Steve Horowitz: Classic space funk mixed with overflowing raps and sex. Kendrick and Ice Cube do fine fresh jobs, but George Clinton is still the king and they know it. “It’s good to be hard / It’s hard to be good” might be a cliché but it still bears repeating—just like remixing old classic sounds to make something futuristic for the party. [7/10]
Emmanuel Elone: Funkadelic has been making music for decades, and their mastery of funk shows. Oddly enough, even though Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube are some of the best West Coast emcees of all time, their performances are really lackluster. Luckily, Funkadelic comes through with his great vocals atop a groovy funk rhythm. This remix doesn’t live up to the three artists who made it, but it still is a worthwhile and enjoyable listen nonetheless. [6/10]
Chris Ingalls: The cynic in me wants to accuse Funkadelic of trying too hard to stay relevant while Lamar and Cube are trying too hard to win old-school points. The truth is, none of the involved parties need to prove anything. It’s a decent groove, P-Funk doing what they do best with elastic beats and a laid-back atmosphere, and the younger generations chime in without sounding like they’re trying too hard. Everyone plays nice and nobody gets hurt. I’m good with this. [7/10]
Pryor Stroud: Teaming up with the groove-obsessed afro-futurists of Funkadelic, Kendrick and Ice Cube bring a revitalizing grit to “Ain’t That Funkin Kinda Hard on You”, underscoring the too-often obscured “flesh and blood” of modern-day black social existence without impairing the track’s infectious mood. Ice Cube’s verse is especially potent here, packed with acid-tongued rhymes and filled out with his characteristically muscular, pulling-no-punches flow. [7/10]
Chad Miller: Brings together so many talents, and it still sounds wholly continuous. The music is excellent all the way through, and all of the impressive contributions assure that the track sounds fresh from start to finish. [8/10]
SCORE: 7.00