I am George Clinton, Dr. Funkenstein, leader of Parliament ＆ Funkadelic, Godfather of funk, and the DNA of hip-hop and rap. AMA - PART 2!

Shout out to my daughter, Barbarella, y'all. Her birthday is tomorrow.

Do you remember getting high in breckenridge colorado with me?

yes

George, can you explain why Bootsy Collins barely plays his Bass nowadays? It seems like he's doing the MC thing similar to what you do now days?? Any thoughts and who was your favorite bass player in the band?

My favorite bass player. It's going to be Bootsy. I don't know why he's not playing, gotta find out what it will take to get him to play that bass again! We love you Bootsy. I'll ask that question myself as soon as I see him. Happy belated birthday Bootsy, where that bass at?

What is the very best dessert?

Pussy

Did you really tell Eddie Hazel to ‘Play like you been told your momma just died’??

Yes, I did. That was one of my ways of getting him to get into his head. He played very good when it was a sad concept. He is definitely blues inspired. He told me to shut the fuck up after I said that, but I knew it would get in his head. You can still feel the emotion today, from Eddie Hazel, when Blackbyrd plays it.

Whats your favorite track that someone sampled your music on?

My favorite samples were with Public Enemy and Ice Cube. Hank Shocklee used samples in a way that you didn't recognize it too easily, and he created a whole new arrangement. To chop it up and make a new track out of little pieces, I thought it was always very clever the they did that.

Hi George!
What was it like working with the late 2Pac for his song "Can't C Me"?

Actually, when I'd done that song with Dr. Dre I thought "Can't C Me" was going to be for Snoop Dogg. I was surprised when it came out on 2Pac. I had worked with Digital Underground a lot before that, Shock G is a good friend of mine. The whole group was really P-Funk Family. We did an album called "Sons of the P." It was always nice working with them. 2Pac was a dancer when I first met him!

I'm intrigued. With the extent of your life/ partying experiences, does anyone come to mind that you've had to say, "Slow down baby, you're movin too fast!"?

Thanks much and looking forward to the new show!

Yes! But I don't want to call out any names. There's a few out there that I can say, "Please slow down. We need you. We need what you have to say. We need your music." They can feel me.

Which artists that you have collaborated with have been the best to work with? What artist would you really want to work with? Thanks for doing this! Huge Fan!

Eminem, he's the best at lyric manipulation. Him and Rakim. But as I get older, I feel ike I'm out of my league. Eminem gets better by the day. He doesn't dumb it down for nobody.

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I've had loads of fun working with everyone. I'll probably work again with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I've been talking to Flea a lot. We'll definitely do something again, either us with them or them with us.

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Finally, the Atlanta folks. Outkast and all them who are becoming the new music of Atlanta, trap folks I'd like to work with some of them.

Outside of the P-Funk catalogue...What is your all-time favourite Funk album?

Also, will you tour the UK again? I’d heard the most recent tour was your last.

If I'm going to say Funk Album I'm going to have to say James Brown Live at The Apollo 1972. That's the epitome of funk albums period. If it's going to be just raw funk. After that, I'd say it's Sly Stone.

UK - We have a whole year before I retire. I'll def be back there one more time, possibly two.

Best acid trip?

Have any particular fun with your cameo in PCU?

Any anecdotes about Jeremy Piven or Jon Favreau?

PCU was all fun. It was actually just like the movie looked. We was having that kind of fun. Toronto is a beautiful place, and I had lived there already. So I was familiar with the neighborhood. We had loads of fun. Everyone on the set was wrecked. Jeremy and Jon, they was wrecked too! If you remember, you wasn't there.

What music inspired you when you were starting out?

What is the most recent or most unexpected place you have heard Funk influence

What inspired me was going to The Apollo Theater and watching doo-wop groups, like The Cadillacs and The Flamingos, with my cousin in 1955. I'd play hooky and go to The Apollo and sit there all day long. Frankie Lymon is who made me want to be a singer. There was also a band called The Velours (they sang "Can I Come Over Tonight") and The Spaniels. The whole line-up at The Apollo inspired me.

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Most unexpected - We played a show near Madagascar. It was a beautiful and the fans, you'd think the Beatles arrived! The same with Bali. I was surprised with all the funk fans in Russia. We played Moscow and St. Petersburg, and they had lots of fun. It reminded me of New York City!

Which one is George Clinton?

I'm still looking for him myself!

That lyric was the voice of Junie Morrison, one of the funkiest musicians who was ever alive. We were doing "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad" on the album "One Nation Under a Groove" and it was his first day in the studio with us. He walked in and thought it would be funny to say it, because people were always asking which one is George.

The last arrangement Junie did with us was "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me" on the new Parliament album. RIP Junie, we miss you~

What is the source of food for thought?

A myself burger, with I sauce on it. A me sandwich.

How did ya'll get those massive handclap sounds on Aqua Boogie & other Pfunk tunes of that era?

Was it a combination of drum machine & actual human claps?

