by George Kilpatrick
Music Collectives have historically guided and influenced the
direction of music. We have seen some of the greatest records in modern history
because of the collaboration of artist within a collective. A music collective
is a group of musicians who collaborate over time to perform, record, or
produce music We will be discussing 5 of the greatest music collectives to ever
do it.
Parliament-Funkadelic
Originating in Plainfield, New Jersey, Parliament-Funkadelic is a
funk, soul, and rock music collective. The collective began in late 1950s and
have been performing ever since. Parliament
under the direction of George Clinton consists of many different permutations
and arrangements but consistently produces music that makes you move and groove. They have consistently produced quality music
and one of their most notable songs is “Atomic Dog," one of the most sampled
songs in hip-hop. Their over 50 year career as been marked by constant
reinvention and radical thought. Parliament was inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of fame in 1997 and was the largest group ever inducted; this honor is
emblematic of their influence and their contributions to the music industry.
Wu-Tang
Clan
Beginning in the early 90s, Wu-Tang Clan is considered one of the
greatest rap groups and music collectives of all time. Hailing from New York
City Wu-Tang consists of Ol’ DirtyBastad, RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna. Wu-Tang
is a hardcore hip-hop group whose unique sounds have reached many different
generations of music lovers. Wu-Tang’s success it’s marked by their influence on
many of rap’s greatest artists and music makers. The leader of Wu-Tang, RZA pioneered many
production technique and sound-scaping styles that would effect generations to
come. Kanye West and Nas were both inspired by Wu-Tang’s music and did some
collaborative work with them.
Soulquarians
The roster of this music collective reads like a who’s who among
iconic soul music and hip-hop artists.
Consisting of Bilal, James Posyer, D’Angelo, Common, J Dilla, ?uestlove, Erykah
Badu, Talib Kweli, and Q-tip the Soulquarians are a history making group who
for 6 years got together to make some of the greatest soul music we’ve
heard. Timeless albums like D’Angelo’s “Voodoo,” Erykah Badu’s "Mama’s Gun," Common’s “Electric Circus” and The
Roots’ “Phrenology” were all products of their time together. What we saw with
the Soulquarians was a return to the old school as they studied greats like Prince
and Stevie Wonder and worked to capture the same musical magic that is captured
on their iconic records. They studied for months before releasing any music and
the outcome was legendary. The Soulquarian’s recorded their projects at the
historic Electric Lady studios and truly channeled the innovative spirit of the
late Jimi Hendrix.
Black Hippy
The first set of modern day juggernauts to grace our list, black hippy
is a collective based out of the West Coast consisting of Kendrick Lamar,
Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock. Black hippy formed when each of these
artists was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment in 2009 and they have been making
good music ever since. They have yet to
release a collaborative project but each artist respectively has released solo
projects to critical acclaim. As a collective they support each other and often
feature on each other’s tracks. The exciting thing about Black Hippy is that they
are just getting started and have taken the industry by storm. Kendrick just won a Grammy for his hit single "i," Ab Soul will soon be releasing an album, Jay Rock is working on his sophomore album and Schoolboy Q is working on
his next album. We are looking forward to the music that
they will be releasing.
A$AP Mob
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