How could anyone with a sane mind call Prince the King of Funk?
First of all, Prince is not even a Funk artist. Prince has created a decent catalog of funky songs, but that doesn't make him a Funk artist. He has not devoted his career to creating Funk.

Second, which Funk songs that Prince created set new standards of Funk or could be considered part of the catalog of important Funk songs? Prince is mainly known for his pop material. Pretty much all of his successful chart hits were pop songs, not Funk songs. When did Prince ever have a #1 Funk hit?

Third, James Brown created Funk. If anyone deserves the title King of Funk, it would be Brown. Not that he even needs a title (or anyone, for that matter).

This is a funny thread.

This is a funny thread.

This isnt so funny.

It's very funny.

IMO Prince still doesnt receive the credits hey deserves for further developing and expanding the funk-sound.

I think he has received a fair share of credit. Nobody said he has not successfully experimented with Funk. But that's not his legacy. People won't think of Scarlet Pussy when they think of Prince, but of Purple Rain. And that's okay, because Prince is a pop artist, not a Funk artist. I'm not saying that Prince could not have had major impact on Funk, but that's simply not where his priorities were.

His main hits were mostly not funk songs, but has George Clinton ever scored a real hit?

George Clinton has had his share of Top 10 R&B Hits, but Clinton never made music that was meant to break through into the mainstream like that. Clinton has always focused on making Funk records, Prince hasn't. And we don't even have to address James Brown's legacy in Funk, because it remains unreached to this day.

He isn't a funk-artist primarily, but funk was a crucial ingredient for the Minneapolis sound.

A crucial ingredient, and that's it. Funk is also a crucial ingredient to Hip Hop, but that doesn't make 50 Cent the King of Funk.

His main achievement in the funk-field IMO has been by using bits and pieces of JB, Sly and George Clinton, combining them with electronic music and new-wave elements, and creating a kind of harder, darker, more 'electronic' type of funk with it.

Prince has never released a Funk album. He has only released albums with some funky songs on it. How can you label an artist King of Funk when he has not even released a single Funk album?

To say he hasnt record a funk-classic is bullshit: Automatic is probably one of the most influential funk-songs ever.

You're joking, right? Automatic is a nice funky Pop tune, but to call it one of the most influential funk-songs ever is utterly ridiculous. Can you back up your claim with some evidence? Which Funk artist was influenced by that song and how? Where was this song ever named as one of the most influential funk-songs ever?

The whole 1999-album has been very influential IMO.

No doubt, it's a masterpiece. But it's not a Funk album, and it doesn't make Prince the King of Funk.


When you listen to bands and acts like Daft Punk, Peaches, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, the Neptunes and the electro-clash movement you can hear the (indirect) influence of the 1999-album.

Sure, but none of these are Funk artists.

While George Clinton kept replaying his old seventies-'hits' on stage and Sly Stone still dabbled in drugs, Prince brought something new to funk: stripped down, minimalistic, electronic, abstract almost (Kiss, Shockedelica, Superfunkicalifragisexy).

I don't disagree with that. But none of these are Funk songs by strict definition. They are funky Pop songs.

In fact, he was one of the last trying to keep the genre alive, while bands like Kool and the gang and EWF where hopping from one golden-oldie event to the other, offering nothing more then some 'vegas'-like disco-show.

I think you are not in touch with the Funk scene at all. There is a huge movement of new Funk acts worldwide who are keeping Funk alive. Prince has definitely paid tribute to Funk in his career, but he's not a Funk artist and certainly not the King of Funk.

To me its very clear: the development of funkmusic runs from James Brown - Sly Stone - George Clinton - to Prince.

Even if that is true, it would not make Prince the King of Funk. Of all mainstream pop artists, Prince is certainly the one with the highest Funk appeal. But there are so many more artists today who actually fit the definition of a Funk act.

I can't stand George Clinton....

and James..? hmmm it's just so rare I listen to James' music,

I prefer Prince mix of Funk, pop and soul:

so..... Yes, to me Prince is King of Funk..

he's just the best, imo...

somehow I think James music sounds outdated/ old... and Clinton is just plain awful imo.

Prince's mix of funk with other styles, rock and pop is what I like...

sorry if this offends you funk lovers....

I know Prince didn't invented the funk, but he took it to a diffrent place, mixing funk with rock and pop....

This isnt so funny. IMO Prince still doesnt receive the credits hey deserves for further developing and expanding the funk-sound.

His main hits were mostly not funk songs, but has George Clinton ever scored a real hit?
He isn't a funk-artist primarily, but funk was a crucial ingredient for the Minneapolis sound.

His main achievement in the funk-field IMO has been by using bits and pieces of JB, Sly and George Clinton, combining them with electronic music and new-wave elements, and creating a kind of harder, darker, more 'electronic' type of funk with it.
To say he hasnt record a funk-classic is bullshit: Automatic is probably one of the most influential funk-songs ever. The whole 1999-album has been very influential IMO.
When you listen to bands and acts like Daft Punk, Peaches, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, the Neptunes and the electro-clash movement you can hear the (indirect) influence of the 1999-album.

While George Clinton kept replaying his old seventies-'hits' on stage and Sly Stone still dabbled in drugs, Prince brought something new to funk: stripped down, minimalistic, electronic, abstract almost (Kiss, Shockedelica, Superfunkicalifragisexy).
In fact, he was one of the last trying to keep the genre alive, while bands like Kool and the gang and EWF where hopping from one golden-oldie event to the other, offering nothing more then some 'vegas'-like disco-show.

