10 Musical Artists Who Are Keeping Funk Alive

DJ Adam Gibbons' indicative moniker, Lack Of Afro, is a hard one to forget. His talents extend far beyond selecting a clever stage name, however. His knack for soulful composition and ability to secure all-star vocal features for his albums also deserve some mention. Since the debut of his first album, Press On, in 2007, the musical mastermind has been in high demand.

In addition to cranking out funky goodness in the form of his albums, he's produced music for the screen as well, working with the likes of Steven Soderbergh and Sony Pictures.

That fact is evident in his evocative style. Each track paints a picture, and listeners can easily envision some action unfolding as his tunes play in the background. The percussion-laden tracks also lend themselves well to the hip-hop scene, as features with Wax & Herbal T aptly demonstrate.

This cross-genre proficiency marks Gibbons as a true innovator, capable of adapting his style to mesh with his collaborators. His respect for the classics is also clear with the naming of his second album, 2009's My Groove Your Move (the album shares its title with a Hank Mobley bebop tune from 1960).

Gibbons' most recent effort, Take You Home (2016), shows just how well his songs blend with powerful vocals. The album features contributions from both (Grammy Award winning) Joss Stone and Juliette Ashby (of Amy fame).

The music, however, is just as capable of standing on its own two feet, as a listening to the instrumental-only versions of the tracks will convey. Of particular note is the tune Magic Together; without the vocals, untrained listeners would be forgiven for believing it to be some lost Jamiroquai track.