Democracy Now! | James Brown, 1933-2006: Harry Allen on How JB Revolutionized Popular Music, Provided the Soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement and Created the Blueprint for Hip-Hop

Musical legend James Brown died on Christmas at the age of 73. He was one of the most significant musical pioneers of the past 50 years. The Rev.

Al Sharpton said yesterday "What James Brown was to music in terms of soul and hip-hop, rap, is what Bach was to classical music." [includes rush transcript] Over the past 50 years James Brown revolutionized popular music. He transformed the sounds of soul and R B.

He helped invent the music known as funk. He created the blueprint for Hip-Hop. And he even changed the sound of modern African music by influencing artists such as the late Nigerian Afrobeat star Fela Kuti.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said yesterday "What James Brown was to music in terms of soul and hip-hop, rap, is what Bach was to classical music." James Brown's various nicknames capture just a part of his larger than life persona: the Godfather of Soul.

Mr. Dynamite. The Minister of the New New Super-Heavy Funk.

Soul Brother Number One. Mr. Please Please Please.

And The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. On Sunday musicians around the world paid tribute to his legacy. This is the hip-hop star LL Cool J.

• LL Cool J: "James has been a tremendous influence on my life as a hip-hop artist, not only an actor but a a hip-hop artist. There was a point in hip-hop where you couldn't make a record or a song without using a James Brown sample, or borrowing a James Brown riff, or loop, or scream, or yell or something like that."

James Brown is also remembered by many as a civil rights icon.

In 1966 he performed at a special concert in Mississippi soon after the shooting of James Meredith. He often canceled his own shows to perform benefits for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other groups. Yet Brown was also criticized when he openly backed the presidential candidacy of Richard Nixon.

He later served on Ronald Reagan"s Council Against Drugs.

• James Brown: "I'm very proud of all my travels and being up here because this is something I think is long overdue. I think the fact is we are concerned about the people throughout the world, I was in Jakarta.

  I was in Jakarta about a month ago. People are having problems and the ones that can solve them are you and I. We can only let the people, the governments know how we feel, but we have to start it by loving each other.

  "

Off stage, James Brown's name has repeatedly appeared in the police blotter. He was arrested several times on drug and domestic violence charges and served prison time as a teenager and again later in life. For more on the life of James Brown I'm joined in studio by hip-hop journalist and activist Harry Allen.

Known as the "media assassin" Harry Allen worked with groundbreaking hip hop group Public Enemy.

• Harry Allen, hip-hop journalist and activist. Known as the "media assassin" Harry Allen worked with groundbreaking hip-hop group Public Enemy.

This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.

AMY GOODMAN: The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, is dead at the age of 73. He died early Christmas morning, a result of congestive heart failure caused by pneumonia. Over the past 50 years, James Brown revolutionized popular music.

He transformed the sounds of soul and R B. He helped invent the music known as funk. He created the blueprint for hip-hop.

He even changed the sound of modern African music by influencing artists like the late Nigerian afro-beat star, Fela Kuti.