AfroFuture with Abdul Karim Abdullah

Talk, let's talk talk to We're just two unapologetically black women with an opinion who talks.

What's up y'all?

Thank you for tuning that for a new episode of We Talked Back, a show dedicated to these niggas in you hoes E ESU girl A J.

Holliday. What is that? I don't know? What's up?

Girl? Y'all was tearing.

Bam. I love y'all.

Thank y'all for tuning in again. We missed y'all since last Thursday.

How was your weekend?

Girl?

Rainy?

It was rainy this weekend, but I did manage to get out the house, put my face on, took a goddamn gummy and didn't really make it out the house.

Damn because of the gummy. Yeah, you and your little gummy situation. Because I remember just a couple of weeks ago you had another gummy situation. Are you a gummy addict?

Mal?

I don't know, but I like deep sleep.

Me and my homegirl said we was gonna make some T shirts that say I love to lay down, Because bitch, what I tell you, I love to lay down. Don't let me lay down. I had my mind made up. I was going out I laid down with a face full of makeup.

Well, let me tell you what I did on Friday. I bit sixteen and a half miles in forty five minutes. That's the most I've ever done. The most I've ever done in that forty five minute session, I was getting it.

She had down her bikes. They got time, said shin shwin bikes.

I don't know, girl, I look go to I go today cycle bar.

Oh yeah, they got shoing bikes.

Yeah, so I go there. I'll go today at I thirty. I love it. I love spin class, I love smart girl. That is my new favorite shit to do. And then after that, I saw a little baby. It was random, one of my friends from a capitol. He was here with baby and was like, come on, I got a ticket for you. So I went to the show and I walked past all my old niggas up to the front, right up to the stage.

Excuse me, excellent, excellent.

I literally had to like walk past one of my old niggas with some girl and they was like standing in the aisle. I was like, excuse me, move bitch. I ain't say move bitch, but that's house. That's the energy energy. Yeah.

Oh that was so excellent.

Ain't nothing like a future flex? Yeah, the flex of a nigga right quick. And that's really all because it did rain. So after that, I just kind of chilled for the rest of the weekend. I mean I went to work, of course, but after that, I just chilled.

Nothing else. Just a little quick flex on these holes, puss as holes.

Listen, we're gonna start stupid that news off with a song.

A dude, I don't know the pain.

That's not stupid internet news. It's not, but it is news, and it's taking.

I love fuck it ain't just a y'all.

Rest in peace to our good sister.

Yeah, Irish from seven oh two, you know her sister passed away in two thousand and eight from kwe Yeah, and.

Now they're saying she passed. I don't know why. They just said she was battling some disease for a while.

I love seven o two man, that was one of my favorite groups, Girl, Black Jade, s WV, all ofm that from that time into black girl groups.

I don't know that kill missed it. We missed it.

We missed them. Yeah, So rest in peace to her all right?

So now, yeah, g Z let's get the gz ass right quick.

So JZ and Jenny Mi are now getting a divorce after two years of marriage and one baby later, Kay in my mind, and he filed for divorce. Now you know they always like to say, oh, it's always the woman doing the paperwork. Sta Jesus said that I'm about to get the fuck up out of here.

She was calling him the N word.

I really believe she was in there calling him the N word when she got mad.

Did you see that.

Video that resurfaced her talking about her anger issues and how she didn't realize she had anger issues until she got with GIZI because you were what white men and they probably was letting you talk to them crazy.

M h.

Yeah, Now you got this black man who like.

Chill out that video on her talking about how she has dark meat on the side, but white meat keeps her meaning lean. I really think that there's a big part of her that felt like getting with Jezi was her dating down and she probably gave him that type of energy when.

She was mad.

You think so I settled for you?

No, ain't no the way you think.

You settled for If dark meat is on the side and white and me keep her meaningly, did she thinks she that's a fucking slave owner, white bitch. Kind of complex kind of energy, like I go sneak down to the slave hut and fuck the slave, but I'm with my white husband. I could never be with one of them.

And you know, I was trying to point that shit out when they first got engaged, like I'm trying to figure out, has this nigga?

No I seen this, like y'all haven't seen this, And now in the.

Video is resurfaced, and she actually said that live on the real that black men are essentially a side like macaroni and cheese or black eyed peas.

Well, wait, macaroni and cheese is very good, so you're.

Not just eating just that for dinner. I would, I would. So I also saw this other document, I mean see it.

Sorry, I also saw this other post where this girl had the actual document through the courts.

So Jeezi filed for divorce June fifteenth, now.

Right before Juneteenth. She wants to call her a nigga on this fourteenth, and you were like, you know what, it's June, it's about to be juneteenth, and I'm not doing this no more.

So you know, she recently she was posting videos even like for Father's Day, she posted him a video. He had a book just come out, and you know, she posted in the caption, my husband da da da da.

Like, so to me, she's been trying to save face face we.

Don't marriage why or maybe trying to save their marriage. You know, she probably want him as her husband still, you never know.

I hate you know, I hate that.

