The Ohio Players, The Commodores, Kool and the Gang. Rhyme Tyme People and funk bands sprung up everywhere. It became the music of people young people everywhere, it was the new thing. Black culture was brought into their homes. White bands like Scottish bands began to do covers on James Brown music
Also, in the 1970s black movies had a funky soundtrack but were somewhat controversial because of the archetypes of black characters. However, they also empowered black communities because we were able to see ourselves on screen and didn’t have the money to buy themselves a role. “Coffy”, “Foxy Brown”, ‘Blacula” are several examples. It was imperative for blacks to embrace where we came from.
Many musicians began to go back to the African image like Kool and The Gang. Earth, Wind, & Fire eclipsed them all and made funk more popular than ever. They used the same elements as gospel, jazz, r & b, just like George Clinton but it was more polished and reached into mainstream Black America and more appealing to black middle-class America and white people. Earth Wind & Fire was a psychological parallel to blacks moving up into nicer homes with nicer lawns, and nicer skills with a new level of sophistication. They still used extravagant costumes, choreographed dance moves, and magic because it was apart of their show. They would also levitate and disappear. Some people began to believe that they were actually magical.