Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources cited(Not Just) Knee Deep
See all P-Funk (George Clinton, Parliament & Funkadelic) in the catalogue →
Funk1970s115BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
A clear underlying songwriter credit (George Clinton) and extensive legitimate sample history — but two real, current complications live prominently in Rights Status: these specific masters are under court receivership over a Clinton debt, and there’s a separate forgery allegation (the Black Eyed Peas “Shut Up” remix). Not a simple clean-clearance picture.
Quick Facts
Released1979
AlbumUncle Jam Wants You
GenreFunk, P-Funk
LabelWarner Bros. Records
ProducerGeorge Clinton
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — George Clinton & Philippé Wynne (per Bridgeport Music)
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The masters (current status) — Under court receivership — a receiver may sell these master copyrights; not cleanly administered by Clinton alone
Crb → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I,” EPMD, Tone Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina,” Dr. Dre’s “Dre Day,” and Snoop’s “Who Am I” (already in this catalog). But note the receivership + forgery complications in Rights Status.
Do they allow reuse?
A clear songwriter credit exists, but the specific masters are under receivership and a forgery allegation is on record — real, current complications to research before clearing.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Samples this song (already in this catalog)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)George Clinton & Philippé Wynne (per publisher Bridgeport Music)
The layered ownership timeline (2001 → 2005 → 2012 receivership)The full ownership arc is more layered than a single receivership: (1) a 2001 US District Court (Tallahassee) ruling found George Clinton owns no publishing rights to music he wrote 1976–1983; (2) in 2005 an LA federal judge RETURNED the master recordings for four Funkadelic albums — including this song’s “Uncle Jam Wants You” and “One Nation Under a Groove” (now in this catalog) — to Clinton; (3) those same masters were placed back under court receivership in 2012 (Hendricks & Lewis, PLLC v. Clinton) over a different debt, to his former copyright attorneys, with a receiver authorized to sell them. Bridgeport Music still holds the publishing, so recording rights and composition rights sit with different parties. Not a simple clean-clearance picture.
A separate, serious forgery allegationSeparately, when the Black Eyed Peas used this beat for a remix of “Shut Up,” Clinton sued the band, specifically alleging his signature had been FORGED on the sample-clearance release forms — a distinct, serious allegation, not merely an unauthorized-use dispute.
The recording (current administrator)Bridgeport Music (publisher); the masters specifically are under the receivership above
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Who actually conceived the track
Producer Walter “Junie” Morrison stated that, contrary to popular belief, Bernie Worrell did NOT perform on this track — the musical conception originated with Morrison, from ideas he’d developed years earlier.
Songfacts · read it →
Clinton on being sampled
George Clinton has said directly that he benefits more from the sampling exposure than the sampling artists do.
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A P-Funk sampling staple
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itDe La Soul · Dr. Dre · Snoop Dogg
Who to Contact
KD
Bridgeport Music / court-appointed receiver
Songwriter credit via Bridgeport; the masters are under receivership
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 6)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass