West Coast 70s baby teething to the sound of funk music, Zapp and Roger, George Clinton, War, Isley Brothers. Every generation is linked to the one that raised them from the cradle. G-Funk was a natural continuation of that time period. From a baby with a bottle dipping in your mom’s Cadillac to a teenager cruising down Whittier, Zapp was on tape deck. It was prophetic for many to find computer love. It was also our generation that went from Vietnam to casualties of the war on drugs and urban gang warfare where the response was our peers deserved to get killed before college age and to expand the prison system until it bursted unfetid by the heavy hand of the larger society. 70s babies born from a beleaguered generation exiting the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam Era. We were their hope and now we are in our 40s as time flashes by so unnerving.
Roger lost his life in 1999 in an apparent murder-suicide as he was enjoying a career renaissance with the revolutionary popularity of Hip Hop. He lended his talents to Death Row and sang the hook on California Love.
He was the innovative force behind auto-tune using a plastic instrument to disguise his vocals. The plastic tube gave him strep throat and other serious health issues.
Computer Love makes me think of today: finding flings on Instagram, tinder, match. The comfort of a computer to find mates, to find freaks.
It would be a shame if this incredible group does not get properly recognized. Hip Hop would have never evolved without P-Funk 1970s pioneers like Roger. Hip Hop turns out billions of dollars in revenue now (without having the financial data in front of me).
Cool documentary by youtuber and fan. Really learned a lot from this content filling up gaps in my understanding in music.
