring break at your crazy cousin’s bachelor party and anything could happen. A decade later, I’m bringing it back for people like me, who didn’t get to experience it the first time around. We’ve recreated Freaknik’s vibe and energy with amazing animation, new music and an all-star cast of characters.”
As with anything though it didn’t last. The scantily clad women and relaxed boozing laws led to crime and violence so City leaders took measures to regulate the fun and the party eventually died out unfortunately just as I was coming of age to be able to enjoy it.
But why is it that such parties don’t exist or exist as they did back then? Could it be that we’re too violent or are the host cities to scared of the liability SOUND OFF! Where did all the fun go or are we better off without the slackness?!
FILED IN Need to Know, TV
VIVA LA FREAKNIK!
I think more than anything society is just different when freaknik was popping we didn’t have cell phones. We had to actually go outside to socialize that’s why it popped off. Now we all sit in front of computer screens or smart phones and communicate. This is one of the many side effects of the digital age. Somethings are just better left alone. Remember when they try to do over Woodstock, effing disaster!
Great point. Social Networking. They took freaknik and made Blackplanet then Facebook.
I went to freaknik once it scarred my mind!
the lions, the tigers…bears. Oh my!!!
But in all seriousness tho, we as black folks need to stop gettin to uptight and tryna ‘prove somethin’ to everybody about how hard we are. How we ‘represent’. Just have some fun. Enjoi the atmosphere, the cars n trucks n bikes, the ladies and gents, the music crushing folks trunks etc etc. The concerts. the hotel parties! the beach. its too much goin on to be messin it up for the next year. You also know the cops will be out in full force too so that can be extra agitation. be respectful and erthang SHOULD be fine.
Yo Macika, “the lions, the tigers….bears, oh my!!!” were you watching Predator 2 over the weekend, Gary Busey had that line. Boy was the acting terrible in that movie.
I know this will make me sound like a prude but freaknik was a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah….a little too slack for my taste but to each their own.
Real talk: Black really don’t function in large groups together. We act like we can’t act, especially where alcohol and women are involved. There is always somebody out there that has to prove how hard they are. You would think with all the ass out there, guys would be staring at that instead of mean mugging other dudes. It’s a shame.
He’re my quick take on why fights usually ring out. More often than not they’re started around a disputer over a woman. WHY well…Fat Back of course. BLACK men have an obsession with a black woman’s hind quarters. So while normal etiquette would dictate making eye contact and admiring her face and at worse her chest, Black men wait till she passes to say “DAAAMN.” The misunderstood “disrespect” escalates, sometimes exacerbated by alcohol, guns etc.
Yea that is true, don’t get me wrong i like a juicy fat back, i married one (tomorrow’s my anniversary)… but sometimes we get to caught up in the booty…. i’m dead ass serious, as men we would rob, kill, and beat someone up over some P*ssy..the chick you fighting for probably does have a fat back, but her face look like she got hit with a brick.. BUT SHe got a fat ass so you don’t care..
I’m a young dude (22), so i never been to a freaknik or bike week, but in ATL and these places its like 2 girls to every 1 guy… plenty of booty for everyone in my opinion…