In honor of that brief yet time-honored tradition known as Freaknik, April is officially O.S.A.M. Freakin’ “A” Month. What would April be without a really good ‘nic and ‘nik (pronounced neek) and an even better freak (or 2 or 3) in Atlanta? Daytona Beach eternally has “Where The Boys Are” wailed by Connie Francis; we got “This Is How We Do It!” by “A”Transplant Montell Jordan.
A quasi-militant friend banned me from using the word picnic eons ago. I’m sure we’ve all gotten the chain emails regarding its supposed etymology. Waaaaayyyyy back in the day in The A, lynch mobs would pic(k) a N(asir Jones word) to strang up, and then bring a ten piece and a gingham sheet for the fam to sit on and watch this freakout. That is now why we Educated Black Folk (EBF) in The A have cookouts. Has nothing to do with that 8 million dollar grill at ya bwoy’s house up in GuilforFar-rest subdivision or the tin drum perpetually parked at the I-20 Snapfinger exit on which folk will cook out in the middle of “A” Snow Jam. But Freaknik started as a ‘nic back in the day in The A when Milifriend was still collecting La Tigre shirts, not revolutionary trivia. Back then, he ‘nik and ‘nic-eded his “A” off.
Freaknik itself isn’t actually an Atlanta thing. It was started in the 80’s by some Atlanta University Center (AUC) EBF’s from the Washington, D.C. Metro area as their last little school year blowout before finals and farewells. Now, let’s all think about this. Picture a Sasha Obama type from Spelman College going to a cookout with her boyfriend and sorors. Some hibachis, a boombox, B&J wine coolers (yuk!), a couple of nice cars and bermuda shorts were all that was in the offing. A hundred people at best might show up. That WAS the first Freaknik.
I remember being in my dorm (elsewhere) and getting a purply mimeographed flyer announcing the ‘8tee-nunna-yo-business event at John A. White Park, located deep in the heart of the intown SWATS. I didn’t go because (more…)
Oh Hell Naw! Spotted at an Atlanta area elementary school ~ a kid wearing a “Freaknik 95” t-shirt. I have no words…um, yes I do… to the Parents: you are DEAD WRONG for letting your kid wear your dirt on his back! I mean…Freaknik 95 was the joint but Man-Man wasn’t even a twitch in his Dad’s crotch yet! (Link)
I couldn’t let this day go by without acknowledging Lil Man Man who wore his Freaknic 95 shirt to class last year. Y’all still wrong for that…
This is for all you “big case G’s” who were “lower case G’s” back then. In honor of Freaknik…. In honor of Freakin “A” Month… and just because I wanna… I pulled up Montel Jordan’s“This Is How We Do It” ~ The unofficial/official theme song for Freaknik 95…or was it 96? Hell. All I can’t remember and all y’all was drunk anyway so does it really matter?
I was thinking about giving Freaknik it’s own category since I feel the need to revisit it every few months but his time the AJC beat me to it. Our favorite Atlanta newspaper featured a this video today of comedian Corwinn Oglesby talking about the goodtimes we had riding up and down Peachtree Street bucked naked. Y’all know y’all need a flashback today, so while you’re sitting in your cubicle feel free to reminisce about the old days when you drove a VW Golf and got all girls…OR when you and your friends hung out of the side of a Jeep Wrangler softop sitting on them thangs…OR that time when you were stuck in Freaknik traffic and had to go to the bathroom so you had to walk into the Ritz wearing booty shorts… I must stop now before I start naming names.
Oh Hell Naw! Spotted at an Atlanta area elementary school ~ a kid wearing a “Freaknik 95” t-shirt. I have no words…um, yes I do… to the Parents: you are DEAD WRONG for letting your kid wear your dirt on his back! I mean…Freaknik 95 was the joint but Man-Man wasn’t even a twitch in his Dad’s crotch yet!
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