Dancing Pingu - Episode 196: Super Freak by Rick James

Описание: Today, Pingu is being introduced to Rick James (1948-2004), best known for his 1981 hit song "Super Freak", which is being showcased on today's episode. Rick James was born in Buffalo, New York and eventually moved to Toronto, Canada to avoid being drafted into The Vietnam War. He would sign on to Motown Records while living in Toronto, but the law would catch up on him and would face prison time in the 1960s after getting arrested for deserting the draft. After being released from prison, he would relocate to California which he would go on to not only produce music for himself but would also go on to write and produce music for other performers. His biggest break would come in 1990 when he allowed MC Hammer to sample "Super Freak" for his hit song "U Can't Touch This", which would give Rick James his only Grammy. After his work with MC Hammer, Rick James would unfortunately go on to face serious criminal charges ranging from kidnapping women and substantial drug abuse. In 1998, shortly after being paroled from prison, James suffered a stroke and semi-retired from the industry. He would try to make a comeback in 2004 with an appearance on "Chappelle's Show", but it would be short-lived as he would die from heart failure on August 6, 2004.