Funky Friday – Episode 27: LeoSonic
- Noah McDonough
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 8
🔗 Quick Links:
🎧 Listen live on KDOG Radio → Here
🎶 Catch the Replay → Here
📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here
🎟 RSVP to Future Episodes → Here
📂 Renegade Radio Archive → Here
Happy Funky Friday!
Welcome to Episode 27: LeoSonic — a musical tribute to the confidence, charisma, and groove of Leo season. Funk is never shy… and neither is a Leo. This hour of sun-drenched soul and swagger is built to shine bright and walk bold.
We open with the dreamy, cinematic sounds of Kool & The Gang’s Summer Madness, then ramp straight into the heat with a nonstop string of funk classics and modern bangers. Whether you’re vibing on a rooftop, cruising the boulevard, or just letting the sun hit your skin, this one’s for you.
We close the show with a familiar anthem: Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — a full-circle moment sampled from our opening track and a perfect sendoff for a Leo season funk cruise.
🎧 Track List – Funky Friday 27: LeoSonic
Summer Madness – Kool & The Gang (1974)
Let It Whip – Dazz Band (1982)
Make Me Feel – Janelle Monáe (2018)
Hollywood Swinging – Kool & The Gang (1974)
Juice – Lizzo (2019)
Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin (1971)
Strawberry Letter 23 – The Brothers Johnson (1977)
Before I Let Go – Maze feat. Frankie Beverly (1981)
Get Lucky – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell & Nile Rodgers (2013)
She’s a Bad Mama Jama – Carl Carlton (1981)
I’m Every Woman – Chaka Khan (1978)
Tell Me Something Good – Rufus & Chaka Khan (1974)
Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1991)
🦁 Why LeoSonic?
Leo season is ruled by the sun — the cosmic spotlight — and the tracks in this episode are all about bold rhythms, charismatic vocals, and unapologetic presence. This is funk that radiates.
🔗 Quick Links:
🎧 Listen live on KDOG Radio → Here
🎶 Catch the Replay → Here
📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here
🎟 RSVP to Future Episodes → Here
📂 Renegade Radio Archive → Here
Funk Facts
🎸 “Make Me Feel” – Janelle Monáe (2018)
Prince helped shape this track.Before his passing, Prince worked behind the scenes on Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer album, sending musical ideas and reference sounds directly from Paisley Park.“Make Me Feel” is considered a sonic cousin to Prince’s “Kiss” — from the guitar riff to the minimalist funk layering. Monáe’s team has confirmed his direct influence on the sound design of this track.
🎷 “Rock Steady” – Aretha Franklin (1971)
Aretha calls out the funk mid-song.Within the first verse, she says:
“Let’s call this song exactly what it is… a funky and low-down feelin’!”Produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, and featuring Bernard Purdie on drums, this track marked one of Aretha’s funkiest departures from gospel-tinged soul.
🎹 “Summer Madness” – Kool & The Gang (1974)
This instrumental masterpiece became iconic not just in funk, but in hip-hop. It was famously sampled in “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (your episode closer), creating a perfect full-circle moment in the LeoSonic set.
🪩 “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” – Carl Carlton (1981)
Produced by Leon Haywood, this track became a staple of early 80s funk with crossover appeal. It’s been sampled by everyone from LL Cool J to Too $hort, and is one of the most recognizable basslines in funk history.
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