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28 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY,JUNE19,2002
'Undercover Brother one of many to rely on '70s black culture
Knight Ridder-Tribune
Feeling the urge to tear the roof off the sucker? You're not alone. From Eddie Griffin's superfly spy in Undercover Brother to a Shaft-inspired Burger King spot with Shaquille O'Neal, the sounds and styles of '70s black culture are once again living large.
In Undercover Brother, our hero is called upon to bring a much-needed funk infusion. The Man has been scheming to kill off the funk, and only Undercover Brother, with his pork-chop sideburns, platform shoes and razor-sharp afro combs, can save the nation's soul.
The Nike spot "Roswell Rayguns" is based on a similar concept. The ad is named for a fictitious team from the ABA, the NBA's high-flying, free-styling rival that thrived in the first half of the '70s before merging with the wealthier, more button-down competition. Sitting before a throng of reporters, the Rayguns' coach is asked what hope his team has for the coming season. "Well, we made a couple of key trades," he said. "And we got the funk."
The rest of the spot features some of
The Man has been scheming to kill off the funk, and only Undercover Brother, with his pork-chop sideburns, platform shoes and razor-sharp afro combs, can save the nation's soul.
today's funkier NBA players, including Baron Davis, Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter, spliced into vintage ABA footage.
The neo-funk phenomenon isn't exactly new. James Brown samples are almost as old as hip-hop. The guys in Outkast sport threads that might make the flamboyantly clad Clinton blush. Quentin Tarantino opened his 1994 blaxploitation homage Pulp Fiction to the strains of Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie," and it's already been two years since John Singleton and Samuel L. Jackson brought the movie Shaft back to life.
The implication is clear: We need the funk.
CONTRIBUTED ART
Afros adorn some of the actors in Undercover Brother.
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