What sort of imagery does the word punk inspire? Spiky, colorful hair, studs and anarchy signs; hordes of people crammed into mosh pits, jumping and pushing their sweaty selves against each other in dimly lit spaces. However, it might seem unusual to picture a group like the Bad Brains, to this day regarded among undisputed pioneers of hardcore punk.
I still vividly remember the first time I heard the Bad Brains. A random YouTube playlist led me to their live show at CBGB in 1982. I sat entranced watching this all-Black, Rastafarian band fearlessly screaming into the mic, jumping – and back-flipping – in front of a predominantly white crowd. As a teenager, I spent afternoons scouring the web in search of new punk influences. From the political lyricism of the Clash to the angsty, fast-paced hardcore of the Minor Threat, punk fueled within me a desire for radical self-acceptance and liberation, for a space where I could reimagine life itself. But as much as punk spoke to me, I always remained at the outskirts of punk spaces, as a passive spectator whose presence I often felt questioned due to my Blackness.
Despite foregrounding its anti-xenophobia and anti-status quo stance, the subculture has overtime entrenched itself as a “white movement.” This perception has persisted within mainstream culture, and even within Black communities, feeding the unfounded myth that “Black people don’t make rock music,” sometimes mockingly framing those who did as “white-washed.”
Nevertheless, the Bad Brains, formed in Washington, DC in 1976, were able to shatter this misconception as never before, pushing the boundaries of what punk could be by rejecting stereotypical expectations for Black musicians and redefining punk as more than just nihilistic rebellion, but an earnest call for social and spiritual liberation.
Blackness in Punk Rock: From Early Influences to the 2000s
In a music scene as contested as punk, where does that leave other past and contemporary Black musicians who have contributed in shaping the genre’s rebellious sound and spirit? While there have been Black members in several historical punk groups, such as the late drummer D. H. Peligro of the Dead Kennedys, the widespread lack of coverage of “Black” punk bands perpetuates the misconception of the Bad Brains as an oddity rather than one of the ever-diverse faces and voices in punk culture.
Death (1971)
Before the Bad Brains and even the Ramones were a thing, there was Death. Hailing from Detroit’s East Side, the three brothers Bobby, Dannis, and the late David Hackney began experimenting with hard rock after seeing an Alice Cooper live show. Their music was not given much esteem in their predominantly Black community, where funk and r&b dominated the local scene. Today, however, Death is recognized as a pioneering proto-punk band. Songs like “Politicians in My Eyes” and “Keep on Knockin”‘ show both a technical intricacy and a fast-paced garage feel that sounds almost surreal for the time it was released, as well as an engaged lyricism foreshadowing the punk D.I.Y. attitude that characterized the scene later that decade.
Unfortunately, Death’s journey ended well before it could fully take off. The band’s musical style, along with their name, were seen as a damaging liability for a trio of African-American men making rock music at the time. The Hackney brothers recorded only a few songs before disbanding in 1975. And as the punk epidemic spread across the U.S. and beyond, Death’s music was almost completely forgotten, confined to collectors’ shelves as a pricey rarity, until their rediscovery in 2009, when Bobby’s son helped revive their songs with his band, the Rough Francis. It is unfortunate that the band’s avant-garde sound was so long forgotten, and that David died before witnessing its revival, but it is a blessing that the legacy of the first Black punk group can now live on.
Pure Hell (1974)
Pure Hell‘s music swings into the ears without notice, unapologetically gritty and unapologetically Black. The young quartet of Gordon (vocals), Morris (guitar), Sanders (drums), and Boles (bass) has been a vital yet sadly underrated force in the late ’70s New York punk scene. These four teenagers, with their bold punk outfits and colorful hair and nails, immediately stood out in their Black neighborhood of West Philadelphia. They soon became an integral part of the NY scene, performing alongside the New York Dolls, Sid Vicious and even going on a European tour in 1978. That same year, they released their studio single, a rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walking” and recorded their unique album Noise Addiction, which was released later in 2005. Pure Hell disbanded in the early ’80s after turning down several record deals that wanted to make them sound more “funky,” or in other words, “more Black.” While not wishing to be remembered exclusively by their identity, Pure Hell is a significant testimony defying the myth that Black punks did not play a crucial role in punk’s early era.
Basement 5 (1978)
Towards the end of the 1970s in the U.K., the intermingling of soul and reggae within the skinhead subculture gave rise to ska and reggae-influenced punk genres. And such seems to be the legacy of Basement 5, a band whose material is, sadly, scarcely accessible online. Lead singer Dennis Morris, known for his iconic photo reportages of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, joined Basement 5 in 1980, taking over the band’s artistic vision. That same year, they released “1965-1980,” their first and only studio album. Described as a Black post-punk group creating a politically charged, futurist Dub, their songs vividly portrayed the working-class youth conditions in the U.K. during the repressive Thatcher era.