I hate to see another black child without their dad in the home because I mean, essentially that is a black baby, So I hate that for them.

But who did we not see it coming.

It's almost like they think they're gonna get different, treated different from different races of people, Like this is an Archaea type of a type of person.

It doesn't have any color to it. So we don't know why they're not together.

But I think that black men assume that other groups of women, other cultures are gonna be just just totally different, gonna let you do what the fuck you want to do. We're gonna always shut the fuck up.

And it's just not true.

That's a personality trait. You don't know what you're gonna get from anybody, right, you know what I'm saying. But Black women are seen to be like the most hard to get along with, the most argumentative, always got an attitude, We got a lot of shit to have an attitude about. Okay, but we still stay with y'all, l ass for a very long time. But if a black man has followed for divorce from your ass, I need to know why. I really really want to know why. And I never invested.

But I don't know.

Maybe we'll see some more about this story later on to actually understand why.

But they do have a prenup.

They got the prenup actually the day before they got married, and one may say that she might be able to dispute it. Maybe she'll say she did it she signed under durest because it was just the day before she's supposed to get married.

Who knows. We'll see what happens though. Well, good luck to both of them. Oh, speaking of breakup.

More breakup news, Tiana Taylor and Imon Shemper are separated. They're not divorced, but they've been separated for a minute now, apparently, according to Tiana, she posted on social media that it was a lot of conversations going on, and she just wanted to clear the air that they didn't break up over infidelity, that they had other issues in their marriage and that was the reason for their departure. But they copare well and they still best friends. So maybe they'll

I like him.

I know, y'all, this bitch slid in his deals last night. I hey, big head, that nig and voice memos that I know them dms. Both of the dms blew up, both of them.

Yeah you know, y'all got the ladies at the niggas, okay, right, both of them ms? Oh goodness, you know.

I like, I don't know in my spirit, and I'm probably wrong, and forgive me if I'm wrong, But I just feel like Tianna Taylor and Lari Harvey have like a thing.

In a relationship, thing not in a relationship, but like we're.

Best friends, we have fun together, but we also might fuck every now and then kind of thing. Why would you think that though, just because of how they be like hugged up on each other when they're out.

I never really even know they hang out. I didn't see them hanging out. But maybe I'm wrong. You know who you know, but I see, I mean, they be like you know in your mind. See sorry if I'm wrong. Nah, bitch, I think it's on your mind. Man together and not the rubbing absick man? What else? Have a girl? All right? So halle Berry is pissed at Drake.

So apparently her people reached out to his people and vice versa wanted to use her image for his album.

Artwork, and she said hell to the motherfucker.

Nah, and this nigga still took it upon himself and used her image, and she feels like that's like a real life slap in the face. Fuck you girl, I'm gonna do what I want. So apparently they went to Geddy Images, who owns the image, which I just.

I hate that.

I hate that somebody can sneak take a picture of you, or even if like you actually pose for a picture. And because they took the picture, my image no longer belongs to me. My likeness isn't mine. No that, so Drake has her covered in slime.

She doesn't well, I mean, Nickelodeon slimed her. It was Nickelodeon who slammed her. It wasn't Drake. But I can't understand why she's upset. But I can also understand why it's like, is it really a big deal?

Is it really a big deal?

Why did you even ask me? If he was gonna do what the fuck you wanted in the first place?

Why ask me.

As a as a what's the word I'm looking for?

As a cancer?

Just as a consideration for you.

That is why I asked.

But the image don't belong to you, So I asked you to be kind. But really I didn't have to ask you anyway. And that's basically what Drake's people is saying by using it. And I doubt Drake even knew. I'm sure if Drake knew that she said no, he probably would have been like, all right, let's find something else.

You know, he probably really wanted to use that image. Or maybe it's his people like get that image from me, and they got it. Listen, Drake have so much trouble anytime he do anything. Remember he did the Vogue and Vogue suit him for using a fake Vogue magazine.

Just because why are you doing what the fuck you want, Like, why are you doing that? You can't do what you want?

I mean you can.

I'm mad me and you took a Vogue magazine and posted pictures with it. Wouldn't nobody to give a fuck, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, until we got real big Yeah, it's just because it's here.

My poor baby, he just touched by this be defending bullshit because it's my man, my man, my man.

So Tyler Perry is in the news, okay, Uh for his thoughts on women. Okay, black women in particular. Uh, he says, in our society right now, No, let me start, let me read the full thing. He said, a lot of women, especially black women. And I might get in trouble for saying this, but I will. And he carries on. He's says, in our society right now, black women are making a lot more money, for the most part than black men.

If you could.

Find love, if that man works at whatever job, and it is a good man, and it's good to you and honors you and honors a house, and honors his wife and does what he can because his gift might not be your gift. And that's okay, that's not he says, that's not somebody that's beneath you. That's somebody who came to love you at your worth. So he's basically saying, you know, meet people where they are. And he adds and says, as long as he's secure in himself to

All I could pay is a life bill.

