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Get ready for a new documentary highlighting the legacy of Funk music. “We Want The Funk!” was created by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and co-director and producer Nicole London. The premiere was on Independent Lens on April 8, 2025, and will be available on PBS, PBS app, and PBS YouTube. The documentary delves into political and racial dynamics in 1970s inner-city America and the Midwest. “We Want The Funk!” is a star-studded voyage through the journey of funk music. The documentary film traces funk music’s African and gospel roots, from James Brown to Parliament-Funkadelic and beyond. It delves into the genre’s influence on contemporary music, fashion, and freedom of expression and its role in the rise of hip-hop.
Nicole London and Stanley Nelson share the story of funk music beyond musical innovation and the overall message that needs to be heard in the “We Want The Funk!” documentary. In addition, they both delve into unique perspectives and nuances and explore how they impact audiences. They follow with an elaboration on the social and political climate fueled by the unique sound of funk music and the process of weaving different perspectives of musical legends through the documentary’s interviews. Lastly, both London and Nelson explain how the funk music aesthetic is applied in fashion and freedom of expression, which affected societal norms and change.
What was it about the story of funk music, beyond its musical innovation and energy, that needed to be heard through this documentary?
Funk is music born out of a need to be seen, heard, and reclaim joy in the face of systemic oppression. Beyond the grooves and bass lines, funk carries the emotional and political weight of Black expression in America. What “We Want the Funk!” reveals is that funk was a cultural resistance— a soundtrack of soul, subversion, style, and sweat. The film honors not only the legends who pioneered the music but also the communities who lived it, danced it, and used it as a tool for transcendence and transformation even to the present day. That story and power need to be heard now more than ever.
What unique perspectives and nuances were explored in “We Want the Funk!” and how will they impact audiences old and new?
This documentary leans into the collaborative dialogue of funk artists, continuously inspired and in turn drove one another to create and push the music further. We hear from some of the original architects alongside voices from gospel, soul, rock, hip-hop, and even punk who were shaped by funk’s DNA. One key nuance explored is funk’s deeply spiritual and ancestral lineage—rooted in African rhythms and gospel traditions. Audiences will also see how funk lives on in places they may not expect.
Could you elaborate on some of the key ways the social and political climate fueled the unique sound of funk through the Midwest and 1970s inner-city America dynamics?
Funk was a response to the times: a soundtrack to a new kind of freedom. In a moment when Black identity was being redefined—post-Civil Rights, amid the rise of Black Power—funk gave people an outlet that gave full voice to defiance, unity, and joy.
What was the process of weaving together the diverse perspectives – the firsthand accounts, the archival interviews with legends, and the insights from those who came later – to create the narrative that captures the evolution and legacy of funk?
Building the story was like making a collage—we try not to use a narrator so that the story flows continuously from the subject’s mouths —each voice brings its own texture and truth. The goal was to tell Funk’s story in a way that felt like the music itself — not in a straight line but kind of in a groove, with breaks, echoes, and unexpected turns.
Are there any examples you can highlight of how funk’s aesthetic in fashion and freedom of expression went beyond the musical realm and affected societal norms and change?
Funk allowed for an expression of Unapologetic Blackness that had never existed in this way before. Funk artists and fans embraced bold self-expression in an era that often policed Black identity. The big Afros, platform shoes, and psychedelic patterns weren’t just style choices—they were acts of rebellion. Funk helped shift the cultural narrative around Black beauty, creativity, and identity. It cracked open space for artists to be whoever they dreamed of being. That impact still reverberates in today’s identity, performance, and power conversations.
“We Want The Funk!” shares first-hand stories and recollections of people who created and defined funk. Some prime examples include George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic; Fred Wesley of The J.B.’s; Robert ‘Kool’ Bell from Kool & The Gang; Marcus Miller; Nona Hendryx of Labelle; Kirk Franklin; David Byrne of the Talking Heads; Prince Paul, DJ and Producer for De La Soul. The documentary includes additional perspectives from Questlove and Thomas DeFrantz. The film also features archival interviews with musical icons, including James Brown, Elton John, David Bowie, and more. For more information on “We Want The Funk!” visit Independent Lens.
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