James Brown the Godfather of Soul is gone but he is not dead. Now I won’t go on record and claim that he is not dead like some have labeled past legends of TV and music such as Tupac Shakur, Elvis Presley, and Bruce Lee.
James Brown lives on through his music and this is ever so true when it comes to the Rap and Hip Hop industry. Among the over 650 songs that James Brown is either credited with creating, writing or having collaborated on, more than half of them have been used worldwide by Rappers, R&B and Rock artists in the form of samples in their music.
James Brown and his staff have gone to great measures in trying to make sure that he receives his share of royalties from these hits, but one member from the Brown estate estimated that it would take one hundred years to truly collect all the royalties due to James Brown because the use of his music (samples) continues to grow at a rate of 10,000 new sample sounds and songs a day worldwide.
James Brown, the Godfather of Soul and the pioneer of Black Pride music which has helped many poor Blacks and inner city youth to keep the faith and belief that they too can rise from humble beginnings and be a success and credit to society if they believe in themselves and continue to work hard. As a former Rapper and Entertainer, I would have to say that if it were not for James Brown and his influence on music, the entire multi billion dollar Hip Hop industry would have been extinct a long time ago.
So, while we still mourn his death and celebrate his memory through his music, please entertainers pay your royalty dues if you use his music. That would be the ultimate tribute to his Music, Life and Legacy.
