Rick James with Guitar

Photograph of Rick James with a guitar leaning against a post.

Rick James (1948-2004) was an American musician and composer.  During his lifetime he released 12 studio albums and also produced several records for Motown stars such as the Temptations and Smokey Robinson.  His best known single was 1981’s Super Freak which was sampled in MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This in 1990.  He also produced and wrote Eddie Murphy’s Party All The Time.  Before his death, he regained popularity due to a skit on the Chappelle Show.