Techno Music legend Carl Craig has been named Creative Director for Movement 2010. Paxahau made the announcement today as they prepare for the start of Movement 2009 which is set to begin on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at noon.

“Movement is already a great festival and a successful brand,” said Craig, “it is an honor to be involved with Movement in this new capacity. I look forward to working with the team from Paxahau to take the artistic vision for the festival to a new level.”

In his new role Craig will be involved in various creative aspects of Movement including artist bookings and the festival’s brand image. He will also serve as an ambassador for the Movement festival as he travels the globe performing for throngs of electronic music enthusiasts.

“Detroit is such a wonderful music town,” Craig continued. “With Movement we have such a great opportunity to remind people from around the world and those that are right here in our own backyard that electronic music in Detroit is very powerful and that our annual festival is the best stage for showcasing the most talented artists of this musical genre.”

The annual Memorial Day Weekend festival has gone through several reincarnations since its beginning in 2000. Paxahau earned the right in 2006 to produce the festival. Since then they have been credited with bringing financial stability to the once fledgling festival and developing a festival atmosphere that appeals to fans because of the high standard of production quality they demand and their ability to book major local and international artists year after year.

Paxahau representatives were elated when Craig agreed to become creative director and believe his involvement will strengthen the future of the Movement festival in Detroit.

“We were extremely excited when Carl agreed to come on board as our new creative director,” said Jason Huvaere, president of Paxahau. “He has a complete understanding of the history of Techno Music in Detroit. He understands its impact around the world because he lives it every day.”

“Carl is a musical visionary whose ambassadorship is unparalleled. He will be able to capture the desires electronic music fans have for Movement and help us to incorporate them into future festivals.”

For more information on Paxahau, please go to: www.paxahau.com.

For more information on Movement 2009, please go to: www.myspace.com/detroitmusicfest.

Nile first picked up a guitar while still in school and there was no stopping the evident talent that quickly emerged. At the age of 19, Nile not only worked for Sesame Street, but was performing nightly as part of the house band for the world renowned Apollo Theatre in Harlem, playing with luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Parliament Funkadelic, Ben E. King, and The Cadillacs. Pretty amazing for a skinny kid with glasses from New York City, but he wanted more. Nile Rodgers wanted a band of his own. – www.nilerogers.com

There can be little argument that Chic was disco’s greatest band; and, working in a heavily producer-dominated field, they were most definitely a band. By the time Chic appeared in the late ’70s, disco was already slipping into the excess that eventually caused its downfall. Chic bucked the trend by stripping disco’s sound down to its basic elements; their funky, stylish grooves had an organic sense of interplay that was missing from many of their overproduced competitors.

Chic’s sound was anchored by the scratchy, James Brown-style rhythm guitar of Nile Rodgers and the indelible, widely imitated (sometimes outright stolen) bass lines of Bernard Edwards; as producers, they used keyboard and string embellishments economically, which kept the emphasis on rhythm. Chic’s distinctive approach not only resulted in some of the finest dance singles of their time, but also helped create a template for urban funk, dance-pop, and even hip-hop in the post-disco era. Not coincidentally, Rodgers and Edwards wound up as two of the most successful producers of the ’80s.

Rodgers and Edwards first met in 1970, when both were jazz-trained musicians fresh out of high school. Edwards had attended New York’s High School for the Performing Arts and was working in a Bronx post office at the time, while Rodgers’ early career also included stints in the folk group New World Rising and the Apollo Theater house orchestra. Around 1972, Rodgers and Edwards formed a jazz-rock fusion group called the Big Apple Band.

This outfit moonlighted as a backup band, touring behind smooth soul vocal group New York City in the wake of their 1973 hit “I’m Doin’ Fine Now.” After New York City broke up, the Big Apple Band hit the road with Carol Douglas for a few months, and Rodgers and Edwards decided to make a go of it on their own toward the end of 1976. At first they switched their aspirations from fusion to new wave, briefly performing as Allah & the Knife Wielding Punks, but quickly settled into dance music. They enlisted onetime LaBelle drummer Tony Thompson and female vocalists Norma Jean Wright and Alfa Anderson, and changed their name to Chic in summer 1977 so as to avoid confusion with Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (who’d just hit big with “A Fifth of Beethoven”).