Tamar-Kali (1997)
From the late 1980s and well into the ’90s, punk evolved to embrace a broader range of aesthetics while amplifying its political edge. It was in this landscape, at the height of the feminist riot grrrl movement[1], that multi-talented musician and singer Tamar-Kali carved out her own spot. Hardcore punk became an outlet to express what she felt about both the systemic racism in the wider world and her own experiences as a Black woman in a white-dominated scene: “There was a certain rage that goes along with finding out your own culture and your history; hardcore really suited that emotion”[2]. By creating the Sista Grrrl Collective in 1997, she was able to provide a space for Black women within punk to confront these issues. Though short-lived, the Sista Grrrl Collective inspired and helped lay the groundwork for the Afro-punk[3]wave of the 2000s, opening the door for greater representation of Black voices in punk and rock more generally. After playing in different bands such as Funkface and Song of Seven, Tamar-Kali released her first EP in 2005, Geechee Goddess Hardcore Warrior Soul, paying homage to South Carolina’s Afro-descendant communities and her diasporic heritage.
Whole Wheat Bread (2003)
All through the 1990s and the early 2000s, punk emerged from its underground roots. Together with the rise of mainstream punk-inspired genres such as pop-punk, more and more artists began to fuse different genres, from metal to hip-hop. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2003, Whole Wheat Bread fuses punk rock with the lyrical defiance of Southern hip-hop, coining a genre nicknamed “Dirty South Punk Rock.” The band of Aaron Abraham (vocals and guitar), Joseph Largen (drums) and Will Frazier (bass) has been often described as “looking like N.W.A., sounding like Green Day.”[4] Their debut album, Minority Rules (2005) embodies pop-punk’s quick, stripped-down rhythms and the provoking attitude and lyricism of hip-hop[5].
The Objex (2006)
Formed in 2006, The Objex symbolizes a new generation of multicultural, genre-blurring punk artists.[6] The Vegas-based band has drawn on a variety of influences, from the revved-up rhythms of the Ramones and Dead Kennedys to the funky grooves of Tina Turner. Although mostly associated with Black rock bands because of the lead singer and self-proclaimed “Punk Rock Tina Turner,” Felony Melony, the band currently consists of white, Black and Latino members, namely Jim Nasty (guitar), Ch!li (drums), and Ivan (bass). Their debut album, Attack of the Objex (2007), sealed their signature sound with tracks like “Kill Your Stereotypes” and “The Reaction” openly calling out their audience for more self-awareness and active social change in punk. Despite member changes and several hiatuses, the band’s raw and engaged message has deeply nurtured the 2000s U.S. punk scene.
RebelMatic (2008)
Following the wave of genre-defying bands like Whole Wheat Bread and The Objex, New York’s RebelMatic creates a power-packed fusion of punk, hip-hop, funk, groove-metal and more. The band consists of singer and rapper Creature (aka Siddiq Booker), Karnage (bass), Alkatraz (guitar) and Ramsey Jones (drums), brother of rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Their sound fuses the aggressive rush of hardcore punk and unfiltered hip-hop delivery, sweeping in like “James Brown in a mosh pit.” [7] RebelMatic’s music returns punk to its roots, not as mere rebellion for rebellion’s sake, but as a space for speaking truth to power. The band has been active since 2009 and has released four albums, recently dropping a new single in 2024, “Help.”
New Expressions Of Punk: How Does “Black” Punk Look Today?
Punk’s gradual split from its underground “do-it-yourself” principles to more mainstream settings has led to the commodification of punk spaces and practices, often diluting the need for political and social engagement. Yet, for many Black punk artists the commitment to social justice has never wavered. Punk has instead become a vital outlet for verbalizing racial, class, gender struggles and many other issues faced by marginalized communities both within and outside of punk spaces.[8] There’s also been a notable shift in musical experimentation: While early punk rockers focused on simplicity and speed, contemporary artists have grown to embrace an even broader spectrum of musical styles and approaches, even beyond traditional rock.[9]
Ho99o9 (2012)
After the Bad Brains, Ho99o9 (pronounced “Horror”) was among the few other Black “punk” bands I was introduced to as a punk-loving teenager. However, this New Jersey’s duo – theOGM and Yeti Bones – transcends any single genre labeling. As the Bad Brains defied limiting constraints by combining punk and reggae, Ho99o9 has carried this influence forward by incorporating industrial, noise, and hip-hop elements into their sound, all while maintaining a distinct energy and emphasis on social criticism since their debut album, United States of Horror (2017).