As long as she's comfortable enough to say I'm going to cover the mortgage and all the other stuff, that's fine. Absolutely, that's fine. Right, But do you think that most men are able to rest in that position? Because it's an unnatural position.

You know, you know, I can't say that most men are. I know, I know.

I have a friend who left her husband because he just wasn't earning as much as her. Right, he just wasn't as ambitious, Yeah, as ambitious, as ambitious or earning as much money as her.

But he was.

He loved her dirty drawers, he didn't step out on her. They had fun together, he was a good father to their kids. He just did all the things except that, and she left them, and she left them. They separated for many years, and then she went back. She went back to him because she was like, I had to realize that what he provided was greater than money, what he provided me was greater than money. I went back outside, and I couldn't find that kind of love that I

Absolutely?

So on the only drawback I see, right, the only issue I see what he said was I just don't really like when people get on public platforms, especially being somebody as big as he is, right, and then singles out black women collectively and generalizing situations because majority of black women are into trenches with black men. And when I say, like, we might be making more, we might be making less, but nonetheless we are with a black man.

Right, So I feel like we're the only group.

Of women where somebody's constantly telling us y'all need to bring y'all standards down.

Well, I think we're the only group of women in this country that make more than our don't count.

That's true.

I don't even think it's white women are making more than white men.

No, no, no, I don't think that black women are making more money on a greater scale than black men. I don't bel I come from a corporate setting, so I know that black men, and that's just my small sample size, right, the black men have higher positions and they are higher earners. So I don't think I haven't seen any statistics to to to prove that, right.

I know black women come on more debt.

I've actually looked at those statistics because we talk about higher education and stuff like that.

Your man might have never went to college.

You started a trucking company making half a million dollars, You got half a million dollars in student loans. You know what I'm saying. So it just I don't know where the stats come from that people like to use. But I think he generalized a lot of things in a statement he made. And I just want black men to talk to other black men, right, because I always say this, Black women we talk to each.

Other, but we talk to each other, but we also talk to men.

So it's not fair to tell men that they can't talk to women when we sit on our show and literally talk to men all the time on what they need to do and what they should do.

You know.

So I feel like I feel like when we talk about it, really, when I think about when I started talking about men, I really be thinking about men that I've dealt with or the type of man that I want, I don't really be trying to generalize, like, oh, all, y'all niggas need to lower y'all standards, right, I don't say no shit like that. That's really what he's saying on a public platform, and we are not Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry is a huge personality, you know. I don't

That's a given, a given, I know, because look at the status of relationships in our country right now with black people.

If that was a given, then things would be better.

Don't you think so you think that black women collectively need to lower their standards.

No, I don't think nobody's everybodys I just don't think you should base your relationship solely on money. That's all I'm thinking.

But look at the economy right now, right and I've never been in a relationship that I based solely on money.

Ever, Right, But.

The more you start loving man because you fucking love them, you start reflecting, like maybe I should start focusing on the money. Most women aren't focusing on the money. So for him to make a blaked statement like that, it's just not true. And I feel like we might verbally say that, but that's not really how we live in our lives.

I know, you know a bitch taking care of a man right now?

I do.

I can't think of nobody I know, But I don't know nobody taking care of no man. But I do know women who make more than their men. You know, Does that count as taken care of them if they make more?

If he's just paying a light bold like he just suggested, he was wild with it, just the lights.

He was wilding with that statement. But I mean, I feel like I know people who, you know, they have their dynamic that works, and their man is not the bread winner they are, you know, so and I envy their relationship. It's beautiful, they're happy, they look like they're having fun. They out on boats, and she probably futting a lot of the bill, you know, But everything else is just immaculate.

For them, soide looking in I don't know, you know.

For sure, how he said if the man is comfortable in that position, But oftentimes men aren't comfortable in that position.

They want to be able to provide, right.

So if you can get one that's not an ego about you making more money than them and not trying to make you feel bad for having higher education or earning more, then it's cool. But I think a lot of problems. I don't think it comes from like a woman debo in the situation. It's because that's not a natural position for a man. He wants to be the one doing those things. And that's why you'll see like and I hate to use celebrities for example, right, but

When they get on they marry what they really want.

Right. So I don't think we should be suggesting struggle love to black women because no other culture gets that. Look a look at the passport bros. They go out the country so they can get somebody who costs less. Basically, Yeah, but.

With celebrities, the majority of us are not gonna be celebrities, right, you know, the majority of people are not gonna be celebrities. So that's like you're gonna get what you get. You're gonna date on your level, and that's probably gonna be your level for most of the rest of your life.

Yeah, I feel like black men are hypergaments. I don't feel like black men really date down how they suggest Black women to date down.

No, I think so.

Hypergaments man.

Black men will find a woman that he like ringing up shit at Target and marry her because of who she is. In love. I don't think women aren't typically going to pick up a man for Target. No shade on Target workers. I love y'all and I love Target, but you know, a successful woman is just that doesn'tcount. Like going to pick up the guy working the registered Target. She want him doing more and he might be the best nigga for her, you know what I'm saying. That's

But I don't feel like he has to say that.

