While the surreal, psychedelic funk-rock world of George Clinton and his main musical outlets Parliament and Funkadelic isn’t exactly a story of the DIY underground it’s certainly one outside of the mainstream—with an influence that stretches everywhere from hip-hop to Dutch blackened post-punk (see Amsterdam’s Ainsoph covering “Maggot Brain”).
Guitarist Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton found himself a part of that world back in the mid-70s as a precocious and impressionable teenager.
With Hampton recently releasing his latest mini-album King Kong (Sound Mind Records/ Lightyear/ Virgin Records/UMG) the guitarist joins me to discuss his latest recordings, tales of wild times recording and performing in the George Clinton universe, plus some of the other many musical projects he’s been involved with over the years with notable names such as Bootsy Collins, Afrika Bambaataa, Bill Laswell and Dean Ween.
Album art: Philip Smith
Thanks to Howard at Howlin Wuelf
Michael Hampton on Instagram
For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The Underground
Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder
My music on Ampwall
Podcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job Kid
Intro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman
