Listen: An Extremely Funky Mix For The Funk Parade

By Ally Schweitzer

The second annual Funk Parade takes over U Street on May 2. Prepare with this mix, which premieres at Wednesday's D.C. Bike Party.
The second annual Funk Parade takes over U Street on May 2. Prepare with this mix, which premieres at Wednesday's D.C. Bike Party.

News arrived Friday that the second annual Funk Parade, the daylong event that reportedly attracted more than 25,000 people to D.C.’s U Street neighborhood last spring, has been approved to shut down U Street in May.

It was a much-needed move, says organizer Justin Rood, who says last year’s party was just too popular to stay confined to its partially off-street parade route.

The parade doesn’t happen till Saturday, May 2, but that’s too far away for local group D.C. Bike Party. Wednesday, D.C. Bike Party hosts “Cherry Blossom Chase: The Funk Edition,” a hybrid Cherry Blossom/Funk Parade-themed group bike ride that starts at Dupont Circle at 7 p.m. Get there early and you’ll catch some live tunes from Crush Funk Brass, but when the ride takes off, the two-wheeled revelers will be blasting a new Funk Parade mix from veteran D.C. DJ Qdup.

Rood says the mix is to be “played in the car with your windows rolled down or from speakers on your funk bike” — or, I’ll add, basically any time you need a shot of funk.

Bandwidth got an early listen to the 50-minute mix, which includes two all-new tracks: A fresh All Good Funk Alliance song featuring Trouble Funk’s Big Tony and Qdup’s own forthcoming “Funk & Dance” single with Mustafa Akbar of Nappy Riddem and Fort Knox Five. The mix’s Funk Parade PSAs come courtesy of Akbar, singer Edy Blu and Elin Melgarejo from Alma Tropicalia.

Now blast this thing.

“Cherry Blossom Chase: The Funk Edition” starts April 8 at 7 p.m. in Dupont Circle. The Funk Parade takes place May 2.

Qdup presents “Funk Parade 2015 Mix” by Fort Knox on Mixcloud

Track list:
1. Fatback Band – Mister Bass Man (Remix)
2. Betty Wright – Clean Up Woman (Jim Sharp Edit)
3. KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Lifted (Wood n Soo Edit)
4. Etta James – You Can Leave Your Hat On (Funk Ferret Edit)
5. Aretha Franklin – Rock Steady (Copycat Remix)
6. Sly & The Family Stone – If You Want Me To Stay (Funk Ferret Edit)
7. Opiuo – Space Party ft. The Fungineers, BluRum13, Russ Liquid
8. DJ Dan & Uberzone – More Bounce
9. Qdup – Funk & Dance ft Mustafa Akbar
10. Raphael Saadiq feat. Q-Tip – Get Involved (Jean Tonique Edit)
11. Roy Ayers – Love Will Bring Us Back Together (DJ Vas rework)
12. Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get it On / Sexual Healing Ft. Max-A-Million (Stickybuds Remix)
13. General Caine – Shake (Slynk Redrum 2012)
14. Delightful Times (Dr Packer Mash Up)
16. Mark Ronson – Feel Right feat. Mystikal (Qdup Warped edit)
17. Lyn Collins – Think (About It) – (Bobby Cooper Re-Edit)
18. All Good Funk Alliance – Make it Go-Go feat. Trouble Funk (Extended Cut)

Photo by Flickr user Elvert Barnes used under a Creative Commons license.