After Jazmine Sullivan announced that she is canceling her headlining appearance at AFROPUNK Brooklyn 2023 following her mother’s passing, the festival announced that Teyana Taylor will be taking her place. Sullivan was set to make her headlining debut at the two-day experience on August 26-27 with additional performances from Flying Lotus, Joey Bada$$, Vince Staples, Toby Nwigwe, Baby Tate, Durand Bernarr, Madison McFerrin, and more.

Sullivan took to Instagram to share that she was no longer able to perform, writing: “I’ve been looking forward to sharing the stage with you all this month at both @Afropunk Brooklyn and Atlanta Funk Fest @FunkFestConcert. Sadly, I won’t be able to perform this year. Grief has its own rhythm and it’s essential to honor our emotions and moments of mourning. While I won’t be with you at AFROPUNK this time, I’m thrilled to pass the baton to the incredibly talented @TeyanaTaylor. She’s a force of nature. And I know she’ll bring her magic to the stage.”

AFROPUNK organizers later issued a statement that Teyana Taylor will now headline in Sullivan’s place, reading: “First and foremost, we want to send all our love and support to the incredibly talented Jazmine Sullivan during this time. Unfortunate circumstances have led to a change in plans, and Jazmine won’t be able to grace our stage this year. Her artistry and presence have always been an inspiration to us, and we stand by her as she navigates through this moment … Jazmine has passed the baton to the extraordinary, @teyanataylor . Jazmine said it best: “I can’t think of anyone better to take my place at AFROPUNK than Teyana.” With that said, we’re excited to welcome the sensational Teyana Taylor to our lineup!

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