Man, James Brown, the most sampled man in history, the Godfather of soul, the awesome balladier has died at Christmas! Holy crap, what an exit! I’m speechless! Truly, there’s not many grandads that could top James for coolness. The thought of a world without the king of soul is kind of bleak.
For all you young uns that think you don’t know who he is, just about every DJ in hip hop has sampled Jimmy Brown, and will continue to be. Rap and hip hop wouldn’t exist without the man - PERIOD. His music was the perfect backdrop for gritty movies like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. His music was even used in cutting edge video games like Grand Theft Audio San Andreas. These three accolades in my mind alone are awe inspiring.
He was also known as an obsessive compulsive musician and insisted on absolute perfection from his musos. According to legend, he’d pay his musos in cash at the end of the gig, docking them for every bum note! He also hijacked an insurance convention in the 80s, jacked up on PCP with a shot gun, because he thought these nerds were using his private crapper. That’s pretty cool.
Well now he truly is a legend. Raise a toast to James Brown, the one and only. Rest in peace brother. The world won’t be the same without you.