Bootsy Collins

The following albums were released under the name Bootsy Collins or William "Bootsy" Collins. Four years following that, De La Soul made a sort of comeback with the first of a three-part series entitled Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. Bootsy recently provided "vocal spice" on the TobyMac album, Welcome to Diversity. 1993's Buhloone Mindstate and 1996's Stakes Is High saw the group evolve a new sound, that although again did not garner commercial success, did cement their position as mainstays of the alternative rap movement. Collins has collaborated extensively with Bill Laswell and made bright appearances on two Fatboy Slim records. De La Soul's second album, De La Soul Is Dead (1991) received mixed reviews and did not sell as well. Most of Bootsy's albums in the post-Parliament and Funkadelic days were released under the name Bootsy's Rubber Band. From that point on, sampling required permission from the sources before it was released.

Bootsy's Rubber Band is a part of the P Funk umbrella of bands. However, rock group the Turtles sued the group for sampling "You Showed Me" without permission on De La Soul's "Transmitting Live from Mars". When Bootsy, Catfish, Waddy, Joel Johnson, Mudbone Cooper, Robert Johnson and The Horny Horns formed Bootsy's Rubber Band in 1976, the character of Bootsy evolved into Bootzilla, a rhinestone-bedecked, flashy rock god. "Me, Myself and I" became a huge hit, further cementing the group's popularity. He also took the name "Bootsy" during this time, adopting it as part of an ever-evolving character, an alien rock star who grew gradually more alien, bizarre and flashy as time went on (see P Funk mythology). They quickly became the leaders of the Native Tongues Posse, along with A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Queen Latifah, The Jungle Brothers and others. His bass playing was hard, driving and rhythmic, and has been very influential in the development of Funk, Heavy Metal and Soul music. Their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was a critical smash that saw the group labeled hippies due to the message of peace and love.

Bootsy played on most of their early albums, garnering several songwriting credits as well. Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove and Pasemaster Mase formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". Franklin introduced both Collins brothers to George Clinton, and 1972 saw both of the Collins brothers, along with Waddy and Wynne, join Funkadelic. De La Soul is a massively influential alternative hip hop group, best known for innovating the jazz rap style. Regardless of his reasons for leaving Brown's band, Collins then moved to Detroit, following the advice of singer and future Parliament member Mallia Franklin. Download sample "My Brother's a Basehead" from De La Soul Is Dead. A possibly apocryphal story states than Brown fired Collins after the latter suffered LSD hallucinations on-stage. The Grind Date, 2004.

Until 1971, the Pacesetters were the backing band for James Brown, and were known in that context as The JB's. Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996, 2004. With his brother, Catfish Collins, and Kash Waddy and Philippe Wynne, Collins formed a group called The Pacesetters in 1968. Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (Instrumental), 2001. William Collins (born October 26, 1951, Cincinnati, Ohio), best known as Bootsy Collins, is a pioneering funk bassist, singer and songwriter. AOI: Bionix, 2001. Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, 2000.

Stakes Is High, 1996. Buhloone Mindstate, 1993. De La Soul Is Dead, 1991. 3 Feet High and Rising, 1989.