In the summer of 2023, Hulu announced the spring 2024 release of Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told and social media went wild. Black Gen Xers clutched their pearls hoping against hope that their millennial children or Gen Z grandchildren wouldn’t get a glimpse of their spring break behavior on film. In response, millennials shared their anxiety on social media about witnessing their mothers and fathers partying in the streets of Atlanta during the infamous Freaknik era. The controversy helped amplify the upcoming release of the documentary, but like much of the conversation on social media, it wasn’t fact-based.
Music and cultural icons Jermaine Dupri and Uncle Luke are the executive producers of the documentary along with rap star 21 Savage. Dupri says the trifecta provided perfect symmetry for the project because of their contribution to the culture with 21 representing the impact of Freaknik on Atlanta and on the culture.
“Besides So So Def, the loudest records that you heard during Freaknik [were] Luke Skywalker Too Live Crew and the So So Def Bass Allstars was the soundtrack to Freaknik that people can remember,” Dupri says.
Dupri wants Freaknik’s reputation to include the magnitude of its contribution to the Black experience.
“It’s important to tell the story so that people understand what Freaknik really was. It’s been hypersexualized and people have missed out on what the celebration was really about. This is our version of Breakin, this is our version of Beat Street. When André 3000 said the South got something to say, he was talking about the culture and what was happening at Freaknik. This was created by four college students [who] came to Atlanta and wanted something to do during [spring] break and people will see that in the documentary. I saw President Biden was joking and said that even though he was older, his thoughts were young. That’s really how politics should be [run]. It’s about the future and Atlanta has always been about young progression and you see that showcased in this documentary,” Dupri says.
Besides the banter on Twitter and Instagram that focused on the wild parties that took place, Dupri says he witnessed criticism about the importance of Freaknik in comparison with other student-led parties.
“There were people asking how are we making a movie about Freaknik, when in other places there was Greekfest, etc., but they don’t get it. In other cities, they have one HBCU, in Atlanta we have four and they’re all in a couple mile radius from each other. The energy is Howard times three, it’s Hampton times three, Spelman and Morehouse have their homecoming at the same time and that energy is just different. You can’t get [that] anywhere else. And that is just in one area; you haven’t even added College Park, or the west side. A lot of people didn’t realize how Atlanta moved and they got out here and realized this place really is really Black. It’s not just because there are a lot of Black people, it’s because of the things that are here [that] make the city Black. As long as I can remember, I’ve never seen a different color mayor. It’s not normal for any major city for you to see the mayor hanging out with the rappers and the rappers hanging [out] with the politicians. When you live here, it’s easy to overlook the importance of that and think that it’s normal, or it’s regular but it’s not. It’s what makes Atlanta special, and you saw all that represented in Freaknik,” Dupri shares.
Dupri says he didn’t realize until he was older the intentional impact former Mayor Maynard Jackson had on the city’s identity.
“I grew up around Maynard Jackson, so I got a chance to see his impact on the city firsthand. If not for him insisting that Black businesses and vendors be included in the bid for the new airport, things wouldn’t look the way they do now at Hartsfield-Jackson. When you land at the airport, it’s just different. You can feel it,” he says.
Hartsfield International Airport was renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after Jackson’s death.
“Atlanta has always empowered youth and celebrated a young, progressive way of thinking,” he says.
Dupri has been affectionately referred to as the unofficial mayor of Atlanta because of his consistency in representing the city’s magic in his music and brand. His 2002 mega hit, “Welcome to Atlanta” stands as the unofficial soundtrack to the city and many connect it with the vibe of Freaknik, although Freaknik officially lasted from 1983 to 1999. The huge billboard with Dupri’s So So Def logo planted in the heart of the city is an Atlanta staple, welcoming young people entering the city eager to connect with the energy they experienced or heard about during Freaknik.
Dupri says he doesn’t believe Freaknik can be recreated or duplicated.
“The creators of Freaknik are older now and they probably have no interest in bringing it back and it would have to include them in order for it to be authentic,” he says.
The three-day festival may never return, but it’s impact on the city will live forever. Rapper 21 Savage recently celebrated his birthday with a Freaknik-themed party with hundreds of young people eager to attend a party like the ones in the tales their parents recounted.
“My first Freaknik I wasn’t even old enough to drive. I couldn’t get in the clubs, I just remember being in the parking lot and seeing all the cars and the people and being excited to be a part of it. 21 didn’t experience Freaknik because he was too young, but he’s a product of what Freaknik meant to the city,” Dupri shares.
Freaknik ended because of the negative impact it had on the city, and politicians used its out of control reputation to quash the celebration in the name of safety. Dupri believes it was a shame that more people didn’t understand the magnitude of what Freaknik meant to the city and ultimately to Black culture.
“I think Freaknik would still be going on if we realized what it meant to our culture. Freaknik should’ve become for Atlanta, what Essence is for New Orleans,” Dupri says.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told premieres on Hulu on Thursday, March 21.
Photography by Datrick Davis for Daerae Media
