Funk Godfather, George Clinton, has revealed how hip-hop saved his career.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Clinton discussed the things he learned from younger collaborators and admirers – including Ice Cube and Flying Lotus – and how they inspired him to revitalise his sound.
Talking about his collaboration with Flying Lotus and bassist Thundercat, and their work on Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’, he said: “Seeing what they did… getting away with that jazzy feel – that’s an elevation of hip-hop musically. I felt good working with them… they gave me a new connection to what we used to call the underground music.”
He continues, discussing Lamar and Ice Cube’s involvement in a remix of his ‘Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You’: “It was a nice combination… when Ice Cube came into the picture, that gave it a sound that’s just like us but not us… and with Kendrick being there, that gave us the attention that we needed.”
