2023 marked the first year for Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa’s Black Star Line Festival. The inaugural event was a huge success as more than 50,000 people gathered in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, at Black Star Square to celebrate Black music across the diaspora for free.
And not that Chance the Rapper and Mensa need the validation, but the turnout proves to Akon and his recent decisive comments that Black performers, no matter where they’re from, are crème de la crème. But we digress.
T-Pain, Erykah Badu, Jeremih, and Tobe Nwigwe, joined Ghanaian legends, including Sarkodie, Kwesi Arthur, M.anifest, and The Asakaa Boys, to give fest-goers one hell of a show.
No short cut to heaven @manifestive x @iamobrafour Black Star Line Festival 🔥🔥🔥🎶🎤 pic.twitter.com/dUm88fXzip
— ABEIKU ♓🤞🏾 (@AbeikuSankofi) January 6, 2023
Connecting The Diaspora
In 2022, the two American artists announced plans to host the Black Star Line Festival after taking teens from Chicago on a trip of a lifetime to explore Ghana.
RELATED: Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa Make Good On Promise To Take Kids To Ghana
“The concert would look at building a bridge between Black people on the continent, those in the diaspora, and the people of the glove as well as some of the biggest acts in the world,” Mensa said shortly after announcing the festival.
Everything about the festival, which also included panels and open discussions all week long, was intentional.
The festival’s name was inspired by Civil Rights Leader Marcus Garvey’s shipping company, The Black Star Line.
Garvey, who also served as the organizer of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), created the shipping company to help connect and facilitate the shipment of goods among people of the African Diaspora.
For Chance The Rapper and Mensa, the festival is a way to connect Black Americans back to the Motherland.
“Black Americans have become detached from the mother continent, not just physically but also mentally, but it’s time to accept who we are as African people,” Mensa tells The Africa Report. “The idea for the festival came after I sat back and looked at how we, as Black American artists, have performed ten times over in places like Europe before we ever make it to do a show in Africa.”
What Are Fest-Goers Saying
Man! The whole experience I had the Black Star Line Festival was just amazing. Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Jeremih, Vic Mensa, M.anifest, Sarkodie, Tobe and Fat,…and then out comes Kwesi Arthur, Dave Chappelle, Talib, Cassper, and Chance starting it off with No Problem? Man! 🔥
— 💜, NINE99 (pronounced 'nineyy') (@thxnine) January 8, 2023
Judging by social media, it’s safe to say that many people won’t miss out on traveling to Ghana again.
Between Afrochella, AfroNation, and the Black Star Line Festival, Ghana was indeed the place to be.
“To see thousands of US with no issues, laughing, having a good time on a constant basis is what life is about. Welcome to the Good Life. #Ghana,” one person stated on Facebook.
“I Thrive off experience, man, and this experience, after all the lows, was damn sure worth one of the best nights that I will never forget in this lifetime,” another Facebook user stated.
“50 000 people in Ghana. Shout out to @chancetherapper and @vicmensa for such a beautiful initiative. A big shout out to @talibkweli and @davechappelle for bringing me out,” said Cassper.
A Lot Of Stars In Ghana To Ring In The New Year
Ghana was undoubtedly the place to be at the end of 2022, as many stars were visiting the West African country.
Meek Mill, Dave Chappelle, Letitia Wright, Stefflon Don, Sway, Michael Blackson, Stormzy, and Lucky Daye were some of the stars spotted in Ghana.
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