Augmented in the studio by keyboardists Raymond Jones and Rob Sabino, Chic recorded the demo single “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” and shopped it around to several major record companies, all of which declined it. The small Buddah label finally released it as a 12″ in late 1977, and as its club popularity exploded, Atlantic stepped in, signed the group, and re-released the single on a wider basis. “Dance, Dance, Dance” hit the Top Ten, peaking at number six, and made Chic one of the hottest new groups in disco. Chic scrambled to put together their self-titled first album, which spawned a minor follow-up hit, “Everybody Dance,” in early 1978.

At this point, Wright left to try her hand at a solo career (with assistance from Rodgers and Edwards), and was replaced by Luci Martin. It was a good time to come onboard; “Le Freak,” the first single from sophomore album C’est Chic, was an out-of-the-box smash, spending five weeks on top of the charts toward the end of 1978 and selling over four-million copies (which made it the biggest-selling single in Atlantic’s history). Follow-up “I Want Your Love” reached number seven, cementing the group’s new star status, and C’est Chic became one of the rare disco albums to go platinum.

1979′s Risqué was another solidly constructed LP that also went platinum, partly on the strength of Chic’s second number one pop hit, “Good Times.” “Good Times” may not have equaled the blockbuster sales figures of “Le Freak,” but it was the band’s most imitated track: Queen’s number one hit “Another One Bites the Dust” was a clear rewrite, and the Sugarhill Gang lifted the instrumental backing track wholesale for the first commercial rap single, “Rapper’s Delight,” marking the first of many times that Chic grooves would be recycled into hip-hop records. Also in 1979, Rodgers and Edwards took on their first major outside production assignment, producing and writing the Sister Sledge smashes “We Are Family” and the oft-sampled “He’s the Greatest Dancer.” This success, in turn, landed them the chance to work with Diana Ross on 1980′s Diana album, and they wrote and produced “Upside Down,” her first number one hit in years, as well as “I’m Coming Out.”

The disco fad was fading rapidly by that point, however, and 1980′s Real People failed to go gold despite another solid performance by the band. Changing tastes put an end to Chic’s heyday, as Rodgers and Edwards’ outside production work soon grew far more lucrative, even despite aborted projects with Aretha Franklin and Johnny Mathis. Several more Chic LPs followed in the early ’80s, with diminishing creative and commercial returns, and Rodgers and Edwards disbanded the group after completing the lackluster Believer in 1983.

Later that year, both recorded solo LPs that sank without a trace. Hungry for acceptance and respect in the rock mainstream (especially after accusations that they had ripped off Queen instead of the other way around), both Rodgers and Edwards sought out high-profile production and session work over the rest of the decade. Rodgers produced blockbuster albums like David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Madonna’s Like a Virgin, and Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss. Edwards wasn’t as prolific as a producer, but did join the one-off supergr

oup the Power Station along with Tony Thompson as well as Robert Palmer and members of avowed Chic fa

ns Duran Duran; he later produced Palmer’s commercial breakthrough, Riptide. Edwards also worked with Rod Stewart (Out of Order), Jody Watley, and Tina Turner, while Rodgers’ other credits include the Thompson Twins, the Vaughan Brothers, INXS, and the B-52′s’ comeback Cosmic Thing.

