When Street Songs dropped in 1981 Rick James was already a star but Dave Chappelle’s infamous “I’m Rick James, bitch!” skit two decades later reanimated the album for a whole new generation. Suddenly millennials like me who hadn’t been alive when “Super Freak” topped charts were quoting James while laughing our ass off in our dorm rooms, neverendingly referencing “Cocaine’s a helluva drug” and “F*** your couch b*tch” every second we could get. The funk legend’s excesses were both hilarious and memorable, which made James a punchline and a mythical creature at the exact same time.
But even without comedy sketches and memes Street Songs is still one of funk’s most vital statements. It is a record that pushed the concept of groove-based funk to it limits while regaling the stories of hedonistic self destruction that was happening behind the scenes. The fusion of Motown’s polish with funky street swagger delivered anthems like “Give It to Me Baby” and “Super Freak” that bop just as hard today as they did 40 years ago. James became 20x the legend because of Dave Chappelle but his music was well deserving of that honor.
Standout Songs: “Give It To Me Baby”, “Make Love To Me”, “Super Freak”, “Fire and Desire”
