Filmwerk :: Finding The Funk – A Nelson George Documentary & Kickstarter Campaign

A journey through the origins and influence of funk music from James Brown to D’Angelo, we are FINDING THE FUNK!

Inspired by an idea from legendary record producer Arthur Baker, Finding The Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music. We start in Dayton the birthplace of so many of Funk’s originators, then onto Detroit where from the ashes of Motown, P-Funk’s Mothership arose and then to LA where a new crop of musicians, like DaM-FunK, are creating their own Funk history. Among those featured in the film are Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, Mike D of the Beastie Boys, D’Angelo, Marcus Miller, Mtume, Nona Hendryx, Vernon Reid, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, Steve Arrington, Reggie Hudlin, Sheila E, Shock G, Alan Leeds, Sade‘s Stuart Matthewman and Diplo. Hosted by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots. Directed by Nelson George. VH1 is hoping to air FINDING THE FUNK next Spring.

Check out the trailer below and visit the Finding The Funk Kickstarter page for more in depth information and to make a kind donation.

FINDING THE FUNK Trailer from Finding the Funk on Vimeo.

?uestlove To Teach 'Classic Albums' Course At NYU

Great News! Sign me up! Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson now known as 'Professor ?uesto' will be joining the NYU staff this Spring to teach a "Classic Albums' course. According to Billboard.biz, The Roots' drummer will be joining Universal Music Enterprises vice president of A&R and Grammy winning reissues producer Harry Weinger to co-teach the course at the Clive Davis Institue for Recorded Music at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts this coming Spring semester.

The two credit class is expected to look at albums including Sly & The Family Stone's Stand!, There's a Riot Goin' On, Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul, Led Zeppelin's IV, Prince's Dirty Mind, Michael Jackson's Off the Wall, and the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique among others.

Jason King, associate professor of recorded music and head of history and criticism at the Clive Davis Institute, told Billboard.biz the class will focus on the concept of what it means for something to be called classic or seminal, as well as take a close look at the music, lyrics, production, business aspects -- such as promotion and marketing -- that informed the release and reception of the album, and try to provide a context as to why these albums have stood the test of time.

We wanted to bring [?uestlove] in because we felt he should really be a professor; in a lot of ways he already is an informal, unofficial professor, not just in hip hop but in music in general, King told Billboard.biz. He's one of the smartest people in music, besides being a fantastic musician. We thought [this class] would speak to his strengths.

Click here to keep up with 'Professor ?uesto' on Twitter

Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio Recovered: The Remix EP

On October 9th music lovers worldwide can expect a treat from The Robert Glasper Experiment in the form of a remix EP. The eclectic jazz, hip hop, soul collective spearheaded by jazz pianist Robert Glasper will release Black Radio Recovered: The Remix EP on Blue Note Records. The 6 track collection will feature remixed and previously unreleased tracks from his acclaimed album Black Radio. The remixers include Robert Glasper himself, as well as ?uestlove, 9th Wonder, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Pete Rock, with additional contributions from rappers Black Milk and Phonte, The Roots band, and vocalist Solange Knowles. The remixes reinvent tracks that originally featured Bilal (“Letter to Hermoine”), Erykah Badu (“Afro Blue”), Meshell Ndegeocello (“The Consequences of Jealousy”), and Yasiin Bey (“Black Radio”), as well as Robert Glasper Experiment’s cover of the Little Dragon song “Twice.” Also included is “Dillatude #2,” the Experiment’s tribute to the late, great hip hop producer J Dilla which is a previously unreleased track from the Black Radio sessions.

Tracklisting

1. Afro Blue feat. Erykah Badu / 9th Wonder’s Blue Light Basement Remix feat. Phonte

2. Black Radio feat. yasiin bey / Pete Rock Remix

3. The Consequences of Jealousy feat. Meshell Ndegeocello / Georgia Anne Muldrow’s Sassy Geemix

4. Twice / ?uestlove’s Twice Baked Remix feat. Solange Knowles & The Roots

5. Letter to Hermione (feat. Bilal) / Robert Glasper and Jewels Remix feat. Black Milk

6. Dillatude #2

The Roots :: How I Got Over

To call it "long-awaited" or "eagerly anticipated" would be the understatement of the year - as hip-hop's most daring pioneers The Roots release their 9th studio album (and third for Def Jam Recordings) on June 22nd, HOW I GOT OVER. The album, which takes its name from Clara Ward's gospel classic (made popular by Mahalia Jackson), is the Roots' first new release since joining Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for a full time gig as the show's house band.

Grammy Award winners the Roots characterize the songs on HOW I GOT OVER as "depicting the everyman's search for hope in this dispiriting post-hope zeitgeist". The lead single from the Roots new set will be "Dear God 2.0." The track re-imagines the Monsters Of Folk song "Dear God" and features MOF members Yim Yames from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward.
HOW I GOT OVER also includes two appearances from Grammy-winning soul man John Legend: "Doin' It Again" a re-working of his track "Again," and "The Fire," an original song written for the Roots' 2010 Olympic concert performance.
Other guests on HIGO include Joanna Newsom on "Right On," Phonte Coleman (Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange), Blu (Blu & Exile), Peedi Peedi , Mercedes Martinez, Icelandic alt-pop singer Patty Crash, newcomer Sugar Tongue Slim as well as long time Roots' Crew members Dice Raw, Truck North and P.O.R.N.