A recent release from Urban Legends and UMe has paired the late Godfather of Soul, James Brown, with producer and multi-instrumentalist Stro Elliot of The Roots.  Black and Loud: James Brown Reimagined by Stro Elliot, featuring ten new remixes of Brown's funk classics, is available now on digital platforms as well as standard black vinyl and online-exclusive clear vinyl.

For Elliot, this release represents the culmination of years of admiration for Brown's storied catalogue. "The 'Godfather of Soul' was The Godfather of so much more," states Elliot in the press release. "There are genres and subgenres that wouldn't exist today without him. Whatever genre one might place me in included. This is a dissection and celebration of that."  As such, Elliot has incorporated various textures into his reimagining of Brown's recordings.  Rather than strict remixes, the producer has built new songs around the late superstar's original tracks: "She Made Me Popcorn" (based on "Mother Popcorn") utilizes hip-hop style sampling of Brown's vocals, "Machine No Make Sex" ("Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine") infuses Afrobeat rhythms and brass, "Get Up Off" ("Get Up Offa That Thing") and "The Goodest Foot" ("Get on the Good Foot") deliver a steady hip-hop feel, and "Coal Sweat" ("Cold Sweat") adds a trippy dash of electronica.

Mastering for the release has been handled by Scott "Tenacity" Martin and lacquers for the vinyl have been cut by Alex Abrash at AA Mastering.  Black and Loud: James Brown Reimagined by Stro Elliot is available now on vinyl at the links below.  No CD version has been announced, but the title is available for streaming and download at your favorite digital source.

James Brown, Black and Loud: James Brown Reimagined by Stro Elliot (Urban Legends/UMe, 2022)

Black Vinyl LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
White Vinyl LP: Urban Legends Store

A-Side

1. Turn It Up Give It Shrooms (Give It Up or Turn It a Loose)
2. SortaBad (Super Bad)
3. The Big Purple Donut (The Payback)
4. Coal Sweat (Cold Sweat)
5. Get Up Off (Get Up Offa That Thing)

B-Side

1. The Goodest Foot (Get On the Good Foot)
2. Dragon Pants (Hot Pants)
3. She Made Me Popcorn (Mother Popcorn)
4. Machine No Make Sex (Get Up [I Feel Like Being a] Sex Machine)
5. Black And Loud (Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud)​