Watch: George Clinton Says, ‘We’ve Always Been Afropunk’

George Clinton is not one to funk with. Suggested Reading The Root 100 – 2024’s Most Influential African Americans Post #3 6-18-2025 Post #2 6-18-2025 Video will return here when scrolled back into view Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach To view this video please enable JavaScript, and…

George Clinton is not one to funk with.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach
Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has spent most of his life performing. First inspired by Frankie Lymon, Clinton got his start in the 1950s. And his iconic band, Parliament Funkadelic, came to prominence nearly two decades later.

At the time, Clinton created his own niche. “In the 1970s we were too black for white folks and too white for black folks,” Clinton told The Root. He and his band played what he describes as world music, which at the time was unfamiliar to many.

The Root caught up with “Dr. Funkenstein" himself, fresh off the Afropunk 2016 stage. It goes without saying that the 75-year-old hasn’t stopped yet.

Check out the full interview below:

Felice León is multimedia editor at The Root.

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