10 Historical Quotes About Funk Music

A list of 10 quotes from some of the most influential people in funk music history.

Introduction

Funk is a genre of music that originated in the African-American community in the mid-1960s. Funk is characterized by a strong, syncopated bass line and groovy drumbeat. soulful vocals and often sexually suggestive lyrics.

Funk has had a profound impact on popular music, with its influences being felt in genres as diverse as disco, hip hop, and rock. Here are 10 quotes about funk music from some of its most famous proponents.

“Funk is the one music that can confront the quasi-mystical core of Black Being without reducing it to cheap cultural cliché.”
– Cornel West

“Funk is not about the notes you play; it’s about the notes you don’t play.”
– Jimi Hendrix

“My idea of funk is Drake mixed with Rick James mixed with Prince.”
– Janelle Monae

“To me, funk is like a feeling.”
– Bootsy Collins

“There’s just something about funk that makes people feel good.”
– George Clinton
Disco may be dead, but funk will never die.” Chic co-founder Bernard Edwards

“Funkadelic was Parliament’s alter ego – Parliament was The Beatles to our Stones.” George Clinton

“Funkadelic was the bad boys of rock. We did what we wanted to do.” Bootsy Collins

“All I know is that when I hear funky music, I can’t help but move!” Unknown

“The key to playing funk is groove and feel. It’s all about making people dance and sweat!” Lenny Kravitz

The Origins of Funk

Funk’s earliest defining moment happened in the late 1960s when James Brown finally found the right combination of musicians to achieve his vision of a totally unified band. Before Brown, most R&B groups came from the gospel world and used similar techniques: well-rehearsed vocal harmonies backed by relatively simple instrumentation. Brown’s band, on the other hand, was a tight rhythm section featuring prominently mixed drums and bass, with every musician pushing the groove along. The result was a new sound that caught on quickly in both R&B and pop circles.

Funk in the 1970s

Funk in the 1970s was a loose aggregation of typically African-American musicians playing a new type of music derived from soul, gospel, and Rhythm and Blues (R&B). This new music deeply affected the culture of the United States both in terms of its popularity and its ability to change social attitudes.

“The funk band was usually integrated, with blacks and whites playing together. The music had a strong beat that you could feel in your gut, and it was driving and intense. It was also very sensual, with a lot of emphasis on the groove.” -Wendy Oxenhorn, former president of The Jazz Foundation of America

“Funk is about the groove. It’s about making people move their butts.” – Bootsy Collins, bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“Funk is its own thing. You can’t compare it to nothing else but funk.” – Bernie Worrell, keyboardist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“Most people think of funk as just a beat. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Funk is a feeling.” – Fred Wesley, trombonist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“People think funk is just about sex. But it’s really about having a good time.” – George Clinton, frontman for Parliament-Funkadelic

“To me, funk is any music that makes you wanna move your hips.” – Maceo Parker, saxophonist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“The thing that makes funk great is that it’s not afraid to be sexy.” – Bootsy Collins, bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“When I hear funk I think ‘party.'” – Bernie Worrell, keyboardist for Parliament-Funkadelic

“I like music that makes me feel good. Music that makes me move my feet. That’s what funk is all about.” – Fred Wesley, trombonist for Parliament-Funkadelic

The Funkadelic Sound

“Funk is the one music that really sums up the spirit of the whole era of the ’70s, with its sense of personal style and freedom and experimentation.”
– album liner notes for Funkadelic’s self-titled album

“Funk is versatile. It could be used for a good time or bad time. It’s good-time music, but it has a lot of depth to it.”
– Bootsy Collins

“June 27 1974. The first time I ever heard the word ‘funk.’ I was in Cincinnati, Ohio. At a James Brown concert.”
– George Clinton

“Funk is not about the notes you play; it’s about the spaces in between.”
– Bootsy Collins

“Funk is stripped down, raw emotion.”
– Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist DeWayne McKnight

“In order to do funk you have to have soul. You have to feel it in your gut.”
– Parliament member Bennie Cowan

“The hardest thing about playing funk is that there’s no place to hide. All the warts show.” – drummer David Garibaldi

“Playing funk is like having sex. It’s gotta be natural. You can’t fake it.” – bassist Bootsy Collins

“If you want to play funk, you’ve got to have a pocket full of soul.” – Parliament member Cordell Mosson

George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic

“Funk is its own reward.”

