Don't Take Away My Funk

Here is a percolating old-school groove from Bootsy Collins, which features his late guitarist brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins and soul man Bobby Womack and is the first single from Tha Funk Capitol of the World, Bootsy’s first album in five years. Can’t find the MP3 for love nor money, so you will have to stream it HERE for now. Hit the jump to hear more about the album and to see the tracklist, which includes Snoop Dogg, Jimi Hendrix, Musiq Soulchild & many more. This will be massive.

Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer and legendary bassist Bootsy Collins, known worldwide for pioneering funk music with James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, will release his first new album in five years, ‘Tha Funk Capitol of the World,’ April 26 on Mascot Records.

Collins collaborated with fellow P-Funkers George Clinton and Bernie Worrell on the record, along with an all-star lineup of musicians and cultural luminaries including rappers Snoop Dogg, Chuck D, and Ice Cube; actor Samuel L. Jackson; banjo phenom Bela Fleck; the Rev. Al Sharpton; scholar Dr. Cornel West; and guitarists Buckethead and Catfish Collins - Bootsy’s late brother. Engineered in part by Dan Monti (Guns n Roses, Metallica), the album also features a tribute to Garry Shider, the late guitarist and musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars.

The album’s 16 tracks are sonically rooted in Bootsy’s earth-shaking party grooves, but songs like “Freedumb” and “Minds Under Construction” reveal higher ambitions. “There are real messages on this album that I wanted to share,” explains Collins, whose soul-deep rhythms and layered melodies are punctuated by lyrics that range from meditations on the nature of truth and spiritual transcendence, to blissed-out joy.

Collins is a singularly influential bassist. His star-shaped “Space Bass” and the driving grooves he produced with it have become synonymous with modern funk and inspired everyone from The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus to NWA and OutKast. Aside from his seminal work with James Brown and George Clinton, Collins achieved considerable success as a frontman for several groups, including Bootsy’s Rubber Band, which recorded the #1 hit single “Bootzilla” and “I’d Rather Be With You.” More recently, Collins collaborated with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek for 2009′s “Internet Connection.” In 2010, Bootsy was awarded Bass Player Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

More album details and tour dates will soon be announced.

‘Tha Funk Capitol Of The World’ Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Hip Hop @ Funk U (ft. Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, & Chuck D)
3. Mirrors Tell Lies (ft. Jimi Hendrix)
4. JB-Still The Man (ft. Rev. Al Sharpton)
5. Freedumb (ft. Dr. Cornel West)
6. After These Messages (ft. Samuel L. Jackson)
7. Kool Whip (ft. Phil Ade & iCandice)
8. The Real Deal (ft. Sheila E. & iCandice)
9. Don’t Take My Funk (ft. Catfish Collins & Bobby Womack)
10. If Looks Could Kill (ft. Bela Fleck, Zionplanet-10, & Dennis Chambers)
11. Minds Under Construction (ft. Buckethead & (Z-Class))
12. Siento Bombo (ft. Olvido Ruiz & Ouiwey)
13. Garry Shider Tribute (ft. George Clinton & Linda Shider)
14. Stars Have No Names (They Just Shine) (ft. Nick Arnold & Chrissy Dunn)
15. Chocolate Caramel Angel (ft. Faith Daniels, Ronni Racket, & Casper)
16. Yummy, I Got The Munchies (ft. Musiq Soulchild, Razzberry Hershey & Tom Joyner)