If you participated in Atlanta’s wildest party back in the day, then beware: you might be featured in a new documentary.
“Freaknik” hits Hulu on Thursday, March 21. ‘Freaknik’ was a college cookout-turned-street party in Atlanta that was popular during the 1980s and 90s.
The iconic party drew hundreds of thousands of young people each year.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the new documentary’s star-studded list of executive producers includes music mogul Jermaine Dupri, “provocative Miami rap star Luke Campbell and current Atlanta hip-hop performer 21 Savage.”
The filmmakers “cover all the bases,” The AJC’s Rodney Ho writes, “from Freaknik’s humble beginnings to its peak popularity to its collapse.”
According to The Associated Press, “Freaknik” will highlight perspectives from Killer Mike, Jalen Rose, CeeLo Green, Rasheeda and Too $hort.
“The project includes Freaknik founders Emma Horton, Amadi Boone, Monique Tolliver and Sharon Toomer who discuss the festival’s origin and the name Freaknik — a portmanteau of picnic and freak,” The AP’s Jonathan Landrum Jr. reports. “It was inspired by R&B group Chic’s 1978 song ‘Le Freak.’”
Director P. Frank Williams says the documentary will also touch on those who tried to revive ‘Freaknik’ but were unsuccessful, Landrum Jr. writes.
“I know people on the internet and everybody is looking for all of the candy, the fun, the girls, the turn up, the cars,” Landrum Jr. quotes Williams as saying. “But there’s also the vegetables, which is Black culture. Black identity. Trying to go against a system that was preparing for the (1996) Olympics and didn’t necessarily want these kids on the streets.
“It’s a much deeper story.” Read more here.
The AP, Atlanta Journal Constitution and WSB-TV contributed to this story.