What the Punk !
Black creativity is at the heart of the punk and grunge movement. Punk, grunge and other alternative rock genres became central forms of artistic expression for Black musicians in the 70’s. For these Black performers, it was less about the music and more about the social movement.
The Black imprint in alternative rock music cannot be overlooked. The Godmother of Grunge is a Black woman. Hidden in the background of the genre's history by misogynoir and intentionally rewritten music history, Tina Bell created grunge whether the world admits that or not. Backed by her husband, Bell formed her own band in 1983, Bam Bam. Bam Bam would go on to create the lyrical and sonic foundation of grunge music— an alternative genre of rock— and Bell would break numerous barriers as the charismatic and striking front lady of the band.
So, why don’t we know more about Tina Bell’s impact?
According to the Seattle Times: "the legacy of Bell, a Black woman, has often been overlooked in a genre typically associated with long-haired white guys."
Our impact doesn’t stop there.
Taking it back to the year 1971, a band of Black musicians out of Detroit, Rock Fire Funk Express, would form to become one of the first punk rock bands in the world. The group would later change their name to Death and create music unlike anything ever heard before; it was faster, louder and harder than other genres of music.
A conversation on early Black punk artists would be empty without mention of Pure Hell, the punk rock band later established in 1974. Pure Hell would grow to become a crucial part of New York’s bubbling punk subculture.
Black influence would finally become mainstream in punk music during 1977, the year of Bad Brains, or as Rolling Stone puts it, “the mother of all Black hard-rock bands.”
According to an article by The Undefeated, before Bad Brains’ arrival, American rock radio was dominated by white artists such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rhythms rarely rose above mid-tempo, and any band that sounded too “ethnic” was excluded from airplay consideration. Bad Brains succeeded because their radio hits backed-up electric live performances. From backflips to incredible stage dives, Bad Brains not only revolutionized punk music on the radio but gave birth to a form of frenzied dancing known as “moshing”. Regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, these group of Rastafarians also incorporated elements of reggae into the world of alternative rock.
At the origins of punk, groups like Death, Pure Hell and Bad Brains push the boundaries of self-expression, political dissent, racial stereotypes, and music culture. The very essence of punk is rebellion. Existing unapologetically in Blackness is one of the most profound expressions and embodiments of everything punk represents.
Beyond supporting the sonic foundation of punk, Black influence permeated the fashion of the punk movement. Fashion was used to convey anti-establishment sentiment throughout the 70s, when the punk movement first emerged. The decade was an era of social movements: Vietnam War, anti-capitalism, women’s rights and the Civil Rights movement.
During these movements, both fashion and music were used to show support for a cause. The most notable example of this would be the Black Panther Party (BPP). The BPP used militant fashion to assert power, such as all black looks, leather jackets, black turtlenecks, black sunglasses, black berets, etc. The BPP made themselves publicly distinguishable by their appearances and it was not a byproduct of their movement, but one of the most salient aspects of it. They were not the first group or movement to do this, but they certainly garnered much attention for it during the 60s and 70s.
Social movements constantly look at other groups to see what works and adopt changes to benefit their own causes. Therefore, given the time period, it is not a reach to assume that the punk movement saw how fashion was working for the Black Panthers and adopted certain aspects to show their own rebellion against mainstream values.
When investigating the historical context and culture of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s, we cannot think of the punk and grunge fashion movements as existing in a vacuum. By way of existing in a world of communities and collaboration, punks had to have been influenced by the world and the movements around them that were arguably also about rejecting the status-quo, and thus, rebellion.
The punk movement would later grow to be a place of solidarity for Black individuals. In the early days of punk, the culture was composed of Nazis, white supremacists, and homophopic bullies. They would put colored laces on their Doc Marten boots as a way to identify themselves and their racist beliefs to other punks; this lace code would become an important element of punk culture.
As a way to combat the racism taking over the scene, however, younger punk rock fans would reinvent lace code, sporting yellow colored laces to exemplify values of anti-racism, and purple laces to express one’s support of the LGBTQ+ community. Although still a predominantly white culture, this new generation of punks were committed to creating a safe space for minorities to enjoy the culture and reinvent the style that goes along with it. Their staunch distaste for the “establishment”/ mainstream culture was not only evident through lace code, but a very particular style of hair and makeup. The fashion of this subculture was a true, social identifier. From the torn/distressed clothing items, black leather, “uncoordinated looks”, plaid, and combat boots that characterized your involvement in this punk/grunge scene and movement, punk/grunge fashion was about publicly going against the status quo.
Today, Afro-punk is one of the biggest steps Black artists have made to reclaim their space in the genre of punk and grunge music. Afro-punk music tends to blend a neo-soul sound with punk elements and is most notable for the annual arts festival that started in New York and spread to other parts of the world. The Afro-punk community has been able to also take classic punk fashion and add their own twist to it. According to an article by Grinnell College titled “Subcultures and Sociology”, it is common to see people mixing classic punk clothing with face paint to resemble African tribal paint at festivals. Along with the face painting, Afro punks tend to wear brighter clothing as opposed to the dark and black fashion heralded by the earlier punk movement. Dreadlocks and braids are also staples in Afro-punk fashion.
Black punk rock musicians continue to rise in the industry, with artists like the Nova Twins making their mark in the punk rock/alternative scene with their 2020 debut album “Who Are The Girls?” Black alternative musicians, such as Willow Smith and Rico Nasty, make music that redefines the lens society perceives Black women through… better yet, cracks it. Their sound doesn’t conform to the style of artistry they are expected to pursue, but rather reinforces that Blackness is modular and not monolithic. As the pioneers of rock music in all forms, the table was prepared by Black people for decades. Only now do we see ourselves reclaiming our seats.
Defining songs from Willow Smith, such as “Transparent Soul” and “Wait a Minute!”, have been consumed by millions all over the world. From people blasting them on road trips to creating fifteen second Tik Tok clips, Smith’s music has penetrated the playlists of many, most of whom even knew her from her iconic “Whip My Hair” era in 2010. Rico Nasty’s shocking yet consummate style contributes to the likability she has developed over the years. With popular songs like “Smack a Bitch” and “OHFR?”, Rico Nasty leaves listeners not only with music that stands unique to her alone, but can make a petite 5’2” Black woman confident enough to fight a bear one-on-one. These artists bring a taste of individuality into the arena they effortlessly dominate. They no doubt will be considered trailblazers in this alternative rock genre years down the line, and while replication is expected, it will never be executed. From Death to Pure Hell to Bad Brains to Willow Smith; we see you. We value you. And rock music— grunge and punk alike— wouldn’t be the same without you all.