Seth Neblett is a photographer, director, and writer. He is the son of Mallia "Queen of Funk" Franklin of Parliament-Funkadelic and Nathaniel "Nate" Neblett of New Birth. Neblett has directed videos for iconic musicians, including Chaka Khan's "I Love Myself."

A brash and thorough accounting of a crucial element of the funk firmament.-- "Kirkus Reviews" (8/1/2025 12:00:00 AM)

[An] essential oral history of the female P-Funkateers...Pieced together with first-hand testimony from Mallia Franklin, Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva, Debbie Wright and Shirley Hayden, plus George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Sly Stone eta al, it's utterly engrossing with tales of sex, drugs, internecine rivalry and music-making...Ultimately, this is a celebratory tale, about righting creative misattribution.-- "MOJO" (9/1/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Mothership Connected is a fascinating, first-hand look inside the mothership that was Parliament Funkadelic...and easily one of the best music books of the year.

-- "Rock 'n' Roll Grad School" (11/19/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Drawing from first hand accounts and reflections from figures like George Clinton, Sly Stone, and Bootsy Collins, Neblett presents a clear eyed and compassionate portrait of creativity, ambition, and survival. The narrative explores artistry, industry power dynamics, and the realities faced by Black women navigating a turbulent era, all while celebrating their musical brilliance and cultural impact. Mothership Connected reads as both a historical correction and a powerful celebration, offering insight, recognition, and lasting resonance for funk fans and music readers alike.

-- "That Eric Alper" (12/29/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Mothership Connected is an absolute triumph. A pathbreaking, alternative history of funk and rock, it uncovers the story of bold, brilliant music-making innovated by Black women artists who made crucial contributions to the P-Funk sound. Seth Neblett has produced a work of pop music history that is, by turns, thrilling and riveting, illuminating as well as occasionally heartbreaking. As a work of candid oral history, this book weaves together a tapestry of voices of everyone from legendary icons to the sisters whose names we all should know, the ones who determinedly rode the highs and the lows of a recording industry rife with intersectional inequalities. Any reader of Mothership Connected will come away with a profound appreciation for their electrifying art and steadfast labor. An absolute revelation.--Daphne A. Brooks, Yale University, author of Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound

Legendary P-Funk singer Mallia Franklin's one and only son, Seth Neblett, tells the tale of the women of Parliament-Funkadelic in the only way a funk-tale can be told: raw and real and in the pocket. This insider's account shines a light on that female funk that has always been a part of the P-Funk Experience. Through it all, Mothership Connected does justice to the power these women possessed, and the outrageous pressures they were under, as foot soldiers on the front lines of the P-Funk Army.--Rickey Vincent, author of Funk: The Music, The People, and the Rhythm of The One

I wasn't just a fan of Parlet, The Brides, and the P-Funk family; I read about them, studied their music, and knew all the players. This book makes clear there's so much more to the story--including triumphs, setbacks, rebounds, and grand achievements--illustrating how we all face challenges in life and the importance of finding the strength to bounce back. I've been waiting for this book for a long time.--George Tillman Jr., director and writer, Soul Food

Through fascinating interviews with the women [of Parliament-Funkadelic] and icons like George Clinton, Sly Stone and Bootsy Collins, Seth Neblett has compiled an unbelievable archive full of strength, humor, tea, shade and yes, funk.-- "Ms. Magazine" (9/3/2025 12:00:00 AM)

At first, Neblett keeps readers flipping through pages with fresh quotes from the likes of Sly Stone and tales of his mother introducing monumental musicians like Bootsy Collins into the P-Funk family. Slowly, this exciting insight into those heavily mythologized golden years gives way to troubling tales that conjure a genuine sense of concern for these women...Neblett successfully argues that these women's contributions to P-Funk and its various sub groups took the Mothership to new heights and that they deserve to be recognized as quintessential parts of P-Funk's complex legacy.

-- "Antigravity Magazine" (11/21/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Pub date: 2025-09-30

Length: 360 pages