No. 5 Best Cincinnatian: Bootsy Collins Cincinnati native Bootsy Collins first took the music world by storm as a recording artist at King Records in the 1960s with James Brown. Since then, the bassist, singer and producer has performed and created music with Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg and more. When he’s not mentoring young musicians, Bootsy dedicates his time and efforts to Funk Not Fight, his efforts to turn neighborhoods away from violence, and his foundations, Bootsy Collins Foundation and his Mercy Health Partnership. In true Cincinnati fashion, Bootsy also owns his own IPA, Bootsy Brewski. Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cincinnati King of Funk Bootsy Collins is gifting us all this holiday season with the release of not one, but two new songs Friday.

One song, “Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame,” is the official theme song of its namesake, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, a free, interactive outdoor exhibit at The Banks that pays homage to Black musicians. The song features Bootsy on bass, guitar, drums and vocals alongside Penny Ford, Terry Troutman, Reggie Calloway, Vincent Calloway and T.nava Avant.

You can listen to “Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame” here now, but it’ll be officially unveiled at a celebration at the physical Black Music Walk of Fame Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

And in conjunction with the Bootsy Collins Foundation and Funk Not Fight announcing their inaugural Funk Not Fight Rally4 Peace, which will happen Dec. 30 in Compton, California, Bootsy also released “We Outta be Funkin.” Like the rally, “We Outta be Funkin’” was written as a call for peace, with lyrics asking the listener to focus on compassion, understanding and connecting with others through positive experiences, like a shared love for music. The song features Bootsy alongside Myra Washington, Soopafly and Temu Bacot.

You can listen to “We Outta Be Funkin’” here. Learn more about the Funk Not Fight Rally 4 Peace here.

Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, 25 Race St., The Banks. More info: cincyblackmusicwalkoffame.org.

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This article appears in Dec 13-26, 2023.

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...