Published By Johnny Knollwood
When George Clinton founded The Parliaments on the playground of Avon Avenue Elementary School in Newark, NJ during the doo-wop craze of the 1950’s, surely no one could have foreseen the impact that the funk empire would have on art and contemporary music over the next six decades. Parliament-Funkadelic, a collective George Clinton has headed since its inception, has successfully blurred the lines between genres that include funk, rock, pop, soul, blues and hip-hop, while simultaneously reimagining the structure of a traditional band.
George Clinton’s willingness to work with a revolving door of young musicians has allowed for the P-Funk empire to grow into a myriad of different groups and projects that fall under the P-Funk umbrella, including not only the collective’s namesake groups, Parliament and Funkadelic, but also acts like The Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band, The Horny Horns which featured James Brown Band horn players Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, solo projects from Eddie Hazel and Bernie Worrell, and much more.
Although many of these projects were primarily active in the 1970s, not much has changed since Parliament-Funkadelic’s heyday. The collective still features several longtime members including guitarist Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton, bassist Lige Curry and vocalist Michael “Clip” Payne who have been with the group since the mid-70s. Clip also fronts 420 Funk Mob, an outlet for his solo material, and offshoot of the P-Funk empire. In addition, the collective hosts a number of emerging talents who add their own unique flavor to the mix.
3GP, short for “3rd Generation Parliament,” boasts a myriad of young musicians and artists who are contributors to the P-Funk collective as performers and writers, but also house their own funk-tinged projects that fall under the P-Funk umbrella.
Drummer Benzel Baltimore, son of P-Funk horn player Bennie Cowan, plays in several bands including Secret Army, headed by P-Funk keyboardist Danny Bedrosian, who has released a slew of solo output over the last two decades. Guitarist Garrett Shider, son of former P-Funk axe slinger and diaper man Garry Shider, Tra’zae Clinton, a grandson of George Clinton, Tonysha Nelson, one half of Kandy Apple Redd and another of George Clinton’s grandchildren, and Scottie Clinton, one of George Clinton’s daughters, all have their own prolific funk-tinged solo careers.
This particular lineup, including vocalist Thurteen and of course the man himself, George Clinton, are largely responsible for Parliament-Funkadelic’s most recent output including “3GP Bangerz,” a collection of songs that feature the young and emerging artists.
Among the most recent myriad of releases in the realm of all things funky comes Thurteen’s “Thurtdelic,” an EP of original music that is built on a foundation of P-Funk samples. Consistent with Parliament-Funkadelic’s output over the years, the record explores genres like rock, hip-hop and soul tinged with an unquestionably funky groove. The album’s art, crafted by George Hudson, is a fitting tribute to P-Funk album artists Pedro Bell and Overton Loyd, complete with cartoon-ish, cosmic imagery that is eclectic in nature.
Thurteen was introduced to George Clinton through friend and manager Larry Graham in 2013.
“I was in the studio and George came off the road, I had two records for him,” Thurteen told The New School Free Press after a performance on May 17. “The first record I wrote was called ‘Dog Forever,’ it’s on [the Funkadelic album] ‘Shake the Gate,’ and I did ‘Get Low.’” George [Clinton] came off the road and heard those songs and said ‘Thurt, you’re coming on the road with me when I go back out.’ He liked my music!”
On the EP, the producer/songwriter reworks a number of P-Funk tracks, some classic and some that are lesser known.
“On this album I mostly chopped up P-Funk samples — I wanted to remix them and include some of the less popular ‘deep cuts.’ The B-sides,” Thurteen said. “I took the records, chopped them up, looped them, pissed on them and did my thing. I don’t write any of my sh*t; I go in and freestyle all that stuff. However the beat makes me feel, that’s what I do.”
The EP’s stylistic range is a testament to that of George Clinton’s funk empire, which has often explored the boundaries of funk infused with other styles. From generation to generation, this philosophical approach to creating art remains consistent in P-Funk’s work. The general public would certainly be remiss not to pay attention: keep your eyes, your ears and your mind open.
You can find more information about the members of Parliament-Funkadelic, their projects and upcoming tour dates at the George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic website.
