The Afro-Punk Festival has announced its lineup for this year and it includes Jean Grae, Saul Williams, Death, Chuck D, Danny Brown and The Coup among others. This year the event will take place at Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park on August 24th and 25th. The shows are free but you must RSVP.

1. Did Kendrick Lamar really need to speak on the importance of voting?

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2. Why did Rolling Stone publish such a misinformed article about the Afro-Punk festival? How could “The Other Black Experience” slogan be dated if magazines like Rolling Stone have never given coverage to Afro-Punk artists? And when did Pharrell Williams become the “undeniable forefather of the Afro-Punk ethos?”

3. Will the suicide deaths of Chris Lighty and Shakir Stewart inspire industry folk and fans to look at mental illness more seriously? Perhaps they could start raising awareness with the National Suicide Prevention Week.