Conclusion

The book’s conclusion, “Conclusion—Black Feminist Neo-Funk,” discusses the ways Black feminist funk continued to evolve long after the classic funk era. In the 1980s Black feminist funk took a turn toward “electro-funk,” which combined elements of funk, disco, and early rap with post-disco dance music. “Electro-funk,” or “synth-funk,” brought Black popular music into dialogue with electronic music technology such as synthesizers and drum machines. Groups like Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, and the Mary Jane Girls are treated before the rap music-influenced neo-funk of Mary J. Blige and Meshell Ndegeocello, among others, is considered. The book ends by asserting that contemporary neo-funk women, including many female rappers, are extending and expanding a tradition that reaches back to classic funk women, especially Labelle’s, Chaka Khan’s, and Betty Davis’s funk. Ultimately, the conclusion argues that it is important for us to acknowledge the Black Feminist Funk Movement and the broader Black Women’s Liberation Movement it served as a musical mouthpiece for.