2A: James Brown
James Brown was born in 1933 and was raised in Georgia. He started his singing career in the church. He influenced many genres of music – most notably, funk.
Funk emphasizes strong rhythms (usually bass and drums). Here’s an example of funk, without any singing.
It’s great dance music. And James Brown was a great dancer.
In 1967, Brown recorded what many say was the first funk song: “Cold Sweat.” Check out that great bassline.
Another common characteristic of funk is the short, choppy guitar chords. Check out another of James Brown’s biggest songs – “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” – and listen to the guitar part after he sings the title.
James Brown’s nickname was “The Godfather of Soul.” (Soul music, like funk, is rooted in African-American traditions.)
He wanted other black people to be proud of their race. (In the 1960s and ‘70s, they called it “black power.”) That’s what his song “Say It Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud” is about. This song also features several key elements of funk – horns, a strong bass line, and choppy guitar chords.
In the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop artists often used “samples” or small snippets of other songs. James Brown’s music was sampled a lot. Public Enemy sampled “Funky Drummer” on their song “Fight the Power.” Listen to the first few seconds of “Funky Drummer” …
… and then switch to “Fight the Power” and see if you can hear the sample. It’s not always easy. Sometimes a sample is buried underneath many other layers of sound.