I feel like women are oftentimes dating somebody that's not on a level especially in a black community. So why are you trying to reiterate that? We're trying to get out of that? So how do we get out of that? Do you see what I'm saying? You talk to the men, so the men know the standard. But maybe grow together,

What I got?

What can we do to make this bigger? Right?

But if we always starting at ground zero, you stole at ground zero and I gotta work with you that.

Why are we asking black women to do that? It's a rat rac and it sucks. Knty, What the fuck you want? A fucking metal?

What movie is that? I don't know, Bar Centers Club, whatever, y'all, I'm lying.

Don't tell mom the Babysitter's Dead with Christina Applegate, Like.

Why I'm gonna know that girl? Why wouldn't you know that?

It's a cult classic?

Y'all? Listen?

Okay, So today's guest. Today's guest is the CEO of Afro Future.

Y'all going this year. We're going, yes, formerly known as Afro Tella. Yeah, it's lit.

We're going.

M y'all stay tuned.

All right, y'all listen. So today's guest is the CEO and founder of one of the world's largest festivals, a Future, formerly known as Afro Cella. Y'all welcome, mister.

Abdul Kareem Abdullah to we talk back. Yay, thank you for coming on. We excited.

Hey, I'm excited too. I'm excited to be here with you guys.

Listen, we're trying to come party. I'm just gonna get that out period. You trying to go to party?

Period?

Everybody going?

I see.

Yeah, Yeah, it's very exciting, you know.

I mean the Year of Return sparked you know a lot of emotion and people and definitely has attracted a lot more people to come to Ghana to you know, to one celebrate, like you said, turn up, but also just kind of reconnect with people, you know, understand a different narrative than what you've been taught, you know, or what you may have known before. You know, it's a great opportunity to kind of build that bar and to build that Bridge as well.

So talk to us about like how you guys started with this, because this was like at least six or seven years ago when y'all started.

Yeah.

Absolutely, I mean we you know, got us home for us and like more African countries, a lot of people tend to travel back home in December to the you know, to to see family, to see friends, to celebrate, and it's really just kind of like a two week three week long festival, depending on how long you have the

Work and about already.

So you were living in the States, you were living in the States and just going back to Ghana.

Yeah, so I grew up. I grew up in Ghana. I went to school there for eight years.

I came back here to the US, went to high school and to college, and then yeah, we would go back annually.

You know.

Now I go back multiple times a year, but we'll go back annually to Ghana December and just really tapping with all the folks and friends from all over the world and family from all over the world that comes back home to kind of celebrate the holiday season.

So are y'all never planning to have the well now Afro future in the States in America at any point?

I mean, it's not our goal. We'll probably have some type of experience that you know, really markets and encourages people to come back to the content that our goals around building the resources on the continent, building away on the continent. Again, people don't want to come to the continent.

You know, Africa is the youngest continent in the world. You know, in the world.

You know, by twenty fifty one or four people will be African, you know, so that means there's a lot of jobs that are going to be creative. Industry is going to becoming to Africa. You know, we're going through a whole industrial revolution. I love it, and I think black people, black people should should be a part of that industrial growth, right, we should be able to under dispel those narratives that separate us and find ways to come together and build.

With each other.

So that's some of the work that we're doing on the continent, not just us, but across the continent, all the people that are building these similar properties.

So in twenty seventeen, y'all hat your first one and you were like you and your homeboy was just sitting around you was like, man, let's throw a big ass party. Like how did y'all come up with the idea?

Yeah, So it's funny because we were doing events in the US and we were very successful because, you know, afrobeats was not was very niche at the time.

It wasn't on radio.

So I remember the first time I ever heard, you know, afrobeat saw on radio and how it made me feel.

So we would do events and we have big numbers.

People were flying from over the states to come to our parties because unlike now, it wasn't as popular when we were doing it. So we had a lot of audacity. Decided to go to God and just kind of throw a party, and it didn't do well. The party, the first one we ever did, didn't do well. So it was just kind of for me it was a silver

So so yeah, certainly, right, yeah, exactly. So my partner, you know, but he's a big supporter.

Like you know, when we were finally ready and I just kind of knew where I wanted the event to happen, you know, how I wanted to shape up.

When I told him, he didn't hesitate.

Like the same day we had the venue booked and we had about seven months to plan the first one. You know, I think that no matter how, you know, if you have an idea, you have something good to put into the world, you just have to kind of put it out there and like the world will galvinize around you to kind of build it, build it.

So how would you say it is the festival has evolved since it's inception?

Oh yeah, I mean, well you said before it was you know, Afrotilla was and you know Afro Future is, right. I think that what we learned in our journey to kind of invite people to Africa was that one there has to be a lot of education around people who were interested in visiting the continent. It's not just you know, tourism on the continent is not what it is in the Caribbean, it's not what it is in Europe. It's

So all right, I might this is gonna sound ignorant, but just roll with it, Okay. So the continent of Africa, you have several countries, so fifty fifty four countries, so it wouldn't be similar to like are you know how in the USA we're going to different states, right, so within different the countries, you would need like a visa to go to every country, or you can just travel to different countries in the continent without it.

