2001: Nippy News Release Articles

Kool Says Whitney to be Featured on Kool & The Gang Tribute Album
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: Electronic Urban Report
Date: September 19, 2001

KOOL'S THANG IS CRISP LIKE FRIED CHICKEN WANGS
After three decades, the gang is still hangin'.

(Sep. 19, 2001) *Kool and the Gang has spent the better part of three decades creating the mood. Which mood? Pick one. The party mood, the love mood, the groove mood. These days group leader Robert "Kool" Bell is still creating the mood, but for a whole new generation. With the compilation album "Kool & The Gang Presents Gangland," Bell hopes to bring the Gang brand name back the fore with a unique blend of funk, R&B and Hip-Hop.

"'Gangland' is the compilation of five new artists that we've signed to our label called KGFA, Keep The Funk Alive," said Bell. "The input was mainly from a lot of the talent. The song featuring my son, Prince Hakim, is titled 'Big Things.' We also bring with him the Too Hot All-Stars from his company Too Hot Entertainment. They have five songs on the album. You also have Charles Smith's son, an original member of Kool & The Gang, who produced two songs on the album. We also have a group called Funk-Kin, which is the younger brother of the members of Parliament Funkadelic's Fuzzy's son Noel and their flavor. Our main objective is to help this young talent and develop our label in the process."

Although the album's songs are from new school talent, the Gang does sprinkle the old school funk here and there. And if you're left hankerin' for more Kool & The Gang just hold your horses. Bell says the Gang's thang is about to be sprang (or is that sprung)?

"There will be other projects we will be doing as well," added Bell. "There will be a completely brand new Kool & The Gang studio album coming up. There will also be another album that will involve name artists which will be coming out next year. One of the projects will be called the 'Kool & The Gang Music Odyssey' which will feature Jamiroqui, Bryan Adams, Sting, R. Kelly, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and others."

Once upon a time a group of high school dreamers set out to funk up the nation with their sensation. With the release of "Gangland" the cipher is complete. The Gang is helping the next generation come up. We asked Bell what is the main slice of advice he has to give up and comers.

"Definitely to try to be creative and to control their own creativity with proper management and lawyers. I want them to really understand the business element of the art as well as the creative side. I would say that you definitely need have the lawyer who will cut the right deals for you and get the right royalty rates for you and the proper manager and accountants to watch out for you. Artists need to stay on top of their business, but sometimes it's the artist who is not listening to good advice from management. It has a lot to do with management, but not everything to do with it."

Carlos Santana was once considered old school. The Isley Brothers, though long worshipped by those in their own generation, are now at the top of their game once again. Can Kool and the crew do the same?

"We get a lot of love around the world," said Bell. "Because of the American market being so competitive it's hard. If it's Hip-Hop, it's Hip-Hop and it has to be done a certain way. Most of the stations that play our old songs are oldies stations. So, yes we're moving catalog for the company that you might have your catalog with, but you don't get a chance to move anything new. The major stations, like Clear Channel, only want to play things for the 18 to 25 crowd. If you're not a boy band or Nelly or Jagged Edge, it becomes difficult also. You have the Isley Brothers, but that's because the connection has been made with R. Kelly. You have Luther Vandross who seems to be doing OK, but that's only two out of hundreds of artists that started out in the sixties and seventies. All I have to say about that is thank God for a global market."

"Gangland" was released several weeks ago. Kool & The Gang's studio album is still in the works and will be released some time next year. As always we'll keep you posted.