Big Joanie (2013)
Formed in 2013 in London, Big Joanie was born out of a desire to create safer, more inclusive avenues for Black feminist and queer voices in the British DIY punk scene. The band organically came together when singer and guitarist Stephanie Philips posted an open call on Facebook seeking fellow bandmates. Their debut album Sistahs (2018) channels the fierce fury of 1990s riot grrrl, characterized by melancholic, synth-heavy post-punk, and introspective lyrics. Philips and Estella Adeyeri make up the current line up, and in 2022 they released their second studio album, Back Home.
We Don’t Ride Llamas (2014)
The alt-Afro-punk band We Don’t Ride Llamas (WDRL) is the brainchild of Austin-based siblings Max (vocals), Chase (guitar), Kit (bass), and Blake (drums). From punk to ska, to metal and noise rock, their sound is an explosive intermingling of musical influences that are hard to pinpoint. Social justice is also at the forefront of their music: the single “(2-Inch) Grave,” released in 2021, honors the over 246 lives lost during Winter Storm Uri in Texas.
Minority Threat (2014)
Minority Threat is an all-Black hardcore punk band from Columbus, Ohio. The group’s name is a powerful nod to the legendary straight-edge band Minor Threat. Unlike Minor Threat, who demurred from openly talking about race and racism — a sort of “colorblind” stance expressed in their popular song “Guilty of Being White” — Minority Threat proudly affirms their Blackness and identity. Formed in response to the murder of Michael Brown by the police in Fergurson, the band uses their music to address social issues. On their debut EP Culture Control, the band calls for anti-racism and resistance in eight minutes of seven fast, intensely fierce songs.[1] [2]
Negro Terror (2015)
Just as the name Negro Terror suggests, this band embodies the pure fury and defiance of Oi! hardcore punk with reggae influences. Their most popular single, “Voice of Memphis,” is an iconic and subversive reworking of white-power skinhead band Skrewdriver’s “Voice of Britain.” Despite the tragic passing of founding front man and reggae bassist Omar Higgins in 2019, the band is carrying on the leader’s legacy. In 2023, they released a new track, “Shots Fired,” a “prophetic jolt of truth”[10] calling for a better world.
Zulu (2019)
Zulu is for me a personal gem of a band that has rekindled my love for punk. Started as a solo project by vocalist Anaiah Muhammad, the band now consists of Braxton Marcellous (guitar), Dez Yusuf (guitar), and Satchel Brown (bass). Zulu has quickly become one of the most exciting forces in contemporary hardcore punk. Though rooted in power-violence, their music uniquely incorporates elements from dub, soul, jazz rap, hip-hop, death metal and more. One of my favorite singles, “Where I’m From,” from their 2023 album A New Tomorrow, stands as a powerful testament to recognizing one’s marginalization while still asserting a place within a scene that has yet to confront its own internalized biases.
Conclusion
Why have Black punk artists received so little attention, even among die-hard punk rock fans, devoted to digging for the most niche, underground sounds? Is it a result of systemic marginalization and poorly-concealed racism, or due to a lack of interest from the broader Black audiences? The legacy of past and contemporary Black punk artists still remains largely underrated. The examples in this review highlight gaps in our cultural memory, reminding us that “history” is often construed within the confines of an unjust society.[11
And while this survey presents mainly accounts from the U.S. or the U.K., punk music has thrived far beyond traditional “Western” contexts. Bands like trash-punk TCIYF from South Africa, Nairobi-based Crystal Axis, or Afro-Brazilian Black Pantera show how punk has established itself as an invaluable, transnational language for articulating unique cultural narratives of local struggles, frustrations and hopes. Their very existence reminds us that punk is not limited to skin color or origin, but rather encompasses a multitude of ever-more fluid experiences.
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References and further readings:
WDRL’s About page https://www.wedontridellamas.com/about
[1] The riot grrrl movement is a feminist punk rock movement born in the early 1990s that sought to address issues such as sexism, sexual violence, and gender inequality within and beyond the punk scene. The movement’s impact extended beyond music, influencing art, zines, and activism, and paved the way for subsequent waves of feminist punk and queer culture.
[2] Barnes, Alex (2003, March) – See below under ‘References’
[3] The term Afro-punk comes from James Spooner’s documentary “Afro-Punk” (2003). Afro-punk per se is not a strictly defined musical genre, but refers more generally to the participation of Blacks in alternative scenes. From Adebowale, T. (October, 2021) – See below under ‘References’
[4] Qobuz (retrieved on February 2, 2025) – See below under ‘References’
[5] Thompson, Aaron Lee (2010) – See below under ‘References’
[6] Thompson, Aaron Lee (2010) – See below under ‘References’
[7] Yoe, Adam (2020, June 8) – See below under ‘References’
[8] Thompson, Aaron Lee (2010) – See below under ‘References’
[9] Thompson, Aaron Lee (2010) – See below under ‘References’
[10] Jammerwine (2023, December 15) – See below under ‘References’
[11] George, C. (2018, August 8) – See below under ‘References’
Read the original article on Afropop.
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