most famous living Black man on Planet earth at the time. I mean, Fela was a well read, worldly man at the time....and..hello..A MUSICIAN...lol. I'm pretty sure he knew who James Brown was.

I would even argue that James influence on Fela was more in terms of what James and his music represented to the "movement" and liberation of Black American people at that time.... It gave Fela a context...a tangible vision of what an artist can do with his music for his people.