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Dec 09, 2014 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

As leader of the Parliament-Funkadelic enterprises, George Clinton has had a hand in most of the best funk-n-roll of the past 40 years. And this is no understatement. With albums such as Parliament’s Up for the Down Stroke, The Mothership Connection, and Motor Booty Affair to Funkadelic’s Free Your Mind…And Your Ass Will Follow, Maggot Brain, and One Nation Under a Groove, and including P-Funk side projects from Bootsy Collins and his Rubber Band to Eddie Hazel, and bands like Parlet and Brides of Funkenstein, Clinton and his posse set the template. And with rap and hip-hop in the ‘90s, the Clinton ethic was reimagined through sampling, reinvigorating funk for a new age.

Clinton’s memoir is an insightful and informative trip through the wild and crazy world of Clinton and the P-Funk family. Intelligently written, Brothas Be, Yo Like George showcases Clinton’s encyclopedic knowledge of music, from doo wop through pop, psychedelia, and obviously funk and soul, as well as his wit-filled way with a story. Anecdotes abound, from the tale of the mysterious guitar player who wandered into the studio asking $25 to play a solo on “Get Off Your Ass and Jam” from Funkadelic’s 1975 release, Let’s Take It To the Stage, to Clinton’s scoring drugs with Sly Stone and The Temptations’ David Ruffin in the ‘70s, and amberjack fishing with Thomas Dolby in the ‘80s.

What’s most impressive is how Clinton presided over such a bevy of artists and releases, especially through the ‘70s, with a consistency unrivaled among his peers. The work stands the test of time and the story fills in all the necessary gaps. Clinton’s tale comes to a close with him fighting for the rights to his music and the money he feels was inappropriately withheld from him and his musicians throughout the years. It’s an important story from one of the forefathers of funk. And it’s told with all the intelligence, insightfulness, openness, and honesty that the story deserves. (www.georgeclinton.com) (www.simonandschuster.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10