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We started the massive hand claps with Flashlight. We ended with More Bounce to the Ounce with Zapp. Using the harmonizer to make Sir Nose's voice, the same gear. We'd put the hand claps through there and feed it back until it was overloaded. Me, Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, Garry "Mudbone" Cooper - we were the professional hand clappers! I wanted it to be so loud that it made you flinch to hear it. You'll hear the claps in Flashlight, Aqua Boogie, Not Just Knee Deep, and More Bounce to the Ounce. It was NOT a drum machine, even though hip hop ended up sampling it and adding it to drum machines.

George! How are you feeling these days? You look good and sound great man!

I'm feeling great! I said I'm going to retire in a year. I'm definitely retiring in 2019, but in the meantime my grandkids and all the other kids in the band are doing a very good job with the band now, along with the older members who are playing funk like they played for the last 40 years are killing it. We're having a good time and we're feeling good.

What is it like working with flying lotus? Thanks for doing the AMA, huge fan.

He reminds me so much of when Bootsy first came around. Thundercat, Steve and the whole crew. Kendrick Lamar, it feels so much like 1975 when Bootsy first came around and started mixing James Brown with P-Funk. The same thing is happening with Flying Lotus, and it's putting me in touch with so many new musicians. These are the new generation of funk musicians. So, its educational working with him. It's a whole new version of ourselves.

What is the most profound thought you had during a space voyage?

How high am I? How do I get un-high?

Is 7 up? JK Favorite lyricist? 🤘🏿

Is 7up? Do bears shit in the woods!

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Favorite lyricist for R&B songs is Smokey Robinson. For modern times, Eminem and Rakim.

"Are you hip to Easter Island? The Bermuda triangle?"

I fucking love Mothership Connection, but what does this mean? I never got that.

When the Mothership first approached the planet earth, we scoped out Easter Island and Bermuda Triangle. That was some of the fun spots we'd travel to go party.

The atomic dog himself! Saw you twice this year and I must say each show was an amazing experience! Hell, I'm wearing a pfunk shirt right now

Who do you think the most influential artists of the current generation are going to be for the generations of music still to come?

That's hard to say right now. They making some moves now that are brand new, and I don't know whose going to come out on top. There's a lot of new sounds right now. Lots of good music out there. I don't know who is going to leave a lasting impression.

Are you really who they idolize?

I think they idolize all the musicians that I represent. Parliament, Funkadelic - Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Glen Goins, bass players, horn players, all them. There are so many great musicians that people give me credit for, but they are really idolizing the whole pfunk mob and all of those musicians, not me. But if you take the bow, you take the blame..

What is it like to have toured for as long as you've been doing so?

Also just wanted to say that I'm a huge fan! I'll be seeing you guys for the first time on Sunday and I'm beyond excited!

I feel like I'm just getting started! This is what I love doing, and this is what I've always loved doing, so it doesn't feel like I've been doing it that long. Wish my body would agree with me. I'd be starting all over again if I wasn't 77.

Did you have any part in del the funky homosapiens "I wish my brother george was here"?

I worked with him a LOT. That one, and two or three others. He did a lot of Parlet's tracks. He's Ice Cube's cousin. Ice Cube turned me on to him. He's very talented, and he's on a couple of our albums. Del's on the song Viagra and also on the Funkadelic album First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate.

Your sound is almost instantly recognizable. What the hell synths were you using? Those synths in FLASH LIGHT were absolutely sick!

That was Bernie Worrell, who could make any keyboard sound great. It was a MOOG sythesizer and ARP Prosoloist. Bernie was very good on the keyboard called the RMI. He made it sound like a digital machine, but it was just an organ. Probably only Stevie Wonder and Bernie I knew to have one of those.

What's your favorite breakfast?

Smoked salmon and cheesy grits

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EDIT: Grits with salt and pepper, not sugar!

Yo like George... I have the hardest time finding new musicians that I like that don't sound like old musicians that I like. I love St. Paul, but that's Otis. I love Greta Van Fleet, but that's Zepplin. I love Bruno, but that's EVERYBODY. I'm just not digging the new sounds.

So...Who are you loving right now that's putting out TRULY new music?

PS... thanks for introducing me to The Lique at the Vegas NYE show last year. Funk, soul, melodic hip hop with all live instruments? I'm in. \m/

Flying Lotus is definitely going out there. Childish Gambino is another one. My grandson, Tra'Zae, he's going to be a new sound you'll hear in the next couple years. He's from the same school as Drake, Kendrick plus he's a mix of P-Funk and trap music. Thundercat is ridiculously clever. It definitely feels good. The Cardi B camp is doing some great stuff, it's legitimate new music. I don't know how long its going to last, but right now it feels like the freshest thing out there.

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What inspired you to conceive of Sir Nose and the Star Child? Also, can you imagine doobie in your funk?

No, I don't like doobie in my funk.