So with your American passport, you can probably visit more countries than a citizen of Somoya can visit countries on the continent. That really yeah, you might be able to you can get into South Africa, but a citizen of Nigerian Nigeria needs a visa to get into South Africa.

Your American past.

Interesting, Why is that.

Because of neo colonials. A lot of people don't understand this, but like you know, a lot of African countries recently you hear about the coupdatars happening. Yeah, I love it because you know it's just people fighting back, right. You know, the internet is allowed as educating us. You know, there's a lot of things that we need to learn and

It's just the way you know, the powers that be have set up you know, you know the world.

And the hope is that we can untangle that and we can you know, encourage more black people to kind of learn about each other, Like we need to learn about each other in order for us to build with each other, you know what I mean. It's unfortunate, but that's that's what it is right now. But there's a new I just kind of feel like, if I'm going to say the bad side, that you say the optimistic side as well. Like there's a new trade agreement that

Never to size. What would you say is the greatest hardship of building something like this because this I mean has grown really really huge. What would you say was the greatest hardship of building it so far thus far?

I mean I was saying there was a lot of learning on the job for us, and you know, I think we also scaled very fast. You know, we went from forty seven hundred people year one to twelve thousand year two, to ninety to six thousand year three.

Last year we did thirty one thousand.

You know, So we haven't been able to match the amount of skill we have to the amount of money we've been able to raise. So that has been a difficult process, right being able to kind of make can make sense for all the people who are coming to the event. But thankfully we've been able to kind of make lemon out of lemonades, lemonades out of lemon and.

You know, we've been able to kind of put on a very successful event.

You know, it's attracting people from all over the world, celebrities and artists and talent, and it's been going pretty well.

Do you get to enjoy it? Are you just like running around like a chicken with your hair cut off for the whole time because you're working, or do you actually get to enjoy what you create?

Yeah? For the first couple of years, I didn't enjoy it.

The only way I knew the experience was through the feedback I was getting from people, and that was really like the fuel that allowed that motivated me to keep going.

How people felt about it, how it impacted their lives.

Some people brought their whole families, their mothers, their their wives, their kids, and just kind of seeing how it affected other people was something that kind of encouraged me, you know, because in the first couple of years of a business, you're not really seeing you know.

And also we had a very small team, you know. We've since expanded our team.

So last year and the year before were the first year is that I got to actually experience it with people and walk through the entire field while people are enjoying it and watching hearing them talk and just you know, people watching, and it's an incredible experience.

It's an incredible experience.

What would you say is your favorite, absolute favorite part of the festival so I can know where I need to be when I go.

My favorite part of the festival obviously like the different photo moments and interactive moments that people get to enjoy on the field and watching them interact with them. I think that is really really cool. I think also just kind of watching you know, people connect, you know. You know,

You know.

I was walking down, I was driving my car, and as I was driving my car, I look out my window to the left and I see two of my friends from Brooklyn, New York walking the streets of our crop, like you know, in the middle of the city. And that was such a proud moment for me because it was just kind of like, yo, they walking down, they walking down a crowd, like it's flatbush, like you know what I mean.

I felt like I was.

Kind of kind of see them just walking there, free about it, you know. So, you know, there's so many amazing things to do in Ghana, whether it's if you want a club, you can party all night in the morning, you know, people literally their viral videos and.

People on the beach at eight am. You know, people you can do that.

But there are so many cool restaurants, you know, there's so many you know, educational activities that's happening on the ground. There's so many, you know, sights to see, places to visit once you come there. For me, as the beaches, I love to drive. There's a beach that Blue Lagoon is about two and a half hours away from a craft.

I think it's just like one of the best places in the cross And.

So do you be dancing?

Can you dance?

You don't go to the club?

I mean, I'm in New Yorker, man, you know, you know, you got to be able to do a little one two step, you know, like, can't be stiff. You know, I don't have paint on the wall, you know. I you know, I was a part of the Little Shake era. I got a little shake in. They're a little five thousand, so a little bit, you know, and you know, when the pends of that from meets. I could do it. I can do a little you know, I could.

Do it a little two step, yeah, you know, shoulder work.

I got it all.

All right.

So, at the end of the twenty twenty two Afrochella, you guys announced that the festival would not be returning.

I know a lot of the festival goers are probably upset.

But now we find that the name of the festival has just changed now to Afro Future.

Let's talk about what's going on with that.

Yeah, afro Tella was and after Future is.

You know, not only did we feel internally that it was time for us to kind of grow into our step into our big boy pants as far as shoes and what we wanted to tell. As far as the storytelling component, we knew that the future is Africa and we want our festival to be synonymous with that. As far as the connectivity of the bridge that's being built between the diaspora and the continent. You know, we don't

Can you tell us, like, what's the lineup for this December?

