Parliament-Funkadelic

• Ever since August 1973, hip-hop artists have turned to Afrofuturism – a mix of science fiction, politics and liberating fantasy – to inform their lyrics and their look.
• They do so by taking listeners on journeys in and beyond the here and now, from an often imagined past to an imaginative future.

Black diaspora ancestors

• Academics have since further explored the meaning of Afrofuturism.
• In her 2013 book “Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture,” independent scholar Ytasha Womack describes the cultural phenomenon as “an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation.” Although the term appeared in the 1990s, Afrofuturism has been applied retroactively to describe Black writers, artists and musicians.
• In the United States, Afrofuturism was shepherded by generations of Black visionaries from the time of institutional slavery to the Civil Rights era.
• From the 1970s to 2000s, she combined African mythology with social activism to conjure images of alternate Black worlds.

Aliens and alienation

• Hip-hop artists influenced by Afrofuturism have long been aware that American society made many Black, Indigenous and other people of color feel different – less than human, or even like aliens – and expressed this through their art.
• And like socially conscious hip-hop, Afrofuturism has always had a political element.
• Take, for example, Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet,” Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” or Ras G’s “Brotha From Anotha Planet.” Similar to experimentalist jazz bandleader Sun Ra, who claims aliens selected him to preach cosmic enlightenment on Earth, the Atlanta-based duo Outkast – whose very name suggests alienation – refer to themselves as “ATliens”.

Higher levels of consciousness

• Afrofuturism aims to elevate human consciousness.
• Like Sun Ra’s jazz fusion ensemble “Akestra,” which deliberately designed music to help people see themselves and the world differently, Afrofuturism seeks to decolonize human minds.
• Kendrick Lamar, winner of the best rap album at the 2023 Grammys, recorded five of 14 songs on the Afrofuturist “Black Panther” movie soundtrack.

Take nothing for granted

• In “Africa As an Alien Future,” academic Ruth Mayer observes how Afrofuturism’s collapsing of past, present and future results in “strange sights – alien, aquatic, artificial – which force us not only to reconsider the past, but most of all the present we like to take for granted.” Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre’s dystopic video for “California Love,” for example, which was set in California in 2095 and includes a cameo appearance by George Clinton himself, evokes vivid images of turf war battles in a post-apocalyptic, climate change-ridden, desert wasteland with sparse water.
• Afrofuturists challenge societal assumptions about Black Americans’ role in their country’s history, both then and in the future.

• The series has been brought to life through the help of the award-winning Amsterdam-based dance troupe, the Ghetto Funk Collective, with original song Funk Check!
• RC & The Gritz and Black Joe Lewis, written and recorded in collaboration with Texas-based producers Matt Penceand Electrophunck (Jason Burt).
• "I've long been inspired by the funk movement and, as an odor elimination brand, we've leaned into the multiple implications behind the word funk.
• Everything came together so quickly when I discovered the incredible talent of The Ghetto Funk Collective on social media.

• NEW YORK, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ALG Brands ("ALG") has been tapped to represent the original Starchild, Bootsy Collins for licensing and branding opportunities, it was announced today by ALG CEO Ashley Austin.
• "I'm getting excited, the Funk has United with ALG," says Collins.
• In 1972, Bootsy joined George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic; Collins and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical friendship.
• ALG specializes in music estate management and representation of intellectual property rights for entertainment brands and pop culture personalities.

• NEW YORK, March 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SiriusXM announced today that the iconic rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers will launch their own exclusive SiriusXM music channel, Whole Lotta Red Hot, on Friday, April 1 on channel 315.
• The launch coincides with Red Hot Chili Peppers' new album Unlimited Love, which is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 1.
• Whole Lotta Red Hot will launchon Friday, April 1 at 12:00 am ETon SiriusXM channel 315 and on the SXM App.
• "We are excited to bring our subscribers this special channel, created with the band and delivering a unique audio experience for all Red Hot Chili Peppers fans."