Booty shorts and bass blaring from bubble Chevrolets was what spring in Atlanta was all about, and may possibly reappear later on this spring, with the alleged reemergence of Freaknik.
“I don’t know about you, but I miss the Freaknik,” said Jermaine Dupri in the remix of the popular song “Welcome to Atlanta.”
Along with many others, Dupri may finally be able to rejoice as many are on edge about the return of Freaknik from April 16 through April 18. While a Web site creates buzz and promotes its return, one may notice that the Web site claiming to be the “Official Atlanta Freaknik Site” spells the event differently than the traditional Freaknik. It still promises to bring everything that the original Freaknik once brought to the city though. The Web site also makes sure to ensure strict enforcement by pledging its users to “MAKE THIS THE ABSOLUTE BEST Freaknik OF ALL TIME (by not breaking laws or lewd open conduct)!” It also created a list of things to do and not do while attending the festivities, also urging attendees to be responsible. It encourages cookouts and supporting local businesses, while discouraging irresponsibility such as drinking and driving.
The question many are asking is, “Will Freaknik be anything like the original Freaknik?”
Senior advertising major Avery Green looks forward to attending Freaknik. “I first heard about it in the rap song ‘Welcome to Atlanta’ by Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris,” said Green.
He also remembers hearing one of his good friends from Atlanta, former Howard University student Terico Harper, reminisce on what it was like growing up in the era of Freaknik. Green says he has no real expectations of the event and considers himself open to whatever Atlanta may offer, as he has nothing to compare it to. “I’ve never had a bad time in Atlanta so I just want to see what the ATLiens are doing and how they’re comparing it to past Freakniks.”
What is mostly considered an “Atlanta thing,” Freaknik was originally a picnic sponsored by The DC Metro club at Spelman College in the early 80s, rumored to have taken the name of Freaknik because of the hit song “Super Freak” by Rick James. The event eventually turned into an annual weekend long celebration where hundreds of thousands of college students would travel to Atlanta to partake in festivities that included cookouts and concerts at parks around the city that continued until the late 90s.
Senior international business major Jaivon Copeland is excited about the possibility of Freaknik returning. “When I was younger, I was too little to go so it’s our chance to experience what we grew up hearing so much about,” said Copeland, who grew up in Atlanta. “Its legendary.”
Once upon a time, one would have been able to catch hordes of people dancing on cars that blasted sounds of popular music offering plenty of bass, such as Kilo Ali and Raheem the Dream. It wasn’t rare that some would even park their car in the middle of the street or freeway to dance, according to Atlanta resident Ryan Taylor, 30, who could only describe Freaknik with one phrase: “Straight debauchery.” He reminisced on riding down the street, looking at women all day. A graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Taylor didn’t get to experience Freaknik as a college student. “The wildest year was when I was 14 years old, but it was over by the time I was 18,” said Taylor. “I remember going to the mall and having to park in the middle of the street until everyone returned to their cars at around 4 a.m.” Taylor recalled. “I remember seeing a man in boots. Nothing else on, just boots.”
Taylor provided an illustration of Freaknik as Atlanta’s very own chance at having a source of entertainment. “Before Atlanta became the ‘black Hollywood of the south,’ there was no entertainment district so Freaknik provided a source for people to ‘act out’,” said Taylor. He compared Freaknik to a less organized version of New Orleans’ version of Mardi Gras. Although he didn’t remember too much about events that took place aside from a few concerts, Taylor recalled the atmosphere as “wild and full of unsupervised adolescents and college aged adults.” This could be part of the reason he doesn’t look forward to taking part in the festivities if they make a return.
Taylor is not the only one who isn’t an advocate for the return of Freaknik. Howard alumnus and Atlanta Mayor, Kasim Reed doesn’t support Freaknik either. While the event originally dwindled due to the heightened crime and disorganization of it all, many are hoping that increased security and a better knowledge of public safety will help convince the mayor to support it.
The Web site listed Washington Park as the venue for the events; however city officials stated that no city permits were issued for any Freaknik events at that location. On March 5, Freaknik conveniently announced via twitter that due to a shooting at Washington Park, they will no longer be hosting any activities at that location. Mayor Reed worries that although the internet has stirred up a lot of commotion about the event, it is still a challenge that he isn’t comfortable with.
Although the return of Freaknik seems more like wishful thinking to some, many got a dose of a different type of Freaknik Sunday night. Separate from the actual event, Cartoon Network’s late-night shared network Adult Swim aired an animated revival of what T-Pain considered “Atlanta’s version of the ultimate block party.” In what many bloggers and tweeters said they expected more from, the special, called “Freaknik: The Musical,” starred the voices of Lil’ Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Charlie Murphy and executive producer T-Pain.
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