Perhaps the most important legacy of The Funk can be found in the assertive expressions of realism and race pride that thrived in the early seventies funky music.

The Godfather of Soul James Brown was of course at the forefront of the funky power inpulse, chanting "power to the people/soul power" on his 1971 live rendition of "Get up, Get Into It, Get Involved" and delivering his outrageous spin on the resignation of Richard Nixon, and making his own political case for political office with the ridiculous yet dead-serious "Funky President."

The strongest examples of black music that directly spoke of empowerment and liberation were produced by artists who possessed the greatest degree of independence and control over what they said in their music - James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, and the Isley Brothers in particular. It's no coincidence that these artists were among the strongest of the funk bands of the early seventies, and their social commentary was driven by the relentless funk beat. The Isley Brothers were ready to "Fight the Power," Stevie Wonder was charging politicians "You Haven't Done Nothin'," Curtis Mayfield was dealing with "Future Shock," and of course Funkadelic was claiming "America Eats Its Young." By 1975, artists with the most recording freedom were indulging in their ideas of liberation to the point where the Isley Brothers were bold enough to urge their listeners to "Fight the Power" in no uncertain terms":

Time is truly wastin'
There's no guarantee
Smile is in the makin'
We gotta fight the powers that Be
-The Isley Brothers, "Fight the Power"

Message music was clearly at risk. Just as "Say it Loud" was James Brown's last Top 10 pop hit for fifteen years, the Isley Brothers - at their peak - also found that "Fight the Power" was to be their last Top 40 pop hit! Because artists delivering outright message music seemed to be ignored by pop radio as the decade progressed, black popular music degenerated into senseless disco dance drivel - and the presence of strong music that adhered to high ideals and positive cultural values came only as a result of a vicious struggle with an industry that had no interest in permitting black artists to develop in their own terms.

SOURCE: Funk by Rickey Vincent
Our Generation - Ernie Hines