Rick James invented punk funk in Buffalo, New York, and the sound he created there still reverberates through every beat that borrows from his catalog. Born James Ambrose Johnson Jr. on February 1, 1948, in Buffalo, he was the third of eight children. His mother was a former dancer, his father an autoworker, and his uncle was Melvin Franklin, the bass vocalist of the Temptations — a connection that placed young James in proximity to Motown royalty from the beginning.
Buffalo and Beyond
James grew up on Buffalo’s East Side, absorbing the city’s gritty R&B scene before leaving home at fifteen to join the U.S. Navy Reserve — partly to avoid the draft, partly out of restlessness. He deserted within a year and fled to Toronto, where, using the alias Ricky James Matthews, he formed the Mynah Birds in 1965. The group’s lineup was remarkable: it included a young Neil Young and Bruce Palmer, both of whom would leave to form Buffalo Springfield. The Mynah Birds signed with Motown in 1966, but no records were released — James was arrested for desertion and served time in military prison.
The Stone City Band
After years of false starts in California, James returned to Buffalo in 1976 and formed the Stone City Band. He signed with Motown’s Gordy Records in 1977, and his debut album Come Get It! (1978) — anchored by the single “You and I” — sold two million copies. James had found his formula: heavy funk basslines, rock guitar distortion, and a party-starting energy that defied genre boundaries.
Super Freak and Street Songs
Street Songs (1981) was the album that made Rick James a cultural force. It sold over three million copies and produced “Give It to Me Baby” and “Super Freak” — the latter becoming one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop history after MC Hammer built “U Can’t Touch This” around its bassline. James was not merely a funk artist; he was a bridge between funk, rock, and the nascent hip-hop movement.
Beyond his solo career, James was a prolific producer. He produced Teena Marie’s early albums, created and produced the Mary Jane Girls (whose debut went gold), wrote for Eddie Murphy, and collaborated with the Temptations on “Standing on the Top” (1982), a Top 10 R&B hit.
Legacy
James’s later years were marked by legal troubles and substance abuse, but his musical legacy is unassailable. He died on August 6, 2004, at age 56 in Los Angeles. Buffalo has never had a more flamboyant musical ambassador — Rick James took the city’s blue-collar energy, wrapped it in sequins and braids, and made the whole world dance to a Buffalo groove.