Bop Gun (One Nation)
by Ice Cube (featuring George Clinton)

Album: Lethal Injection (1993)
Charted: 22 23
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This epic ode to George Clinton's P-Funk legacy samples Funkadelic's "One Nation Under A Groove" and features the funk maestro himself. The term, "Bop Gun," is a reference to another of George Clinton's groups, Parliament, and their 1977 track "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)". That song's lead vocal was performed by Glenn Goins, his last performance on a P-Funk record.

    Clinton recalled during a Reddit AMA: "When he said Bop Gun, I thought he was talking about Bop Gun I didn't realize until I got there that he was playing One Nation which is easier for me to do because I'm not trying to sing behind Glenn on Bop Gun. They slowed it down a bit making it easier for me to sing. It was the bomb."
  • The album version of "Bop Gun (One Nation)" is over 11 minutes long, while the radio edit clocks in at under 4 minutes.
  • The Bop Gun is an imaginary weapon that is fired at funk-less people and makes them funky.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."