Give The Drummer Some: Clyde Stubblefield (1943-2017)
It's one thing to anchor a GROUP but its another to anchor a GENRE. When looking back at the legacy of the late Clyde Stubblefield, hip hop group Brand Nubian's lyrics described the low-key drummer best: "I don't wanna be the man/ I just wanna make jams/cuttin' sharp like Edward Scissorhands." Stubblefield was part of James Brown's unit of peerless musicians aiding the Godfather of Soul on his quest for a Brand New Funk. While Brown's other legendary drummer John "Jabo" Starks received a co-writer's share on some of Brown's biggest hits (The Payback and Papa Don't Take No Mess) , Stubblefield's uncredited turn on 1970's Funky Drummer would ensure a different kind of residual. Records like Sex Machine and Give It Up an