George Clinton is the mastermind behind Parliament-Funkadelic, a collective of rotating musicians and singers who created some of the most innovative and influential funk music of the 20th century. Clinton pushed the boundaries of funk with his eclectic mix of sounds and styles, infusing the genre with elements of rock, soul, R&B, and pop.

Parliament-Funkadelic was one of the first bands to successfully blend multiple genres into a unique and cohesive sound. Their music was funky, yet accessible; complex, yet catchy; and above all, fun.

Clinton’s philosophy of music as a party led to some of the most iconic songs in funk history, including “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker),” “One Nation Under a Groove,” and “Flash Light.”

While Clinton is no longer active with Parliament-Funkadelic, his influence on funk – and popular music as a whole – is undeniable. He has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his work has been sampled by everyone from Tupac to Wu-Tang Clan to Beyonce.

Bootsy Collins

“Funk is its own thing. You can’t touch it – you can only feel it.”-Bootsy Collins

“Funk is the one music that actually makes you feel good when you hear it, and that’s why I got involved in it. It just makes you feel good from the time you hit the stage until the time you leave. It’s like one big party, and everybody’s invited.”-Bootsy Collins

“Funk is not about the notes you play, it’s about the notes you don’t play.” -Bootsy Collins

“Funk is not a lack of technique, but a gift from God.” -Bootsy Collins

James Brown

“Funk is its own thing. It’s like classical music in that it’s hard to define, but you know it when you hear it.”

“Funk is when the singer stops singing, and the drummer and the bass player take over.”

“Funk is just a feeling, man. It doesn’t have anything to do with the notes or the chord changes or anything like that.”

“Funk is not something you analyze; it’s something you feel.”

“The thing about funk is that it’s so honest – it’s not trying to be anything else but what it is.”

“I think of funk as being free of all restraints, free of all inhibitions.”

“For me, funk is all about groove and feeling. It’s got to make you feel good.”

“Funk is a lot of bottom; there has to be a lot of low end in there to make people move their butts!”

The Godfather of Soul

1. “Funk is its own thing. You can smell it.” – James Brown
2. ” Funk is like the black national anthem.” – Rick James
3. “I’m bringing sexy back.” – Justin Timberlake
4. “Funk is not about the notes you play, it’s about the notes you don’t play.” – Parliament-Funkadelic
5. “Funk is the one music that can make a white boy like me feel black.” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. “A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole lot of funk.” – Bootsy Collins
7. “Funk is not a genre, it’s a feeling.” – Prince
8. “Don’t fight the funk, let it hit you!” – George Clinton
9. “Funk is its own reward.” – Bootsy Collins
10. “The only thing better than funk is no funk at all!” – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Funk Today

Though it struggled for mainstream attention and respect throughout the late 20th century, in recent years funk has seen something of a renaissance. Now widely recognized as a major influence on popular music, funk is once again being celebrated by both musicians and fans. Here are 10 quotes that capture the spirit of funk today.

“Funk is the one music that can immediately make you feel better.” – Questlove

“Funk is like comfort food for your soul.” – Bernie Worrell

“Funk is about doing your own thing, not conforming to society’s expectations or norms.” – Freekbass

“To me, funk is the ultimate party music. It’s all about feeling the groove and getting lost in it.” – George Clinton

“The beauty of funk is that anyone can do it. You don’t need fancy equipment or training. You just need to feel the groove and let it move you.” – Bootsy Collins

“Funk is all about being yourself and not caring what others think.” – Fred Wesley

“Funk is the music of the people. It’s about making them move and making them feel good.” – Maceo Parker

“The great thing about funk is that it’s positive, it’s upbeat, and it makes you feel good.” – Bootsy Collins

“Funk is raw, it’s uncut, it’s pure emotion.” – Phelps “Catfish” Collins

Conclusion

Funk is a genre of music that is often misunderstood. It is often thought of as a style of music that is only for dancing, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Funk is a complex genre of music that has its roots in jazz, soul, and R&B. Funk has been influential to many other genres of music, including hip hop, disco, and rock.

“Funk is the one music that doesn’t give a damn whether you’re black or white, rich or poor, young or old.”
-George Clinton

“Funk is just another word for feel.”
-Miles Davis

“Funk is about having fun. It’s about feeling good.”
– Bootsy Collins

“Funk is not about the notes you play; it’s about the notes you don’t play.”
-Bernie Worrell

“The essence of funk is the feeling, not the sound.”
– Bootsy Collins