The legendary party of the early 1990s became synonymous with Atlanta. There are numerous documentaries, oral histories and more on the party, which by 1997 had been considerably cut down. By 2010, then-Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed banned any Freaknik-related actives from being held within the city.

But in June, Freaknik returns as a music festival at the Cellaris Amphitheatre at Lakewood. The festival’s lineup includes Project Pat, Uncle Luke, Da Brat, Foxy Brown, Kilo Ali, Bun B and Pastor Troy. Luke posted a video on social media saying he was bringing Freaknik back to ATL.

Organizers are hoping that the second coming of Freaknik can be an annual concert that showcases unity and togetherness.

“We want everyone to know it’s not the old Atlanta Freaknik,” Tara Thomas, publicist and branding partner for the concert said. “When people think Freaknik, they think party and chaos. That’s not what we want to do. We want it to be a party, but an all-inclusive one.”

Although she never attended the original Freaknik parties of the ’90s, she heard plenty about them via her husband. “I just know about it from the stories I’ve heard and there will be no naked girls running down the street on top of cars! We want it to be fun and to make it something people look forward to every year, like a funk fest.”

The overall goal is to cater towards the demographic that remembers the music of Freaknik who will appreciate some of the music. Thomas also envisions donating some of the proceeds of the show to local women’s empowerment groups.

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