music-video 40 years ago
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Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force | Renegades of Funk (1983)

"Renegades of Funk" is a song written by Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, John Miller & John Robie and recorded by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force.

Released in 1983 as a single on the Tommy Boy label, it was also included on the 1986 album Planet Rock: The Album. The song is an eclectic fusion of electronic music and heavy percussion, with politically fused hip hop lyrics that draw a connection between past revolutionaries and bohemians to present-day street artists. It was produced and mixed by Arthur Baker and John Robie. Mastering was by Herb Powers Jr..


The song was used by the Toronto Raptors as its entrance song during home games in 2006. It is also featured as a track on the radio in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.


In 1985, the song was used in "The Maze", an episode in the first season of the television police drama Miami Vice. It was remade by Rage Against the Machine and released as a single in 2001.


"Weird Al" Yankovic included Rage Against the Machine's version in his polka medley "Angry White Boy Polka" (although Tom Morello is half Kenyan and Zack de la Rocha is half Mexican) from his 2003 album Poodle Hat.


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