For every Stevie Wonder or Funkadelic impersonation you’ll hear on the radio today, or in the last four decades, you’re bound to have at least one or two good ones, right? In recent years, audiences have been given slim pickings when it comes to modern funk music, but popular artists such as Childish Gambino (see: 2016’s album Awaken My Love) and Bruno Mars (see: 2021’s album An Evening With Silk Sonic) have done their part to keep the funk mentality alive. In the indie scene, it’s been a bit more limited, but a set of artists have been holding down the fort to the best of their abilities. One such artist, King James Brown, has been hard at work for decades making a name for himself (and yes, it really is James Brown but not that James Brown), and with his latest single “Can’t Fake The Funk,” he’s only stepping up his game yet again.
“Can’t Fake the Funk” tackles the mainstream ideology of funk head-on, dismantling the idea that funk as a genre can be mass-marketed and sterilized for the masses — with a fun flair of spoken-word introduction, the single wastes no time getting down to business as a kaleidoscopic world of brass and big band bluster erupt across the incendiary single.
There’s definite attention paid to the composition of “Can’t Fake the Funk,” paying homage to every major funk group that has come or will come; of course, there’s a special nod to James Brown himself, as King James Brown dances across his namesake with a vocal performance that feels both in tribute and as part of Brown’s own thing. The song’s lyrics never feel mean-spirited or hateful towards people ripping funk off or making cheap imitations, but there is definitely a knowledge of what it means to be a genuine, bona fide funk musician in a world where funk is so hard to come by these days.
The overall gust of wind that fills “Can’t Fake the Funk” and its sails is an overwhelmingly positive one, distinctly aware of the challenges that come with being a modern funk song in a world made unaware and uncaring of a supposed obsolete genre — with the younger generations arguably not even aware of funk music, lest it be on their TikTok pages for some reason, there’s a distinct fork in the road for the sounds of Parliament and company. It’s King James Brown’s intention to spread the word again, against all odds, and give listeners something to love and cherish the same way he did as he grew up on the records his music evokes.
“Can’t Fake the Funk” is a glorious send-up to the heyday of funk music, its dance-worthy rhythm and upbeat instrumental dishing out some of the freshest music I’ve heard in years. The saxophone riff is insanely catchy, and Brown’s voice meshes with the eclectic mix of brass and guitar in a way that has been sorely lacking from mainstream music. It’s a single aching for a live performance, and it looks like King James Brown is performing in Vegas this month — I’ll be eagerly anticipating videos of this snappy hit until I’m able to make it to Vegas for a performance myself!
Troy Johnstone
The music of King James Brown has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com