Rick James, born February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, New York, USA and died August 6, 2004 in Burbank, California, was an American singer, songwriter, producer, and musician known for his funk, R&B, and soul music. He sold over 100 million records during his career and was nominated for Grammy Awards eight times. He was also known for his eccentric character and antics off-stage. James grew up in the Lafayette Square neighborhood in Buffalo and was introduced to music by his uncle, Hank Risan, a pianist in a local jazz club. At the age of 13, he began playing bass in R&B groups in his school. After dropping out of school, he joined the Air Force, where he was trained as a musician. After leaving the Air Force, James returned to Buffalo and joined the R&B group The Mynah Birds. In 1966, The Mynah Birds signed with Motown Records and James moved to Los Angeles to record their first single, "It's My Time". However, the single was not the success expected and the group disbanded shortly after. James stayed in Los Angeles and began working as a musician for various artists, including The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson. In 1968, James signed as a solo artist with Motown. His first single, "I'm Gonna Get You", was not a success, but his second single, "Give It to Me Baby", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. James then released his first album, Come Get It!, in 1978. The album was a commercial success and reached number three on the Billboard 200. It contained the singles "You and I" and "Mary Jane". In 1981, James released his most famous album, Street Songs. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. It contained the singles "Give It to Me Baby", "Super Freak" and "Cold Blooded". James then released two other albums, Throwin' Down (1982) and Cold Blooded (1983). These albums were less commercial than Street Songs, but were still certified platinum. In the 1980s, James had problems with drugs and was arrested several times. In 1997, he was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault. He was released in 2002. James died in 2004 at the age of 56.

Rick James - Super Freak Extract :