#growingupforeign

My mother is Jamaican and my father is Nigerian. My Step father and baby brother  are of Sierra Leone descent. My other brother and I are truly first American born citizens. While everyone is talking about what it was like to #growupblack, I’m sitting here thinking about what it was like to #growupforeign. More on that later.

Every celebration required plenty of Guinness and or Heineken and the music will literally have you dancing the night away. Where gospel songs had the same beat as the ratchet songs, but it was often hard to differentiate the two while dancing. My mom’s wedding reception lasted over 12 hours. Foreigners know how to party!

Trying to explain to Hubby my deeply rooted love for this music can only be explained through dance.

This past weekend, I got the chance to enjoy a cultural experience that took me back to my youth with house parties filled with the thumping beats of Afro-Caribbean music.

The Passport Experience:

Created by renowned DJ Fully Focus, PXPFest aims to unite music lovers from all cultural backgrounds in a way that hasn’t been done in Atlanta, a city whose boasts the 11th highest foreign-born population in the country at nearly 725,000.What makes PXP Fest unique is that everyone belongs here, and we’re all equal,” says Fully Focus. “We celebrate diversity & cultural pride. Nowhere else can you get all your favorite genres on one stage. It’s been tailored for the open-minded music fan. It’s a place where you can bring your diverse circle of friends & family and there’s something for everyone. It’s the only place where you get to travel the world without a visa & the only limitation is your imagination.”

What’s particularly special is it’s philanthopic initiative:

PXPFest is also offering attendees the opportunity to make a lasting difference through their participation in the event: a portion of each ticket sold will contribute to Akon Lighting Africa, the Konvict Music boss’ solar power initiative working to bring electricity to 25 countries by 2016.

The Experience:

So we get to the gates of Centennial and you can feel the chill international vibes. Music is BLASTING. I would say I feel sorry for the businesses and residences within a 5 mile radius of Centennial, but I don’t. #sorrynotsorry

This experience was RIGHT on time! It’s like the world needs a MASSIVE BLUNT and they got it in Atlanta. Really wish everyone would just chill the f-ck out! You’d have to truly be a hater to not enjoy yourself here.

It was everything I could ask for, and yes I’m biased to a series of things, but it really was a unique music and cultural experience that united music lovers from all cultural backgrounds in a way that hasn’t been done in Atlanta…

So here are my actual reactions:

Wait! Did it go from Mama Africa. Whisp around for some Bollywood. Side track to the Netherlands and Amsterdam. Take you to New York and then bring it home to Atlanta? Bitch Am I On Vacation?

Man searches for wife. Contestant no. 1 (Orange pants) VS Contestant no.2 (jeans) [Part 1] #PXPExperience #PXPfest #whycauseican #africanthings @pxpatlanta

A video posted by SOA (@soainspired) on Jul 19, 2015 at 5:32pm PDT

Eat. Pray. Twerk.

I can’t make my hips stop moving!

And what’s funny is that a vacation is right around the corner. So this festival is kind of like the pre-game. Think about how hardworking the people are. They slave away all day dreaming of an escape to paradise trying to make ends meet just to find glory.

This experience reminded me of a vacation, but at home because BILLS and the Just Over Broke. All my favorite music made me feel like I was at a family function, shout out to my Afro-Caribbeans. It was bliss.

It truly was like being in paradise…if only for a day.

Special shout out to…

The team behind the scenes at Passport Experience ATL for putting together this experience, The Remedy LLC for the invite  and their sponsors Akon Lighting Africa.

Make sure to check out a few photos below and see more on whycauseican.com.