To me its very clear: the development of funkmusic runs from James Brown - Sly Stone - George Clinton - to Prince.

and then u want 2 slam EWF 4 putting on a golden oldies show ..HAVE U SEEN PRINCE'S SET LIST FROM 2004-2008? damn u need 2 come out of the clouds 4 real ..

Prince was still developing his sound, when EWF allready were hopping the golden-oldies circuit.
By the way: EWF have never really delivered on the funk-level, its a show-disco band.

MrSoulPower,

That 'big funk movement' you are talking about is probably a number of local bands covering Flashlight and We want the funk for the umptied time, right?

MrSoulPower,

you seriously should read this http://prince.org/msg/7/279744

READ ALL 30 PAGES PLEASE!!!

Riverpoet31, you seriously should read this http://prince.org/msg/7/279744

i don't consider prince to be a funk artist either. i think he's a mainstream pop musician. he's taken elements from many different genres and fused them into his music. nothing wrong with that. but i wouldn't call what he does traditional funk. i don't think HE would call what he does traditional funk.

but i do think there are obvious nods to funk in more than a few of his songs. do those nods stand up with what those in the funk community consider to be the holy grail recordings of funk? oh, probably not. but so what? an homage is an homage, and influence is influence, regardless of how the end result comes out.

mick jagger was obviously influenced by the blues, but do you consider him a bluesman? he's a pop performer, though you can see and hear the music that influences him. the rolling stones wouldn't stand up to the blues hall of fame greats, but that's not the point. they set out to be a rock band, not blues pioneers. but is that a reason to completely dismiss the part of their sound that is influenced by blues?

i think it's a similar deal with prince and funk. sure, the funk is diluted as hell in prince's music, but i also think he uses funk as an INGREDIENT and not THE RECIPE.

MrSoulPower,

I have never said Prince was THE king of funk, but to me he is the fourth 'greatest' (in chronological order) after James Brown, Sly Stone and George Clinton.

The thread title is about Prince being the King of Funk, and that's what I argue against. You did not exactly object to it, so that's why continued to debate that particular label.

Your 'labeling' of music is totally ridiculous IMO. Its not like you have only FUNK and POP.


I didn't say that.

The funk of Automatic might show elements of new-wave and electronic dance pop, but it ISN'T pop: Shalamar were pop, Debarge too.

Agreed, and none of them are Funk artists.

Prince was making cutting-edge funk and dance-music around that time, no matter what the self proclaimed 'puritans' say.

Prince made some cutting edge Funk and dance songs around that time, but not enough to put him fourth after Brown, Clinton and Sly. I actually think that Prince's funkiest period was '86 - '88 - not his album releases, but the tracks that remain unreleased.

Is it only 'funk' to you when it sounds like Parliament / Funkadelic live on stage?

Not at all. I'm not even a Parliament/Funkadelic fan.


Sorry to say, but among people who consider themselves 'a real funkateer' i often see a very blind and elitist behaviour about how funk should sound like.
That 'big funk movement' you are talking about is probably a number of local bands covering Flashlight and We want the funk for the umptied time, right?

No, you're wrong again. I could elaborate more on the current Funk movement, but going by your tone, I assume that you're not really interested. You may call me "blind" and "elitist", but I have certain issues when die hard Prince fans claim that their idol is the best at everything that he does, when it's obvious that they have no idea of what they are talking about, and they don't even listen to much music outside of the Prince cosmos anyway.

Just because it doesnt fit in your puritan idea's about funk, doesnt mean it isnt great funk.

You're still tip-toeing around the fact that for an artist who you consider to be #4 in the line of all time Funk greats, Prince has never released one Funk album. He's played around with Funk, experimented with it (even more in his live shows), but he is not a Funk artist and he doesn't devote his entire energy and creativity to creating Funk. That doesn't belittle his talent, which is enormous, but it would be an unfair assumption from your part to put him at # 4 of that list, when there are so many more artists who have had a much higher output in Funk than him.

30 pages of predictable remarks how great the seventies were funk-wise? No, thank you.

Pure funk itself isnt an exciting, inventive genre anymore. Prince was the last who did something new with it, since then it has dried out. I dont get 'warm' anymore from a cover-band playing george-clinton covers from the seventies.

Cross-over bands like Living Colour, Fishbone, Urban Dance Squad and Rage against the Machine have used the funk to create exciting and energetic music. Music i take ANY day over some p-funk coverband, or some washed out disco-outfit like EWF.

Well if we want to be TRUE, the title of King of Funk goes to African tribal music that has been around forever. James and his band would ride horses for 20 minutes plus, galloping on the same groove. All to create a "trance" like effect which is STRAIGHT from what Africans were doing centuries ago. James called it staying on "The One". To me though, the age old Africans and their many tribes, they created Funk. So to me, their the King of Funk.

You're still tip-toeing around the fact that for an artist who you consider to be #4 in the line of all time Funk greats, Prince has never released one Funk album. He's played around with Funk, experimented with it (even more in his live shows), but he is not a Funk artist and he doesn't devote his entire energy and creativity to creating Funk. That doesn't belittle his talent, which is enormous, but it would be an unfair assumption from your part to put him at # 4 of that list, when there are so many more artists who have had a much higher output in Funk than him.

someone define funk.

coolcat said:

Here we go again