Stuff You Gotta Watch: Finding the Funk
Though the true magic of funk is better felt than understood, Nelson George’s 2013 documentary Finding the Funk does a remarkable job of tracing the principal roots, influences, and characters that shaped the genre as an indelible force, pushing the limits of pop music and triggering its reinvention.
Questlove serves as the master of ceremonies in this compelling journey through five decades of funk, from its earliest jazz and R&B roots to the impact the genre still exerts today. For nearly an hour and a half, Quest is joined by heavyweights such as Sly Stone, George Clinton, D’Angelo, Maceo Parker, Nile Rodgers, Sheila E., Nona Hendryx, and many others who reflect on the past, present, and future of funk, while we navigate through some of its main incubators, including Dayton, Detroit, and the Bay Area.
Myriad special moments tie the entire narrative together, from D’Angelo discussing how formative Jimi Hendrix’s live album Band of Gypsys was for funk, to Steve Arrington reflecting on Slave’s outrageous album covers, to the James Brown footage posthumously inserted amidst the other interviewees.
Review by Ana Leorne. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.