Rodgers and Edwards re-formed Chic in 1992 with new vocalists Sylver Logan Sharp

and Jenn Thomas, and an assortment of session drummers in Thompson’s place; they toured and released a new album, Chic-ism. In 1996, the reconstituted Chic embarked on a tour of Japan; sadly, on April 18, Edwards passed away in his Tokyo hotel room due to a severe bout of pneumonia. Rodgers continued to tour occasionally with a version of Chic, and, in 1999, his Sumthing Else label issued a recording of Edwards’ final performance with the band, Live at the Budokan. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

http://www.nilerodgers.com/

Although they would vary throughout the years, a typical Mojo night was:

• 10:00pm – The Landing of the Mothership. This was the intro to each show with spaceship sound effects and related dialog. Sometimes the music heard during the first hour was indicative of what you’d hear that night; sometimes it would be completely random.
• 11:00pm – Awesome ’84, ’85. In the mid eighties, Mojo would play an hour of brand new music (hence the year in the title) and a lot of new songs were introduced.
• 11:30pm – Lover’s Lane. A half an hour of “slow jams” for lovers.
• 12:00am – The Midnight Funk Association. Consisted regularly of Parliament-Funkadelic, the Gap Band, Zapp and other funk bands of the era.

The Midnight Funk Association Call To Order:

“Will the members of the Midnight Funk Association please rise. Please go to your porch light and turn it on for the next hour to show us your solidarity. If you’re in your car please honk your horn and flash your lights, wherever you are. If you’re in bed, get ready to dance on your back, in Technicolor. And get ready for the MFA. The word is… Don’t say no, say triple-whammy-whoa. Hold on tight, don’t let go. Whenever you feel like you’re nearing the end of your rope, don’t slide off. Tie a knot. Keep hanging, keep remembering, that it ain’t nobody bad like you. This session of the International Midnight Funk Association is being called to order. Electrifying Mojo presiding. May the Funk be with you. Always…”

From 1:00am to 3:00am (2:00 am on Saturday nights), Mojo’s show was different every night. Sometimes, the MFA would stretch well beyond 1:00am, other times Mojo would introduce segments such as:

• Star Wars – A classic “artist vs. artist” set, where Mojo would alternate selections from two different groups or artists, and the listeners would call in to vote for their favorite.
• Journey – Sometimes a multi-night segment, where Mojo would play songs by a single artist or group, spanning their entire career. This usually included a mix of hits and obscure songs by that artist.
• Shout-out – Everyone that called into the station during his show was the recipient of a “shout-out”. He would go on for as long as it took rattling off the first names of every single person who had called in to the show.
• 35-35-35 – Mojo would take suggestions from listeners about their favorite artists and bands. He then would choose the three most popular groups that night and play thirty-five minutes, commercial-free, of each group. This segment often gave airtime to groups that no other radio station in Detroit would play.

At other times, Mojo would spend the last 2 hours of his show showcasing live mixes on two turntables, by bringing in local DJs to do the same. One such DJ, Jeff Mills, began his career with Mojo as “The Wizard.” Mojo also would air music by local groups at this time.

Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the ’80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock. Not only did he release a series of groundbreaking albums; he toured frequently, produced albums and wrote songs for many other artists, and recorded hundreds of songs that still lie unreleased in his vaults. With each album he released, Prince has shown remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures, and genres.

Occasionally, his music can be maddeningly inconsistent because of this eclecticism, but his experiments frequently succeed; no other contemporary artist can blend so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole.

Prince‘s first two albums were solid, if unremarkable, late-’70s funk-pop. With 1980′s Dirty Mind, he recorded his first masterpiece, a one-man tour de force of sex and music; it was hard funk, catchy Beatlesque melodies, sweet soul ballads, and rocking guitar pop, all at once. The follow-up, Controversy, was more of the same, but 1999 was brilliant. The album was a monster hit, selling over three million copies, but it was nothing compared to 1984′s Purple Rain.

Purple Rain made Prince a superstar; it eventually sold over ten million copies in the U.S. and spent 24 weeks at number one. Partially recorded with his touring band, the Revolution, the record featured the most pop-oriented music he has ever made. Instead of continuing in this accessible direction, he veered off into the bizarre psycho-psychedelia of Around the World in a Day, which nevertheless sold over two million copies. In 1986, he released the even stranger Parade, which was in its own way as ambitious and intricate as any art rock of the ’60s; however, no art rock was ever grounded with a hit as brilliant as the spare funk of “Kiss.”

