Black History on the PLUS Side: James Brown
In recognition of Black History Month, here’s a few words and some history on the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
During a time when Black people were the subjects of racial discrimination and a time when there was significant unrest from social and political tension, James Brown transcended the racial divides through his incomparable and powerful performances. Born in Barnwell, SC on May 3, 1933, the Godfather of Soul played an essential role in fusing funk and soul music to form his undeniable high energy sound that he’s remembered for. He came from a very segregated period of the South, dealing with poverty and other disparaging hardships during those times, and he used his musical talents to push through and revolutionize the landscape of music. His sound was captivating, and you couldn’t help but to sing and dance along. Brown reached millions with his Black artistry when he performed on ABC’s Music Scene in 1969, where his appearance proved to be one of the most pivotal moments in American broadcast history.
The program was formatted to showcase musical diversity and the Godfather had a platform to unleash his musical prowess, giving a broader audience what turned out to be his signature art – a combination of funk, soul, and R&B music. Through the racism and bigotry that had plagued the nation by this time, Brown was able to use his phenomenal stage presence to bring us closer together, even it was just for the duration of his performance. He set the tone for other Black artists to use broadcast and television as the gateway to spread their message and culturally assemble to remain fortified. Brown was deemed the “Hardest Working Man In Show Business” and the Music Scene appearance attributed to the blueprint he was laying out for other Black artists to follow and learn from. He was able to demonstrate the impact his musical influence had on the Black culture and solidify his legacy as a pioneer in the game. He wasn’t just performing; he was teaching us how to move forward as Black folks through times of adversity. “Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud” will be a lyric of his that will forever live on and transform the mentality of the Black collective.
In connection to Hip Hop, James Brown brought a spark to the culture that lit up the landscape so producers and other artists can find their own lane. If we’re talking about sampling artists’ music, he’s considered the most-sampled artist in history. Here are just three of his sampled songs and where they can be found in Hip Hop music.
“I Feel Good (I Got You)” (1965)
Sampled in Gangstarr – Gotch U — Off of Guru’s No More Mr. Nice Guy album released in 1989; the producer DJ Premier for “Gotch U” samples James Brown in the hook, repeating his vocals “I got you” and blending his signature scratches. Throughout the song, you can also hear James Brown’s short “huh” vocals in the verse sections of the beat, giving it that soulful touch with a soft, uptempo boom bap. “I Feel Good” could’ve been the first James Brown song I heard growing up and it was always brought good vibes around with my family so I can really appreciate how DJ Premier chopped this one and used Brown’s vocals.
Listen to it here.
“Funky Drummer” (1970)
Sampled in Public Enemy – Fight The Power — The Bomb Squad produced this song 1989 about rebelling against racial discrimination and economic inequality. The original version of “Funky Drummer” is sped up a little and you can hear James Brown’s vocals throughout it. Since James Brown helped promote Black empowerment with his music and performance, it was fitting for the producer to use his vocals to continue the message for this song which originated from the Do The Right Thing soundtrack, commissioned by the one and only, Spike Lee. Even though I was just a baby when Public Enemy released this, I’m aware of the impact it had on Hip Hop and the Black culture when it was circulating, and it just makes sense to incorporate the Godfather in the song.
Listen to it here.
“Get Up Offa That Thing” (1976)
Sampled in Kendrick Lamar – XXX — For this 2017 track off Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN album, various producers including Mike WiLL Made It and Sounwave took the horn stab from “Get Up Offa That Thing”, slowed it down a little, and used it at the beginning of this song to give it a punchy feel. It compliments the bounce and the scratches that are also heard before the tempo slows down towards the end. This Kendrick album pulled me in with the conceptual artistry behind it and I heard that horn stab in so many other songs, I just wasn’t aware that it came from this James Brown song.
Listen to it here.
Salute to the Godfather of Soul! May his legacy continue to inspire and live on forever.