Published: February 26, 2009 12:57 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight March 2009 Edition
Funk Renegade
Funk Renegade
Funk Renegade is on a mission to reinvent Funk Music. He certainly is off to a great start with his own take on the popular genre. In this recent interview with Junior's Cave, Funky Renegade gives our Webzine the 411 on his mission, passion, and love for Funk music. Enjoy this spotlight!
Isaac: Hi, Welcome to your interview with Junior's Cave. Now that 2008 has officially ended, what are your reflections of the year 2008 for you as an artist?
Funk Renegade: Glad to do it. 2008 was a very good start for the debut CD "ILL Schizophrenic" and several other projects we have planned for the very near future i.e. a movie and such. We managed to get global distribution for the project and we are going to piggyback from there. All in all; a good start.
Isaac: What has drawn you to wanting to make music?
Funk Renegade: Music has always been my "Linus Blanket" if you will, and my true voice when expressing myself. I started playing bass at the age of 11 and graduated to other instruments as time went on. Bands usually drew chicks, so as a teenager it was fun for me to do. As time went on, I found that writing allowed me to speak to various topics; and the motivation to be one of the best bassists the world as ever seen. Y'know, get an endorsement some day on a Bass Brand.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
Funk Renegade: Well, being a primarily a bass player, most of my influences are musicians like: Larry Graham, Boosty, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Jimi Hendrix, Micheal Hampton, you know, all the great axe players. As for my style of music that I write, groups like: Parliament/Funkadelic, Public Enemy, Pink Floyd, Sly & The Family Stone, Prince and others. Hip-Hop has had a major influence as well, not so much for the music they generate as to their way of underground guerilla style marketing that has influenced mainstream culture in many ways around the world.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Funk Renegade: Not sure what I will bring to the industry as much as I would like to sort of re-introduce, especially in today's R&B/Soul genres, lots of independence in musicianship, writing, live band performance, and do away with the one hit, overly marketed, cookie-cutter bullshit that the major labels seem to crave. In addition, I would like to push hard for FUNK to become a major genre of music and not mixed in with Blues or R&B.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
Funk Renegade: Why George Clinton & P-Funk of course! They have been THE major musical influence for me and it would be a dream of mine to grace the stage with those cats. The music they put together was some of the greatest music that will ever come through speakers. The stagecraft, production, vocal harmony, guitars, horns, Bernie on keys, George up there talkin shit and unafraid of what people thought. All the while those cats where doing ROCK & R&B! That music will come outta headphones for the rest of the homosapiens days on earth.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Funk Renegade: I'd say it's straight outta the 70's Funk/Rock archives but with a today sound; plenty of guitars, effects, spoken word, harmony, news clips, using the 808 on the tracks a lot more and plenty of political commentary. Nothing is structured, I record it the way I feel it. I try taking on the social issues of our day cause evil and injustice is wrong
everywhere. There's the Illuminati, Religious nuts, Arch-Conservatives and their minions to address, cause I feel they control the mainstream music and media. But that's what is great about being with an indie label that the banks and media power doesn't control. So in a nutshell my music is intended to be colorful and fun to just listen to.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?
Funk Renegade: The feedback has been very positive from the fans and musicians of all stripes and genres, including some from the Hip-Hop community, which was a surprise to me because my music is not hip-hop or anything similar. I've also gotten good press recently, and more radio stations are soliciting tracks daily.
Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, you are working on currently? What is the inspiration behind the CD?
Funk Renegade: Well the debut CD "ILL Schizophrenic" is just what the title implies. There are heavy funk dance tracks, Spoken word, screaming guitar riffs, a live D.C. Go-Go track. You know..Schizophrenic. No set structure or genre to pigeon-hole this album. It is FUNK as advertised, no filler. The inspiration was to get an updated true funk CD out that is fun, refreshing, and full of instruments and to drop a little insight as well...lol!
Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?
Funk Renegade: At my official website www.funkrenegade.com, from there the
links to my other websites such as Creative Loafing, Soundclick, ReverbNation etc.. Links to the distributors that sell my music such as LALA, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Shockhound and other music stores. Also, on Facebook to join my fanclub. And last
but not least my label UE Funkthang Music www.uefunkthangmusic.com.
Isaac: What can fans expect from you in 2009?
Funk Renegade: I'm currently working on the next album and it's gonna be crazy! They can expect what they hear on the "ILL Schizophrenic" album currently, but with a lot more playing my lead bass, more screaming guitar, some Trance and political commentary. The videos will be off the chain too. The inspiration for all my projects is to excite my fans and inspire musicians. It is respect of your fellow musicians that keep you honest and creative y' know!
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans?
Funk Renegade: Yeah, Most definitely my Co-writer & Producer DDennis, My lovely wifey Yasmin Olave' (Yazzy) who does most of the background vocals on the CD, The best singing voice I have ever heard bar none "Alisha D" who killed it on "Crunk Funk"!, My friend Super Soul singer B. Flexx who is featured on "Live from the Aquarius Galaxy, My label UE Funkthang Music, SA-RA at SVNRA Productions in Atlanta, My Family, Influences, Fellow musicians, and last but not least all the FUNK fans around the universe.
Isaac: Final words?
Funk Renegade: Thanks for the interview man! Juniors Cave ROCKS!!
