Sly & The Family Stone - Remember Who You Are
Year Released: 1979
Genre: Funk / Soul
Description:
“Remember Who You Are” by Sly & The Family Stone marks a crucial moment in the band’s history — a return to form after years of turbulence. Released as part of Back on the Right Track, the song stands out as one of the album’s most vital cuts, combining Sly Stone’s trademark groove-driven energy with a more introspective tone.
Built on a tight rhythm section, crisp horns, and Sly’s gritty yet soulful vocal delivery, the track channels the essence of late-’70s funk while retaining the band’s unmistakable personality. The title itself feels self-referential — a reminder to both Sly and his listeners of the spirit and identity that once defined their groundbreaking sound.
Musically, the groove is lean but effective: a syncopated bassline anchors the song, while sharp horn stabs and backing vocals add the kind of layered intensity that made the Family Stone legendary. Although the production feels more restrained than the expansive psychedelia of their late-’60s peak, the song carries a confidence and clarity that reflects both reflection and resilience.
“Remember Who You Are” serves as both a statement of renewal and a subtle acknowledgment of the past — less flamboyant than the group’s earlier work, but still steeped in authentic funk power. It remains one of Sly’s most underrated late-career gems.
More than two decades later, Los Angeles funk collective Breakestra revived “Remember Who You Are” as part of The Live Mix, Part 2, their celebrated project reimagining classic funk and soul tracks through live performance.
Breakestra’s version honors the core of Sly’s original — the tight rhythm, the horn interplay, the infectious groove — but infuses it with the raw, breakbeat-driven energy that defined the early-2000s live funk revival scene. The result is a dynamic reinterpretation that bridges generations: a conversation between vintage soul and hip-hop-era rhythm sensibility.
Where Sly’s version feels reflective and personal, Breakestra’s take is all about propulsion — sharper, faster, and more rhythmically assertive, built for dance floors and DJ sets alike. The live instrumentation captures the grit of the original but polishes it with crisp production and a communal energy that speaks directly to the jam-band funk ethos of the time.