Hip Hop is Dead…R.I.P. James Brown

I remember when I was little and I saw what must have been a re-run of Eddie Murphy’s hot tub skit on Saturday Night Live – you know, this one. For a little kid, it was transfixing in a way; once I realized Eddie was actually impersonating someone, it came with the realization that said person must be the funkiest person alive. And there it was. James Brown was my first tangible conception of what funky was…

The man who wielded the largest influence on 20^th century popular music passed yesterday. I had a chance to see him at the Montreal Jazz Festival for a short set and even at his advanced age, the shear energy and its effect was undeniable. Anybody, and I mean anyone, who tried to bring the soul or funk was essentially channeling James.

Hip hop is merely part of his legacy…I was actually considering comprising a list, but it would be a fruitless attempt with the goal of trying to maintain any sort of brevity (check here for someone who did). Soul Brother One was universal…and will be universally missed.