It's coming up. I mean, we have a deal to do with exclusive release, but it's definitely coming up within the next week or so, so you all get that information.

But it's gonna be pretty exciting in the past. Last year we had Burn and Boy headline alongside Fireboy and a few other exciting acts. Twenty twenty one we had Whist Kid, we had our Lennox and a few others. So this year is gonna be not in short of that, it's gonna be pretty amazing.

What do you think about Burn and Boys saying it that we don't have any culture over here black Americans.

I think that.

I think what he meant and what he said are two different things, you know what I mean. But you know, I think think it was all off to interpretation. Like I said earlier, we we definitely need to learn more about each other's coaches and understand each other's perspectives, and I think that would have formed how we should speak

Kind of purpose.

What's your background? Is your background like, where's where'd you go to school for?

I went to school, funny enough, for bio psychology and public health.

You know exactly what they're saying. Yeah, you know how to like word that ship real good? Like yeah, be like I'm just saying, like, you know, I'm trying to make sure politically correct.

No, it's not even politically correct.

It's really just kind of like, you know, I feel like I'm always going to stand on my ground off in the Bronx, like you know what I mean, that's what we do. But it's just kind of like, you know, I take the approach of education more so than I take the approach of controversy.

You know.

I think that, you know, controversy is obviously what sells, and that's what a lot of people love and enjoy it. But I personally feel there's an opportunity for us to kind of educate each other.

So what kind of stuff like on the ground at AFRO Future and what kind of educational and empowerment initiatives is for future involving amazing.

So we do a lot of things outside of the festival.

A lot of people know the festival because that's where their enjoyment is, but even at the festival, there's opportunity for you to engage with different cultural troops that we bring onto the field, Different artists and talents that we bring on to the field that are also there. The mirrorless and the painters and even some of the vendors have a lot of stories to tell and those connections are very very important to us. Off the field, we

We've done, you know, poetry events, whether.

It's given creators an opportunity to kind of tap in with each other and tell their story from a poetry perspective. Last year we introduced Black Health Connect, which was an opportunity for health professionals in the diaspora to connect.

I thought that was really cool. That was one of my favorites.

We've had conversation around agriculture and food and how we connect around food and what opportunities we've done things about beauty. About sixty four percent of our audience a woman, so we tend to kind of also like to try and have conversations around women. Last year, we were able to collaborate with this company out of Berlin called Curl Cohn and we had conversations about beauty and starting the beauty business.

And right now we're very we're empowering.

Beauty brands from the continent, like topicals like I'm Coola that are doing some amazing work in the space and we want to be able to highlight them and highlight the ingredients that they use from the continent, you know, So whether it's like food activations and discussions around food as well, some of the opportunities that we dig into. Last year, we were able to collaborate with a Modern Black Girl and we ran a pitch competition.

I love that. I love Modern Black Girl to to kind of like.

Tapping and and win a prize to kind of help their businesses. We want to expand and have conversations around tech, around business opportunities, around you know, the Aspera dialogues.

You know, what are our perspectives as men?

You know, from from a diaspa point of view, as American, from a British point of view, from a British Black American?

You know what, like, what are the different perspectives of men? What is our tone? You know?

How do we differ? How do we have similarities? And in terms of mindset, same thing around women and wellness, and how can we speak to each other and understand

So and really what it takes is the education.

You know, we grew up with hip hop, like I watched mac DVD's, I read the blogs like, you know, I know this was my culture, right, you know, just kind of so I follow artists from when there was a mixtape artist and now they're like, you know, a world renowned artists like French Montana. I remember him as a cookboy on Smack DVD and now to see him as a superstar, Well why I follow that story.

Most of us here in the US.

Haven't had that opportunity with afrobeats artists, and that connectivity is so our museum allows us to be able to create an experience like that for artists and dig deeper into that.

So we do a lot of those kinds of things, and obviously we give back.

You know a lot of people say why we don't highlight that because we don't want Africa to be associated with charity. We want people to associate us with industry and to highlight some of the you know, the people on the ground doing the damn thing. You know, there's a lot of people on the ground doing a lot of amazing things and finance and tech and science and creativity and you know in fashion, you know, so you know, how do we highlight those people. That's what's more important to us.

Yeah, this give back. There's an opportunity.

You know, if you want to donate sneakers, we have a whole day with the kids and paint and rebuild their school or provide them with food for the day and for the year as well. You know, we do those kinds of things. But what we're trying to do is encourage people to come back tapping with people doing some amazing things and let's let's work together to create opportunity.

Absolutely, I'm thinking about I want to get my citizenship in Ghana. Do they still have that program with our friends Black Americans to come over there and get a piece of land and and uh citizenship.

Yeah, absolutely, you can come.

You can get residency and then after a while, once there's an amnesty, they do the entire citizenship together.

But you start with residency.

I know, a few people who have gone through that process and have started several businesses around in Donna specifically.

That's dope. So let me ask you this as a novice, because I want to come. What date would you say would be the best dates to come from this day to this day would be the best opportunity to get a real experience.

