King James Brown Releases New Single

When it comes to certain genres of music, you can’t fabricate them. Punk music came from a very specific set of circumstances, brought about by a particular atmosphere and worldview, and to ponder whether or not it could be done today feels futile. The age of punk has come and gone, and it may come again, but it can only ever return if it’s natural — otherwise, you end up with Target-punk like Machine Gun Kelly, and… you don’t want that.

Another genre distinctly tied to a time and place is funk; born in the mid-20th century out of African-American communities, funk has James Brown to thank as one of the pioneers of the genre. There have been many bands that have helped grow the genre and sound, of course, but you’ll notice none of them have come up in the last couple of decades, and for good reason — it’s a sound almost impossible to replicate. Almost. If your name is, coincidentally, also James Brown, however, it might feel like your true calling.

King James Brown seemed to think as much, and it wasn’t long before he crossed paths with the founding father of funk, James Brown, by way of television. Inspired and perhaps grabbed by a bit of divine intervention, the plan was set in motion and the rest is history. Decades later, King James Brown has spent a good chunk of his life perfecting his presence as a funk musician, paying tribute to the greats while blazing his own path.

The way forward included many ups and downs, but it also led him to become one of Las Vegas’ big names, and his most recent single “Can’t Fake the Funk” pays tribute to his journey thus far. The song centers on the key idea that you can’t just make funk music happen and that the natural nature of funk music is as much a part of the genre’s DNA as its birthplace. There’s no planning it, it’s all in the moment, and yet feels as though it’s part of a bigger picture — it’s a brilliant balance of improvisation and detail, and King James Brown knows it. There’s no placing the funk genre in a box, funk music is the box. You can’t make funk music, funk music will make the musicians.

“Can’t Fake the Funk” is an upbeat, boisterous piece to unleash on the modern music industry, its contemporaries and imitators merely shadows of what King James Brown is able to accomplish; the sheer power of Brown’s certainty in the way he performs against a massive instrumental section with zero faltering showcases how much of a professional he is, which came after a great deal of effort and decades of practice, certainly.

The single captures the victory lap of a man who has seen and lived it all, with the overall subject matter never feeling slight or self-congratulatory — “Can’t Fake the Funk” is a musician that’s been around the block a time or two laying it out for newcomers; you gotta give it your all when you step up to the plate or nobody’s going to buy what you’re selling. King James Brown, I’ll buy whatever you’ve got.

Nicole Killian

The music of King James Brown has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division.  Learn more https://musikandfilm.com