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Taken from Civilized (Feb 11, 2019)
Cannabis Icon and P-Funk Leader George Clinton Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at The Grammys
Funk icon George Clinton, bandmaster for the legendary Parliment-Funkadelic supergroup was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award last night during a controversial Grammys ceremony. Clinton, a funk innovator has also been a huge influence on hip-hip and cannabis icons like Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan. While not Clinton's first Lifetime Achievement award, it serves as proof that the Funk never dies.
by Brandon Hicks
Last night during a controversial Grammys, the Academy presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to funk innovator George Clinton, one of the most celebrated (and sampled) artists of the 20th century.
Not only is Clinton a legend in the world of funk, but he's also a cannabis icon, promoting and celebrating his personal cannabis use for five decades now. His music, especially that made with his massive band Parliament-Funkadelic, has been a staple of cannabis culture since the early 70s.
While he is primarily a medical user these days, he pointed out that he thinks that recreational legalization is long overdue.
"I thought we had it licked in '69 and '70," Clinton said in a 2017 keynote address. I guess I just took it for granted that it would be legal a long time ago. I didn't think it would take this long."
Since his peak P-Funk days, Clinton has gone on to boost the careers of fellow artists and cannabis lovers like Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan. His place in hip-hop history doesn't end there: Having been a featured artist in over 50 songs from artists like Outkast, Tupac and Kendrick Lamar, the artist has left his indelible mark on the most dominant genre in modern pop music.
Some see lifetime achievement awards as a sign that someone's career is at an end, but Clinton is the busiest he's been in years. After releasing the critically-acclaimed Medical Fraud Dogg, the first Parliament-Funkadelic album in 38 years, the 77-year old artist announced a worldwide tour, which he claims will be his last with P-Funk.
Clinton also appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, and served as executive producer on the latest season of cartoonist Mike Judge's music documentary series 'Tales of the Tour Bus,' which largely focused on Clinton and fellow Parliament-Funkadelic legend Bootsy Collins.
Clinton's place in pop culture is not just one of passive influence these days. In fact, he and Bootsy were listed as co-writers on Childish Gambino's Grammy-winning megahit "Redbone" in 2017, proving that Dr. Funkenstien can still craft a chart-topping hit.
Lest there are any remaining concerns that the award will serve as the final nail in the P-Funk coffin, remember that Clinton and his band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over twenty years ago, and yet, the funk continues to groove.
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