Yeah.

The only thing I often feel guilty when I tell people that, you know, come like before Christmas. So we tend to tell people to come in the twenty sixth and leave the fourth. You know, those are the days where we're having a majority of the activations. But it's really on and popping all December and mostly throughout January. There's there's always something to do, but the busiest part is the twenty sixth to the fourth. Those are the times where I will encourage a lot of people to

In our cry.

What happened in a cry Yesterday?

We had an event that we called My Piano and Brunch that we started in the pandemic and it's a pretty exciting experience. So you know, even yesterday it was a soul out event. So you know, a crowd is always popping anywhere you go in the continent. You can have an amazing time. You know, it's just really about going and seeing yourself there.

So my concern is vaccinations. What type of vaccinations you got to have, if any, to go to Ghana.

I think just the kind of the basics, the stuff that's on your yellow card, the yellow fever, the memphs, the mumps, but even that, I believe the yellow fever has been updated to be taken off. Like you just want to make sure that you're vaccinated against any of like those deadly diseases. You know, you no longer need the COVID vacs. Well you should have a COVID vaccination to come to Ghana, but you don't. You no longer have to provide a PCR test runing through that nature to come into Ghana.

M Me and her ain't got no husband or no keys, so we can come before Christy's Honestly.

Yeah, right now, you'll have a y'all have, y'all have a blast.

In terms of costs, Is this an experience that the average American can Black American or any you know race of American can come have? Or do we got to wait till twenty twenty five and get our chips together.

No, no, no, It depends on where you are in life.

And also when you're booking, right, we give a lot of different opportunities for people to be able to kind of pay their trip over time. You don't have to buy it all at once. Yes, the most expensive, you know, a part of this trip is the flight there. You know, that's a that's the biggest hurdle.

Uh.

And then also maybe sometimes depends on how you stay, the luxury you want to have once you stay there. But you can definitely go there, you know, on a pretty sleep budget, because once you're in town, your money goes a long way. The dollar is a very great currency to have on the continent, you know, it goes a long way. Unless you're out there trying to kind of like live like a king, you should be fine, right the most the biggest hurdle you're probably gonna face

Okay, well, semi mode numbers, so I could call her get my ship together because I'm crumbing this year. Right.

They take after pay.

American Airlines takes after pay you guys, our klariner one so you can get your ticket like that.

You know, we're looking at some airline discounts.

You know, in the future, we're trying to like do tryter planes as well, you know, which will kind of help us reduce the costs. Seems like they're trying to stop black people from coming to Africa man every years.

Of course, that's why that's why I was asking you about, you know, the festival ever being in America, because I understand empowering Africa for sure, but we can look at other groups of people, like I'll say the Asians for an example. Asian people like they empower their people wherever they are, right. So it's not about like really like doing this here and then sending money back or sending the resources back. It's about us taking over all ship, you know what I'm saying.

So last year year and this year, what we started doing is taking our show on the road. So between Ghana and December, we do a lot of activities leading up to December and so creating experiences here in the US so for instance, or in Europe. So this year we've done a lot of stops. We started off in Coudivoire, which was in Abajohn. Then we went to Paris, we went to London. Uh we came back to l A.

Some of our goals right and get in front of the white.

Man always yeah, they're gonna get things, but we got to get ours.

Too, you know that part. That part where's the Jall of Rice competition at.

So this year is gonna be at the Nike HQ.

Everybody can't get in, so you know it's gonna be a you know, it's invite only, but we got a space for you guys to pull up and enjoy yourself. It's a pretty great experience. You had a lot of amazing players, like the game was actually competitive. Jandanna has played in the past, Ross Gold, who used to be a player, She's played. We've had a few you know, pro semi pro players play on the team. So it's been pretty exciting.

It's co ed.

So a woman asked you on this corner on the on the court the whole time. But they're good too, and and they're dope and and they ball out. It's a pretty great experience. And we have an after party and you know, it's it's it's vibes, you know. So we have after party at Musica. So it's gonna be a very nice you know, two weeks now during Independence is October first, so we're gonna be celebrating up until the eighth of October.

So this is in New York. You're saying, this is a New York Yes, okay.

Oh yeah, I'm trying to pull up.

Please.

You had and you had me, You had me at.

Okay, jelof Rights Champion. The Jewel of Rights that we use tis our chow restaurant. We have, you know, two little caches of Harlem and one of the Bronx. But they are two time champions.

This year they get to defend it for the three peak, so I'm pretty excited for them, you know, hopefully, and Jeria can come with some heat.

We're gonna see what happened, and I'm gonna taste all of it, and I'm gonna tell you which one I think should win.

I've only had joel Off one time. Really, really, the food is so damn spicy, man.

I like to be able to enjoy my food.

I cannot enjoy my food if I'm away and in my mouth it's hot the whole time.

Maybe I'll just be eating it and wiping my nose because my nose start running because it's so hot. But that's okay, baby, Just wipe my nose and keep going.

That's definitely note.

