The Real George Clinton

 At a time when smooth soul was once rebellion and hard funk was on its way up, George Clinton pioneered what he would call the most "authentic expression of the realities of Black life" to be found in music. Otherwise known as the work of Funkadelic. 

The short documentary "Tales of Dr.Funkenstein" tells the story of George Clinton's influence on punk and what exactly set him apart from other artists at the time. Rather than complying with the confines of genre Clinton produced music that aimed to show just how broad Black influence was, how complex Black folks were and really what it meant to look at Black contributions. Funkadelic's album "Mothership Connection" is a perfect example of how thoughtful each Funkadelic project really was. The album, in true afrofuturist style, imagines Black people in places you 'wouldn't expect' to to see them. At first these spaces were things like the white house, or more official roles in society, until Clinton realized where you truly wouldn't expect to see his people, was in space. Thats what birthed "Mothership Connection". The film talks a lot about where Clintons inspiration came from, what exactly he looked at in the world. Theres a section on integration. How Americans, at the time, were so fascinated by integration and how it would effect the nation you know. George Clinton however, was concerned about Black life, how does integration impact things, what does that mean for his people? Funkadelic's music and this documentary both point out that the Black experience is hardly simplistic. Its everything, its soul and pain (maggot brain) pain like your mother died, its exciting, and culturally rich. One of the most interesting parts of the film was the section about album art. Pedro Bell, the illustrator that worked with George Clinton had such an interesting style I found truly captivating. It was clarifying to see George Clinton's vision in 2D rather than sound. Overall, "Tales of Dr. Funkenstein" illustrated the genius of George Clinton and gave him the praise he deserved for pushing funk so far forward and reimagining the limitations of Black music.