We are very excited to have an exclusive interview with P-Funk legend Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk. He has very kindly agreed to answer 13 questions for us so here we go!
### 1. **Q: What is Parliament-Funkadelic?**
**A:** It's not the ruling body of a funky government, but they are the architects of the most cosmic, otherworldly funk to ever hit planet Earth. Parliament-Funkadelic is the collective of musicians led by George Clinton, responsible for shaping the genre of P-Funk which sometimes also stands for Pure Funk.
### 2. **Q: So, is there a difference between Parliament and Funkadelic?**
**A:** Think of Parliament as your smooth-talking, space orchestra heavy on the horns and brass, and Funkadelic as your slightly wild rock band with an electric guitar, psychedelic shoes and flowers in their hair. Parliament leaned toward horn-driven funk, while Funkadelic brought in rock and psychedelia.
### 3. **Q: How did George Clinton come up with P-Funk?**
**A:** Rumour has it, George Clinton inhaled some cosmic dust while traveling through a black hole in his Mothership. He then fused elements of soul, rock, and funk into a totally unique style, giving us “Pure Funk,” or as we know it, P-Funk!
### 4. **Q: What is the Mothership, and can I catch a ride?**
**A:** The Mothership is Parliament-Funkadelic’s iconic spaceship—a symbol of their out-of-this-world funk. Unfortunately, it’s currently grounded, but you can still experience the landing by grooving to "Mothership Connection."
### 5. **Q: How many members are in Parliament-Funkadelic?**
**A:** It’s more like *how many planets are in the P-Funk universe?* Over the years, more than 50 musicians have been part of the collective. Like the universe, P-Funk is constantly expanding with heroes like Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Sly Stone, Fred Wesley and Maceo.
### 6 **Q: What is Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk’s role in the P-Funk universe?
**A:** I am Starchild’s main enemy and Leader of the Non-Dancers. I basically try to mess with the funk, to stop the funk from freeing the masses. But somehow Starchild’s grooves always seem to get the better of me and I end up dancing too.
### 7. **Q: What’s up with Bootsy Collins’ star-shaped glasses?**
**A:** Bootsy’s glasses were actually forged in a funk laboratory to help him see in multiple dimensions, or at least keep his groove interstellar.
### 8. **Q: What's the story behind the track "Flash Light"?**
**A:** "Flash Light" is a jam so funky it could light up a disco with its bassline alone! It was one of the first songs to feature Bernie Worrell’s Moog synthesizer, giving the funk a futuristic twist. Let’s just say it’s the song that guides the Mothership’s landing.
### 9. **Q: Why does George Clinton always seem to wear capes, wigs, and wild costumes?**
**A:** George Clinton isn’t just a musician, he’s the funky overlord of style! His costumes are a reflection of the band's cosmic, sci-fi aesthetic—after all, you don’t pilot the Mothership in a suit and tie.
### 10. **Q: Is P-Funk just music or a lifestyle?**
**A:** It’s definitely a lifestyle, baby! P-Funk is about living free, thinking big, and getting down in every sense of the word. If you’re not ready to free your mind, the funk won’t follow!
### 11. **Q: How has Parliament-Funkadelic influenced modern music?**
**A:** Without P-Funk, your favourite rappers and producers would be a lot less funky! Their grooves have been sampled by everyone from Dr. Dre to Kendrick Lamar. You could say the funk DNA is still strong in today’s beats.
### 12. **Q: What happened on the day the funk died on July 2 1979?**
A: So, as everyone knows, the funk died on July 2nd when it was traveling on the Mothership with Bootsy Collins and the members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Reports say that it was kicked clean overboard by George Clinton, and that it fell into a nearby lake, leading to its death by drowning.
### 13. **Q: How many times have P-Funk songs been sampled?**
Well that’s a thorny subject. First up, across the universe P-Funk songs have been sampled billions of times but you can’t pin those alien life-forms down for royalties. Here on Earth P-Funk has been like a library of sound for hip-hop, electronic and soul music to draw on. But I don’t know who owns what and I’m not going to stick my proboscis into that. There have been too many lawsuits. What I do know is that the top 5 most sampled P-Funk songs have been:
- Atomic Dog – George Clinton – Sampled 339 times including by Erykah Badu, Ie Cube and MC Hammer.
- More Bounce to the Ounce – Zapp – Sampled 327 times including Going Back to Cali by Notorious B.I.G
- Flashlight – Parliament 1977 – Sampled 214 times including Tha Shiznit by Snoop Dogg, Doowutchyalike by Digital Underground and Back & Forth by Aaliya.
- Not Just (Knee Deep) – Funkadelic 1979 – Sampled 202 times includes Can’t C Me by Tupac and Me, Myself & I by De La Soul.
- One Nation Under a Groove – Funkadelic – Sampled 96 times including So What Ya Sayin by EPMD and Bop Gun by Ice Cube.
Source: Whosampled.com