Don't look at it as funk.

Take it as his tribute, R&B with a funk flavour. Looking at it as funk is what leaves you unsatisfied.

He'll never funk as hard as the greats and holding him to any set standard means that he's doomed to fail. His niche has never been funk, just R&B.

It's like chicken. You can add a little sauce, but if you expect it to taste like a steak you'll be disappointed.