King James I

Welcome, welcome guys and gals.. WOOOO "I Feel Good!" That's because today I'll be writin' bout my man, my partner in crime, a true friend of mine, James Brown. Among his many other well deserved nicknames-- "Soul Brother Number One," "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr. Dynamite," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," I'de like to attach one more.... "The King of Funk."

James Joseph Brown Jr. was raised in Elko, South Carolina and later on in Augusta, Georgia. His family was extremely poor and he spent most of his childhood moving in with different family members. After dropping out of school in the 7th grade, James Brown would spend his time raising money by shining shoes, sweeping out stores, washing cars, selling and trading old stamps, and singing in local talent shows. Brown had also performed dance routines to entertain troops at Camp Gordon during WWII. After his short career as a boxer and semi-professional baseball player ended due to a leg injury, Brown turned his energy to music.

For decades, Brown revolutionized music, influencing nearly every strain of pop music that would follow. Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and complex beats, Brown was one of the figures most responsible for turning R&B into soul, and soul into funk. James Brown reached the top of the charts with singles such as "Get Up, " "I Feel Good," "Papas Got A Brand New Bag," "Living in America," and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." He also won many desirable awards including being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

As the years past his music became more and more hip swingin'. Browns music became ever more funky  with tunes like "Superbad," and "Get Up Offa That Thing." He has been said to influence such amazing funk and pop artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Prince and Michael Jackson. Browns music has been sampled by innumerable hip-hop producers and DJ's in the 1980's and 90's, helping establish rap as a viable musical form. Rolling Stone named James Brown #7 on their list of most influential artists of all time.

My advice to you is to pick up a James Brown record today! Maybe start with the infamous album "Sex Machine" to get those feet groovin'. I'm gonna sing off with my song of the week "SuperBad" and a list of Jazzy Z's top 5 greatest James Brown hits of all time. As always.. get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

1. "SuperBad"-James Brown

2. Get On Up
3. Soul Power
4. Get Off That Thing
5. Papa's Gotta Brand New Bag