Funky Crime

While this is obviously about racism, I also love the sentiment that this song gives of breaking a state of mind generally, and challenging the media's perception of things.

Also, I love how half the people arguing here appear to be obsessive I-would-die-for-you, fanatic-by-choice RHCP followers (though I guess who else would be arguing over whether a band's older works are better than their newer ones but the likes of FruscianteFan1987 or SkinnySweatyWoman).

Anyway, stop hating on the old stuff and stop hating on the new stuff. And stop hating on OHM too, it's unique and brilliant in its own way. Of course young people are going to be more interested in newer songs than older songs, it's more in the public conciousness than anything created 10 or 20 years before the band was widely known. And I challenge any of you to go through your record collections and not find an artist whose earlier back catalogue you haven't bothered to check out.

Some people may say the newer songs have deeper lyrics, more skilled guitar work and general production, and an overall greater quality. I think that's a perfectly good reason to prefer anything post-OHM/BSSM. Equally it's obvious that some people prefer the rawness and funk of the early stuff, which is fair enough too.

Anyway, I think the next step after conquering the barriers of racism etc is to overcome our own pretentiousness. I'm sure RHCP would agree on that too. Christ, what an essay.

wow NeonPaul, you certainly feel strongly about that, and i agree with you. i also think that there are lots of people who underestimate the power of the chili peppers. all these freaks out there listening to the jobros and smiley virus (what i call miley cirus) have twisted ideas of what music is. i used to mostly listen to dire straits and other similar artists (music from then is so much better). but then i heard some of rhcps songs from btw and sa and thought "wow, these guys sound cool." i then went online and researched all about them and i simply fell in love. the newer albums introduced me to the chilis and i have gone through phases tracking back to their older stuff. now i own almost every album. i think the same thing happens to lots of other new fans. everything they have created is beautiful and unique in itself, each with different emotions and views showing through. btw, im only 13

anthony is getting at all of the critics who say funk is black music, he is saying funk is his attiude so just cause he is not black os no reason not to play funk. 'don't you know funks colour blind' means that the funk does not care about colour or race. anyone can feel funk.

funk is indeed colour blind. and i agree that this song is definitely about race. Anthony's funky-ass crime was "against a state of mind" i.e. that funk is black music. I say that's crap. I never thought about the words to this song, but it is one of the funkiest damn chili peppers songs out there. Its a shame that most people i know these days don't even know about blood sugar sex magic, let alone classic gems like the uplift mofo. o well.

seriously, im sick of these 13 year old by the way freaks who think that by the way is "the greatest album ever" blood sugar sex magik is far greater, and the uplift mofo party plan is the purist RHCP album, i find that i like the older RHCP more and more these days.

I think everyone is right about this song's meaning.

Also, I think RHCP fans are a little too hard on By the Way and Californication. They're good albums. But they're not the Chili Peppers that we all love. This stuff (Uplift Mofo, Freaky Styley, even Mothers Milk) , to me, is the real RHCP. I believe that Blood Sugar Sex Magik was just a stop on their road to older, more mature musicians, a stop at which they just happened to achieve PERFECTION.

I dont think were that hard on the albums as much as the kids who think that Californication and By The Way ARE the Chili Peppers... I started off with californication at first, but as I back-tracked, I began enjoying the older stuff more and more... now I always listen to UMPP mothers milk freaky styley and bssm, i dont remember the last time ive listened to Cal. or BTW... If we are gonna hate on anyone, it should be fans of dave navarro ... after john, its a totally diferent stlye of almost random guitar riffs, whats up with that

i agree string cheese, first 3 albums were the best, bssm comes close to them, last 2 are still great, but they arent really funk

you can basically say that about all bands, the first few albums are always the best. goes for any band.

funk it up ah-huh! the bass and guitar solo is aweeesome!!

like alot of people said, funk is colourblind... but i think you can take the message of the song and use it for anything else. like.. the barriers of race thing. we see pre-conceptions based on race everyday. if funky crime was the anthem of this plante, earth would be a much better - and funkier - place.