How Brad Lee and Ronnie Vineyard Began Working Together on The Future of Funk

The Beginning of The Future of Funk

Recovered from the preserved Future of Funk archive-home record and restored to its dedicated chapter.

As The Usual Suspects campaign approached its conclusion, Brad Lee was already looking ahead to the next project.

Roughly two weeks before The Usual Suspects reached the finish line, conversations began about what would eventually become The Future of Funk.

At the time, the project was little more than an idea. There was no completed visual campaign, no finalized roster, and no established universe.

But there was music.

Brad had already begun reaching out to artists before The Usual Suspects had ended. Wyndell Long had been approached early and already had a completed remix prepared for the new project. His involvement helped establish continuity between the two releases while signaling that The Future of Funk would be its own undertaking.

Another early addition was Pete Salaz. Unlike Wyndell, Pete had not participated in The Usual Suspects, yet Brad had already secured a completed remix from him as well.

During the project's earliest stages, Ronnie Vineyard was able to hear Brad Lee's original track alongside the completed remixes from Wyndell Long and Pete Salaz.

For Ronnie, hearing all three pieces together changed everything. The project was no longer a possibility. It was becoming real.

With Brad's original production already taking shape and two respected legendary artists delivering completed remixes before the project had officially formed, there was little doubt that The Future of Funk was worth joining.

Before the ships. Before the story bible. Before the trading cards. Before the mascot. Before the videos. There were already artists building the foundation.

The Future of Funk had begun.