George Clinton, the godfather of funk and mastermind behind influential music collective Parliament-Funkadelic, returned home to Avon Elementary in Newark, N.J., on September 5. The funk pioneer, who conceived the idea for Parliament-Funkadelic in the playground more than six decades ago, was onsite at the school’s annual back-to-school barbeque to debut a new nonprofit, Protecting Our Legacy, and receive the key to the city.
Clinton changed the landscape of popular music by fusing funk with psychedelic rock, jazz, and soul, eventually laying down what would become the “DNA” of hip-hop when much of his work was sampled by artists like Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and De La Soul. Clinton, who brought the world monumental works like “Maggot Brain,” “Flashlight,” and “Give Up the Funk,” has famously been embroiled in a longstanding legal battle involving the rights to his music, and former partner Armen Boladian, which Clinton largely describes in his autobiography, “Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?.” Protecting Our Legacy was “born out of Mr. George Clinton’s passion for musicians and their rights,” according to the organization’s Instagram. “We support musicians in obtaining and protecting the rights to their works.”
The new organization hosted the George Clinton Youth Empowerment & Creative Legacy Summit at Avon Elementary’s annual back-to-school barbeque. Clinton participated in educational panels and discussions, met community members, and took pictures with kids. The organization gave away items such as backpacks, sneakers, and hats, and hosted a tent for community resources, a DJ, and free food. The event culminated with a performance by the Malcolm X Shabazz High School Marching Band and a ceremony honoring Clinton with the key to the city, presented by Mayor Ras Baraka.
Stay up to date with Protecting Our Legacy on Instagram @protecting_our_legacy and at protectingourlegacy.org.