Sir Nose - I got the character from a friend of mine named Berkeley Othello Noel from Plainfield NJ. Good looking guy, girls loved him, player and crazy as hell. His voice would get just like Sir Nose when he was angry. We'd get into gang fights and he'd come in on roller skates. He was part of a group called Sammy and the Del-Larks. He was our rival group. Starchild was one of my imaginary characters that hung out with Dr. Funkenstein. That was Sir Nose's adversary.

No questions, but is it possible you could just reply to this and say hey to my dad? He's a big fan, it would make his day. Thanks Dr Funkenstein!

Hey, whaddup dad

Out of all of your P-Funk albums which one stands out to you the most???? ☝️🤘😎

Today I'm gonna say "All the Woo in the World" by Bernie Worrell. I go through phases with all the albums, but this is the one I'm into right now

To me, one of the unsung aspects of the Pfunk empire is the sheer power & finesse of the singers, especially on tunes like 'Flashlight', 'Sir Nose', & 'Knee Deep' that have a lot of intertwining vocals. What was the process of writing, arranging, and recording the group vocals like?

That's what I feel my contribution was. Listening to he doowop vocals from the 50's, the music I learned as a writer at Motown, and all the R&B and psychedelic music I dabbled in. When it came time to do the vocals for my band, I could apply everything I learned. And I had a gang of people who could implement it. We had Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, now it's Kandy Apple Redd and Nakid87. In the early days, Sidney Barnes and Pat Lewis were our singers, and they are still on my new albums today. They helped me train the new vocalists. I was also lucky enough to have Sly Stone and Kim Burrell sing with us.

What were some of the ways you could extend a jam into the 10+minute mark and keep it feeling fresh the whole time? Thinking of the 12" Collection album in parlicular, but of course 'knee deep' as well.

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Hold that groove. Hold that pocket. Don't even think about changing. If you can do that, you've got it made. The rhythm of vision is a dancer.

What was your favorite episode of"Cosmic Slop"?

My favorite episode was the third one. (Reggie Hudlin's "Cosmic Slop.")

Do you see yourself as a fashion icon?who inspired your unique and amazing sense of fashion and how would you describe your style?

I call my style "Funky Habertrashery." Comes from living a long life dealing with theater and the barber shop where I styled people's hair - people come through with the new fashion. I'm working on my own line of shoes with Fluevog now.

Were there any concepts that you had planned but chose not to use for some reason?

Yeah, I did a song "I'm blowing you up with the proper bang bang." We was getting ready to put out the album, but at the same time something happened in current events where something got blew up and we decided to hold it back. It's still on the shelf. When times get better, we might put it out.

George, could you tell us anything about the unreleased Parliament album 'Upsouth' from the 80s? Also, do you plan on doing any more of the Family series of cds? I know you got plenty of unreleased material!

Yes, it might come out! I have a lot of material that I did with people. Clowing in the streets and doing wrong, a lot of music was created. A lot of it is popping up now.

Any upcoming collaborations in the next year that you're excited about?

Hoping to collaborate with Boots Riley this year, and the Black Lightening people too. They sho nuff got the funk.

I'm back again! You said hey to my dad but his dad also would like a hey. And my dad asks, "Are you happy with the influence you have on other artists that have since sampled your music?" Thanks again!

Yeah, got a ego like a motha. I'm glad to be part of what is going on, and glad to be in the mix. Always happy to hear people want the funk, and I do my best to help them.

Dr. Funkenstein, do you consider yourself a Getuplican, or a Downocrat?

See here for context: https://www.google.com/amp/s/entertainment.theonion.com/national-funk-congress-deadlocked-on-get-up-get-down-is-1819565355/amp

Up is just a place to throw down from. I'm down with getting up.

Hi George! I was wondering what you thought of the group Deee-Lite, and what are your favorite tracks from them? Thanks! -Harry

Lady Miss Kier is my girl! I was mad they didn't call me to be on Groove is in the Heart. I did a record with her later on. Very clever girl. Creative. Good concepts.

Do you have plans for releasing some new music before the planned retirement?

Yes. I'm doing a PFunk Allstars Album, a George Clinton solo album, another Parliament album and another Funkadelic album. Medicaid Fraud Dogg is the newest. I'm also working on musical documentary, animation and a play. The show tonight, Tales from the Tour Bus, is funny as shit. You're going to see some super hero funky stuff pretty soon too. We just did a video for "My Mama Told Me." You'll be seeing that really soon.

Huge fan!! Gonna tour Canada anytime soon?

We're working on it

Hey George! Who doesn’t get enough respect and needs more ears on them?

Eminem - Once you've been on top so long, hang around and get older it's harder to maintain respect. But he's a lyrical genius. Shout out to my man Mark Bass too.

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No, all of them was like suburban kids, very clean cut. He was a good actor and he knew how to entertain, and he did it very good. That was the case with a lot of the rappers that people thought were hard core gangsters. They were just actors who knew entertaining required learning all the characters to play. In real life, he was very subdued. Very nice kid.

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Matter of fact, I just went and saw Snoop Dogg's play that he's playing in "Redemption". He's very into his family and his children's football league. If you look at all these rappers, they are tight with their families. (Shout out to Tamar!)