By 1987, Prince‘s ambitions were growing by leaps and bounds, resulting in the sprawling masterpiece Sign ‘O’ the Times. Prince was set to release the hard funk of The Black Album by the end of the year, yet he withdrew it just before its release, deciding it was too dark and immoral. Instead, he released the confused Lovesexy in 1988, which was a commercial disaster. With the soundtrack to 1989′s Batman he returned to the top of the charts, even if the album was essentially a recap of everything he had done before. The following year he released Graffiti Bridge, the sequel to Purple Rain, which turned out to be a considerable commercial disappointment.

In 1991, Prince formed the New Power Generation, the best and most versatile and talented band he has ever assembled. With their first album, Diamonds and Pearls, Prince reasserted his mastery of contemporary R&B; it was his biggest hit since 1985. The following year, he released his 12th album, which was titled with a cryptic symbol; in 1993, Prince legally changed his name to the symbol. In 1994, after becoming embroiled in contract disagreements with Warner Bros., he independently released the single “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” likely to illustrate what he would be capable of on his own; the song became his biggest hit in years. Later that summer, Warner released the somewhat halfhearted Come under the name of Prince; the record was a moderate success, going gold.

In November 1994, as part of a contractual obligation, Prince agreed to the official release of The Black Album. In early 1995, he immersed himself in another legal battle with Warner, proclaiming himself a slave and refusing to deliver his new record, The Gold Experience, for release. By the end of the summer, a fed-up Warner had negotiated a compromise that guaranteed the album’s release, plus one final record for the label. The Gold Experience was issued in the fall; although it received good reviews and was following a smash single, it failed to catch fire commercially. In the summer of 1996, Prince released Chaos & Disorder, which freed him to become an independent artist. Setting up his own label, NPG (which was distributed by EMI), he resurfaced later that same year with the three-disc Emancipation, which was designed as a magnum opus that would spin off singles for several years and be supported with several tours.

However, even his devoted cult following needed considerable time to digest such an enormous compilation of songs. Once it was clear that Emancipation wasn’t the commercial blockbuster he hoped it would be, Prince assembled a long-awaited collection of outtakes and unreleased material called Crystal Ball in 1998. With Crystal Ball, Prince discovered that it’s much more difficult to get records to an audience than it seems; some fans who pre-ordered their copies through Prince‘s website (from which a bonus fifth disc was included) didn’t receive them until months after the set began appearing in stores. Prince then released a new one-man album, New Power Soul, just three months after Crystal Ball; even though it was his most straightforward album since Diamonds and Pearls, it didn’t do well on the charts, partly because many listeners didn’t realize it had been released.

A year later, with “1999″ predictably an end-of-the-millennium anthem, Prince issued the remix collection 1999 (The New Master). A collection of Warner Bros.-era leftovers, Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, followed that summer, and in the fall Prince returned on Arista with the all-star Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.

In the fall of 2001 he released the controversial Rainbow Children, a jazz-infused circus of sound trumpeting his conversion to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that left many longtime fans out in the cold. He further isolated himself with 2003′s N.E.W.S., a four-song set of instrumental jams that sounded a lot more fun to play than to listen to. Prince rebounded in 2003 with the chart-topping Musicology, a return to form that found the artist back in the Top Ten, even garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2005. In early 2006 he was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing two songs with a new protégée, R&B singer Tamar. A four-song appearance at the Brit Awards with Wendy, Lisa, and Sheila E. followed. Both appearances previewed tracks from 3121, which hit number one on the album charts soon after its release in March 2006. Planet Earth followed in 2007, featuring contributions from Wendy and Lisa. In the U.K., copies were cover-mounted on the July 15 edition of The Mail on Sunday, provoking Columbia — the worldwide distributor for the release — to refuse distribution throughout the U.K. In the U.S., the album was issued on July 24. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Inspired by Motown’s assembly line of sound, George Clinton gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded the ensemble during the ’70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. While Funkadelic pursued band-format psychedelic rock, Parliament engaged in a funk free-for-all, blending influences from the godfathers (James Brown and Sly Stone) with freaky costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. From its 1970 inception until Clinton’s dissolving of Parliament in 1980, the band hit the R&B Top Ten several times but truly excelled in two other areas: large-selling, effective album statements and the most dazzling, extravagant live show in the business. In an era when Philly soul continued the slick sounds of establishment-approved R&B, Parliament scared off more white listeners than it courted.

