But from it's very beginnings punk has been built with the cultural forms of the African diaspora. Of course Rock n' Roll itself is undeniably rooted in African American culture, and if contemporary punks forget their debt to Reggae, Blues, Jazz, Hip Hop, not to mention the many Black musicians who built punk, they do themselves a disservice. Punk has always been willing to borrow from other styles and cultures. Punk is the music of outcasts and misfits. Punk celebrates the forbidden.
Punk is rebellion and opposition.
Punk was a reaction to the decadence of the stadium rock of the 1970's. It tried to collapse the distance between the superstars on stage and the audience. It sought to explode the myth of the brilliant rock star. Punks ridiculed the idea of mainstream success and corporate record deals. And like folk did before, punk insists that anyone can do it.