Thursday, September 15, 2011

Funk Ain't Dead

Oh, you thought funk was dead? Well, welcome all you gappers, finger snappers, toe tappers and love rappers-- this is FUNK YEA! I'm Jazzy Z and I will be providing you with groovy facts, ear-dancin tunes and hip-swingin bios that will keep your feet movin' towards the computer screen all night long.

Let me start by saying that FUNK isn't just music, funk runs through your soul like a double dutch bus on roller skates doin 360's on the dance floor. But most people haven't realized that modern hip-hop, rap and pop artists duplicate samples from many funk songs-- such as Mtume's- Juicy Fruit & The Whispers- And The Beat Goes On.
Mtume's - Juicy Fruit
Set a new standard for modern hip hop music. Mtume, named after the founder James Mtume, was a funk and soul group who performed in the early 1980's. The band had several R&B hits and recorded 3 albums. However the group didn't become famous until the song "Juicy Fruit" was sampled by Notorious B.I.G. Influenced by artist and producer Sean "P. Diddy" Combs,  Notorious' album Ready To Die reached quadruple platinum. The infamous P. Diddy was known for commonly taking samples from old funk and soul songs and speeding or slowing the tracks down. He sought after this new style of music that took over the east coast rap scene.  Thanks Mtume!

The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
Is another beat that i'm sure everyone can recognize. This 1970's funk group served many Billboard Top 100's and have albums dating up to 2009. Their song "And the Beat Goes on" reached #1 and would further carry on it's legacy when sampled by actor/rapper Will Smith. Will Smith chose this back-breaking beat for his single "Miami". The album Big Willie Style had 4 hit singles including "Miami" which hit #17 on the charts.

In light of the artists who have inspired the singers and songwriters of today, this is Jazzy Z leaving you with our song of the week-- remember to get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Genius Of Love"-Tom Tom Club

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Top Links About FUNK

1. Funk & Soul Info/Blogs
http://www.soulandfunkmusic.com/
http://www.surefunk.com/funkblog/
http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/funk-d13
"Soul and Funk Music" is ridiculously packed with info about your favorite funk artists, history, albums, songs, and artist reviews. "Sure Funk" caught my eye when it stated that James Brown invented funk, and George Clinton popularized it... I couldn't agree more! The "All Music" sight allows you to brush up your knowledge of all genres. It gives an evolution on where funk started to how it has developed today.




2. Funk Bars and Shows
http://events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/events/funk
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/listings/san-francisco/funk_soul_r_b/55979_10047
Events at SFGate & Citysearch are great tools in finding funk shows coming up, and reading reviews of past shows. Their search box makes it easy for you to navigate through San Francisco and find that ultimate funk show.  When I  typed in funk, it came up with all these places that play or have funk shows coming up-- For instance, The Hot 8 Brass Band is playing at Yoshis, and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey will be at the Boom, Boom Room. This is an awesome start in helping funk lovers find their groove. 

3. Funk and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funk/113721828638054?sk=wall
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefunkyones/
The busiest funk page on Facebook acts as a gateway to funky information.  The wall is filled with posts similar to a blog and contain facts about funk songs, videos, and artists. This will help me see what all the latest buzz about funk. In searching Facebook for funk pages I was reminded of a good friends group called "The Funky Ones". This group was originally a collaboration of 3 funk bands that played in SF. The 3 bands and their followers we're the members of the group but now it's open to anyone. This group will benefit me in finding funky areas to go in the city and keep me posted on some modern funkadelic shows.

Now that you know where to dig it, you can really enjoy the ride. My name's Jazzy Z... Get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Machine Gun"-The Commodores