By the time his on-the-move family settled in New Jersey during the early ’50s, George Clinton (b. July 22, 1941, Kannapolis, NC) became interested in doo wop, which was just beginning to explode in the New York-metro area. Basing his group on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Clinton formed the Parliaments in 1955 with a lineup that gradually shifted to include Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins, Grady Thomas, Raymond Davis, and Calvin Simon. Based out of a barbershop backroom where Clinton straightened hair, the Parliaments released only two singles during the next ten years, but frequent trips to Detroit during the mid-’60s — where Clinton began working as a songwriter and producer — eventually paid off their investment.

After finding a hit with the 1967 single “(I Wanna) Testify,” the Parliaments ran into trouble with Revilot Records and refused to record any new material. Instead of waiting for a settlement, Clinton decided to record the same band under a new name: Funkadelic. Founded in 1968, the group began life as a smoke screen, claiming as its only members the Parliaments’ backing band — guitarist Eddie Hazel, bassist Billy Nelson, rhythm guitarist Lucius “Tawl” Ross, drummer Ramon “Tiki” Fulwood, and organist Mickey Atkins — but in truth including Clinton and the rest of the former Parliaments lineup. Revilot folded not long after, with the label’s existing contracts sold to Atlantic; Clinton, however, decided to abandon the Parliaments name rather than record for the major label. One previously recorded Parliaments single, “A New Day Begins,” was licensed to Atco in 1969 and became a number 44 hit that May. By 1970, George Clinton had regained the rights to the Parliaments name: he then signed the entire Funkadelic lineup to Invictus Records as Parliament. The group released one album — 1970′s Osmium — and scored a number 30 hit, “The Breakdown,” on the R&B charts in 1971. With Funkadelic firing on all cylinders, however, Clinton decided to discontinue Parliament (the name, not the band) for the time being.

Though keyboard player Bernie Worrell (b. April 19, 1944, Long Beach, NJ) had played on the original Funkadelic album, his first credit with the conglomeration appeared on Funkadelic’s second album, 1970′s Free Your Mind…And Your Ass Will Follow. Clinton and Worrell had known each other since the New Jersey barbershop days, and Worrell soon became the most crucial cog in the P-Funk machine, working on arrangements and production for virtually all later Parliament/Funkadelic releases. His strict upbringing and classical training (at the New England Conservatory and Juilliard), as well as the boom in synthesizer technology during the early ’70s, gave him the tools to create the synth runs and horn arrangements that later trademarked the P-Funk sound. Two years after the addition of Worrell, P-Funk added its second most famed contributor, Bootsy Collins. The muscular, throbbing bass line of Collins (b. October 26, 1951, Cincinnati, OH) had already been featured in James Brown’s backing band (the J.B.’s) along with his brother, guitarist Catfish Collins. Bootsy and Catfish were playing in a Detroit band when George Clinton saw and hired them.

Funkadelic released five albums from 1970 through early 1974, and consistently hit the lower reaches of the R&B charts, but the collective pulled up stakes later in 1974 and began recording as Parliament. Signing with the Casablanca label, Parliament’s “Up for the Down Stroke” (number ten R&B, number 63 pop) appeared in mid-1974 and reflected a more mainstream approach than Funkadelic, with funky horn arrangements reminiscent of James Brown and a live feel that recalls contemporary work by Kool & the Gang. It became the biggest hit yet for the Parliament/Funkadelic congregation. “Testify,” a revamped version of the Parliaments’ 1967 hit, also charted in 1974. One year later, Chocolate City continued Parliament’s success: the title track reached number 24 R&B, and “Ride On” also charted.