So what do you hope the attendees take away from Afro Future from the after Future experience and what are your aspirations for the future of the festival?

Absolutely, I mean I think that my hope is that one they can build a connection or a relationship with somebody that they meet on the continent, they could be intentional about dispelling any narratives that they may have or that the people around them have. About the continent and

And I think that we don't really have that yet. So the festival definitely wants to be able to tap into that, to that to that length.

That's good, that's important. Well, I'm excited for the growth of this. I keep seeing every year, I keep seeing it growing, and this year is gonna grow bigger because tam Bar, I'm gonna be in the building.

I promise I'm going this year.

Yeah.

Yeah, I've definitely you guys be my special guests. You know, we'll have a good time. I'll make sure all my spots take care of you, guys.

Husband's out there.

It's gonna be so much to pick from you. I'm not gonna be able. They're gonna be on y'all too. So suppose immediately perfect. Yeah, they meet you and they.

Tell you, I love it, darling, Darling, You're so beautiful, Darling, all of that.

I want all of that.

Yeah.

So can you tell our listeners where they can find all this information so they can attend as well?

Absolutely on all of our socials, Instagram, threads, uh, you know, Snapchat, TikTok, Afro Future, at afro Future, a Future festival, you should be able to find us on any of those, even on LinkedIn as well. We're on there as well as for Future Festival. You can always go to Afrofuture dot com that's our website. All of the information is there for you.

All right, you hear there, Guys Afro Future, y'all look for that because we're gonna be there and it's gonna be a great opportunity to connect with Ghanaians and the whole continent. So y'all, y'all better come.

And husband, I should do it. Oh yeah, let's do it. Absolutely. I'm with that.

Yeah, forgot. Now we can set that up for y'all.

I can do it all right, let's set that up seriously, I'm serious. Don't be giving us no Hollywood. That's the Bronx talking like, yeah, we can do a live.

Show the yeah for the festival.

Have y'all incorporated any podcast with the festival, like something like a live show.

We've had we've had a few.

We had no podcasts last year come through and they did like, you know, the backstage interviews as people came came on and off the off the stage. That was pretty exciting. We've done some live ones on on you know, in our venues as well as XPO. Some people have come out and do their live podcast. It's been pretty exciting.

That's no real easy way to say.

This, but.

We get We ain't getting no SIMP story from Abdul. What are we doing?

Oh yeah, we definitely got to get a SIMP story from Abdul. Almost got away? You almost got away?

I was getting ready to.

All right. So we have a segment of our show called Dumby Story, our SIMP series, and you got to share a time that you got played by the opposie one story and don't don't talk about when you was in the ninth grade, talk about something from your.

Food out the afro.

Are you are you married?

I'm not married? Are you.

Not in a relationship? So prior to her, what happened?

Yes? Damn yeah? Man, man, you guys want to help me with reveal the secret?

I ain't never really go ahead and tell it.

Oh my goodness. Yeah, you know, it happens to the best of us, most of us, you know what I mean. I was super, you know, super super, super in love, you know, and you know I just couldn't see pastor you know, and unfortunately she did me dirty, you know, one of my one of my young boys. So you know it happened to me. It happened to me in college, and that was my villain story.

That was.

Every one one bitch be ruining a nigga forever.

I mean that was vague, but I guess we'll take it.

Yeah, come on, I don't want to like, did she smash on the what does she do?

You know? A whole lot of you know, you know, she just kind of you know, stepped out of me man with somebody with a.

Friend with my mentor did you did you continue to mentor this person?

You know, I put a body on. We're all cool.

That actually is funny. It's like, you know, it was very young, and you know, I don't I don't actually blame them at all. You know, I think that was part of life. It was a lesson I need to learn to.

That was a good way to take it. You're still with her too, Yeah, Yeah, we cool.

She apologized a couple of years ago. It's always good like I like that. My villain stories don't end with me being a bad guy. They normally come back and apologize.

So they always do, they always do.

I ain't tell.

You know, we tell us the time you was a damn villains when you play somebody.

And I flew up going and I ain't. I put her in the hotel and I ain't see her no time.

You know, I actually don't have any issues with any of my exits. Actually, well, you know, people tend to I tend to have good relationships or leave on good terms. I try to make sure it's nice and clean every time.

Karma good.

Yeah, I don't want anybody crying over me.

Or all right, let our listeners know where they can find you at. And uh, you pretty much already told us about the festival and all that. So what's your socials where they can tap in with you?

Absolutely? I mean I'm on, I'm on on socials at the Ruler oh two t h E r U l E R zero two. It's my handle across all of my socials.

All right, y'all, that's what y'all can find the Ruler Abdu. Thank you so much man for joining us. We really appreciate you sharing this information. It's a good time, all right, y'all.

If you enjoyed this episode, tune in every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app and where but the fuck you get your podcast at?

This is your co host, A J. Holiday two point oh on instagrams. Kick it Tam, y'all is official.

Tam Bam, I Love y'all, Thank y'all for tuning in. Remember to speak now

And never hold your peace.