The late soul singer, self-proclaimed Godfather of Soul, was remembered by family and friends during a get-together on Thursday when James Brown would have turned 74.

Together with Reverend Al Sharpton, a group of about 400 people marched on the streets of New York, by the offices of major music labels, Sony, Warner, Universal and Time Warner, BBC.com reported. The rally called for an industry curb on sexist and racist insults in music.

"We're saying there must be one standard. You can't have different standards for different people. Once we finish with the record companies, we must deal with the HBOs (TV networks) and others,� Sharpton said.

Warner Music Group (WMG) wrote in a statement: "We take issues regarding the role of women and minorities in society very seriously. We edit explicit lyrics, including those that are the focus of the current public debate, from content."

Echoing Sharpton's message at a private gathering in Harlem's Apollo Theater, members of James Brown's family also called for lyrical responsibility. "We got to start taking care of our own people, we have to be accountable to our own people," said Brown's son, Daryl who was lead guitarist in the 17-piece Soul Generals, which backed his father for two decades.

Born on May 3, 74 years ago, James Brown, who died in December due to pneumonia complications, influenced generations of musicians with his high energy performances.