Clinton & co. ushered in 1976 with the April release of the third Parliament LP in as many years: Mothership Connection. Arguably the peak of Parliament’s power, the album made number 13 on the pop charts and went platinum, sparked by three hit singles: “P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)” (number 33 R&B), “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)” (number five R&B, number 15 pop), and “Star Child” (number 26 R&B). In addition to Bootsy Collins, the album featured two other James Brown refugees: horn legends Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley. Just six months after the release of Mothership Connection, Clinton had another Parliament album in the can, The Clones of Doctor Funkenstein. Though it only reached gold status, the LP spawned the number 22 R&B hit “Do That Stuff” and the number 43 “Dr. Funkenstein.”

Several internal squabbles during 1977 apparently didn’t phase Clinton at all; the following year proved to be the most successful in Parliament’s history. In January, “Flash Light” — from the Parliament album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome — became the collective’s first number one hit. It topped the R&B charts for three weeks, and was followed by the number 27 single, “Funkentelechy.” The LP reached number 13 on the pop charts and became Parliament’s second platinum album. Early in 1979, Parliament hit number one yet again with “Aqua Boogie,” from its eighth album, Motor-Booty Affair. The LP, which stalled at number 23, nevertheless became the group’s fifth consecutive album to go gold or better. Parliament’s ninth album, Gloryhallastoopid (Or Pin the Tale on the Funky), was released later in 1979 and showed a bit of a slip in the previously unstoppable Clinton machine. The group charted in the R&B Top Ten twice during 1980 (“Theme From ‘The Black Hole’” and “Agony of Defeet”), but Clinton began to be weighed down that year by legal difficulties arising from Polygram’s acquisition of Casablanca.

Jettisoning both the Parliament and Funkadelic names (but not the musicians), Clinton began his solo career with 1982′s Computer Games. He and many former Parliament/Funkadelic members continued to tour and record during the ’80s as the P-Funk All Stars, but the decade’s disdain of everything to do with the ’70s resulted in the neglect of critical and commercial opinion for the world’s biggest funk band, especially one which in part had spawned the sound of disco. During the early ’90s, the rise of funk-inspired rap (courtesy of Digital Underground, Dr. Dre, and Warren G.) and funk rock (Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers) re-established the status of Clinton & co., one of the most important forces in the recent history of black music. ~  All Music Guide Written by John Bush

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Born James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. on February 1, 1948, in Buffalo, NY; died of a heart attack on August 6, 2004, in Los Angeles, CA. Singer. Rick James burst on the scene with his smash hit, “Super Freak,” in the early 1980s. He later had a string of hits and some believe his record sales are responsible for keeping Motown Records solvent. He is credited with bridging the gap between funk and punk music. His sound was reminiscent of Sly Stone, Parliament, The Ramones, and Prince (whom he toured with before either was famous). According to CNN.com, James had stated, “I’m trying to change the root of funk, trying to make it more progressive, more melodic, and more lyrically structured.” His rowdy image and drug habit led to his arrest for assault and eventual time in prison. After his release, he began to regain all that he lost.

James’ upbringing was rough. He was one of eight children born to James and Mabel Johnson. According to James, his father was abusive and abandoned the family when James was eight. James’ mother was a former dancer who worked as a housekeeper, but also was a numbers runner. Though James went to Catholic school and was an altar boy, he also committed petty theft crimes, and spent some time in juvenile detention centers. He also began doing drugs. While James was always musically inclined, it was not until he performed in a talent show in high school that he seriously considered a career in music. He formed a group called the Duprees. At the same time, he joined the Naval Reserve to avoid the draft. As he and his group gained popularity—and more importantly, gigs—he began to skip out on his naval duties. James was soon drafted, but he fled to Canada.

During his stay in Canada, he formed another group, the Mynah Birds. Members included Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Goldie McJohn, who would later join Steppenwolf. The group would combine both folk music and R&B. However, they never recorded an album due to James’ draft evasion. The group later disbanded.

