Because of the word's association with sexual intercourse, African American musicians initially applied "funk" to music with a slow groove, then later with an insistent rhythm. "Funky" was an adjective funk musicians used to describe the slow and sexy qualities of the music.
According to Lyricsvault.net, funk musicians would encourage each other to "get down" during their jam sessions and "put some stank ('stink/funk') on it!" Some jazz songs in the 1930s carried titles such as Mezz Mezzrow's "Funky Butt." However, during the 1950s and '60s, the word "funk" was viewed as coarse or indecent, and considered inappropriate to be used in the presence of polite company.
James Brown is one of the many African American musicians who originated funk music and created its distinct style. Brown would typically cue his band with the command "On the one!" as he changed the rhythmic emphasis from two-four to a one-three. Two-four was the general rhythm for traditional soul music while the one-three was associated with white musical forms (but with a hard-driving swing led by brass instruments). Brown's one-beat became a signature style of funk music.
As Brown continued to thrive in the 1960s and created funk music, his popularity grew as well. In 1965, his hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (a top 10 Mercury Records single) attracted the ears of millions and was referred to as the song that started the funk genre.
George Clinton, a funk musician from the 1970s that led bands such as Parliament, and later, Funkadelic, emerged a new type of funk. It was influenced by jazz and psychedelic music. The two bands often shared group members and they were generally referred to as Parliament-Funkadelic. The band's new style of music brought fame to their development and the term "P-Funk" was established. (The term P-Funk referred to both the band and a new music genre.)