Snoop, Speech, LL & Usher payback James Brown - Spike Lee Making Bio-Pic

“I am hurt. That’s my godfather, my soul inspiration, the hardest working man in show business of all time.” - more rappers pay respect.

“I am hurt. That’s my godfather, my soul inspiration, the hardest working man in show business of all time,” Snoop Dogg told Associated Press. “He’ll be missed, but his music and his legacy will live on through me, in every way you can imagine. Soul brother No. 1 … we miss you James Brown.”

“In the 50 years of Mr. Brown‘s recorded music, since his 1956 hit Please, Please, Please” says Chuck D, “we Public Enemy head into our 20th year of existence with full dedicated honor to the fabric Mr. James Brown provided for hip hop‘s founder Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash to weave.”

“We have lost yet another prolific artist and one of America’s greatest cultural icons,” said Usher in a statement. “My heart goes out to all of his family. He taught so many valuable lessons through his music in such a positive way. I celebrate his career for his words of inspiration. “This is a man’s world but it would be nothing without a woman…”

“In a time of racial segregation when we needed to know that black wasn’t bad he taught us to be proud. Having personally taught me how to get on the “good foot” I’ll never forget our performances together. All these memories will live on in my heart forever. He is the example of what you do with what God gives you. He was not only the Godfather of Soul, he was the Godfather to the entire music industry. James Brown was the greatest. He was the best!”

“He was a real man, one who fought so desperately to change the minds of a crippled
world… a world of ignorance and separation. He was one that always lifted his hand to help those in need. God Blessed us with James Brown. The Heavenly Father has called him home where he will be rewarded for the love, heart, spirit, and soul he blessed us all with. I guess God just couldn’t take seeing the Soul Brotha #1 from the nosebleed seats anymore. I will miss you, my friend.”

”James has been a tremendous influence on my life as a hip-hop artist,” said LL Cool J. “Not only an actor but a a hip-hop artist. There was a point in hip-hop where you couldn’t make a record or a song without using a James Brown sample, or borrowing a James Brown riff, or loop, or scream, or yell or something like that.”

“The man that influenced many of the greatest artist of all time has passed away.” My hero Hammer said. “James Brown passed away this Christmas morning and I am saddened. I will mourn for yet a while and then I will celebrate his legacy and our friendship. I called him GodFather and he called me God Son. I am so glad that I honored him while he was living. The memories of our times together I will always cherish. His contributions to society and the African American community are numerous and significant. When we were weary during our journey and struggle for our civil rights and the country was a powder keg about to explode, when oppression and injustice burned like a wet log on an open fire, when the word “colored”, was followed by the words,” to the back” and “not served”, James Brown gave us our pride, self-esteem and dignity with the song,”Say It Loud” which was followed by the words,”I ‘ m Black and I ‘ m Proud”. This was during a time when full lips, and afros where not in vogue and were not considered a fashion statement and a movie look. It took a strong man to make the statement that the GodFather Of Soul made……..For the past 50 years James brown has performed around the world and continued to create hot and meaningful music. From Michael Jackson, Prince, and MC Hammer to Usher, Chris Brown , Ne-Yo and Justin Timberlake the James Brown effect and legacy lives on. ”

Daily Variety reports that director, Spike Lee, is planning a bio-pic of the funk legend to begin shooting in 2008.

“Like everybody, I was surprised and saddened that James Brown died,” the film’s producer Brian Grazer said. “Having known him well, and after spending lots of time with him and researching his life, it’s somehow not surprising that he died on Christmas Day. He was the ultimate showman, all the way to the end.”