James moved to London, and joined a blues band called Main Line. His uncle was Melvin Franklin of the legendary Temptations. Franklin helped his nephew get a recording contract with Motown Records. James struck a deal with the government, and served some time in prison for draft evasion. After his release, he began to record his first album, which included the hits “You & I,” and his alleged ode to marijuana, “Mary Jane.”

The album sold two million copies.

His third album, Street Songs, proved to be a crossover success. With the Temptations on background vocals, James released “Super Freak.” With lyrics that included “She’s a very kinky girl/the kind you don’t take home to mother,” “Super Freak” quickly rose on the R&B charts, and crossed over to the pop charts. He also released “Give It To Me Baby” as a B-side, and it did well.

With the success of “Super Freak,” James began to produce for other artists. He formed an all-girl band named the Mary Jane Girls. He also performed duets with R&B singer Teena Marie and Smokey Robinson. He also produced comedian Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time,” which was a hit in the mid-1980s.

James’ on-stage persona was one of wild debauchery. Dressed in sequins, tight leather, high-heeled boots, and cornrows or a jheri curl, James oozed sex on stage. Offstage, he smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine. According to the Washington Post, he told the Detroit News in 2004, “The biggest mistake I made is that I tried to become my alter ego. I wanted to be Rick James, wild man, party machine, lady slayer, and the cocaine told me I could. I forgot that I was James Johnson, a nerdy kid who grew up reading Dante’s Inferno on Saturday nights.”

In the late 1980s, James’ career took a nose dive. However, when rap star M.C. Hammer sampled “Super Freak” for his song “U Can’t Touch This,” the latter song became a huge hit. Though the usage was unauthorized, James and M.C. Hammer settled out of court and he reaped the benefits, including his first Grammy that he shared with M.C. Hammer and co-writer of “Super Freak,” Alonzo Miller.

James’ spiral out of control came to a head when he was charged with assault in 1991. He and his girl-friend, Tanya Hijazi, held a woman against her will, burned her with a crack pipe, and assaulted her. While on bond, he and Hijazi assaulted a second woman. He was also arrested for cocaine possession. James was convicted in 1993 and served three years. He vowed to get clean and live a more sedate life.

Upon his release, he married Hijazi. The couple had one son but later divorced. He began to resurrect his career, and released an album titled Urban Rapsody. Though he hated rap and sampling, James worked with Snoop Dogg as well as Bobby Womack. He began touring again in 1997, but it was cut short by a stroke, which was attributed to “rock ‘n’ roll neck,” which is excessive twisting of the head. The following year, James underwent hip replacement surgery. He also suffered from heart problems.

James was enjoying a minor comeback, thanks to comedian Dave Chappelle, who created spoofs about the singer that aired on the Comedy Central show Chappelle’s Show. James even showed up to play himself. He also penned his memoirs, and put in a couple of performances. There were talks of bringing his life to the big screen, with Chappelle playing the singer. In June of 2004, he received a career achievement honor from ASCAP.

James was found dead on August 6, 2004; he was 56. There was speculation that he had returned to his old ways, and a Los Angeles county coroner’s report confirmed it. His death was ruled accidental but nine drugs were found in his system. However, the official cause of death was a heart attack. A memorial service was held in Los Angeles, and James was buried in his hometown. Motown founder Berry Gordy told the Chicago Tribune that James’ “creative abilities, his instincts about music and production were just awesome . [James was] a pioneer who took Motown in a whole new direction.” In addition to his son by Hijazi, James had two other children, and two grandchildren.

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Source : Notable Biographies

Known for playing “B” sides and breaking new music, The Electrifying Mojo has over his years on the air, kept a diverse style of music for his loyal following.  The MFA iMix, available for download on iTunes, is 15 tracks of some of the most popular and memorable hits played at 12 a.m. during the Midnight Funk Association’s glorious rein over Detroit Airwaves.