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He's Rick James! New Documentary on DVD

2:51 p.m. · March 1, 2009 · by Jim Allen

You know, before any of those pasty-faced '80s bands started messing around with punk-funk, it was the name given to the sound of the original Super Freak himself, Rick James. Now producer/director Joe Lauro, responsible for films documenting the work of the Four Tops and the Supremes, offers us visual evidence of what made James so special, with I'm Rick James! The Definitive DVD.

Set to be released March 24 through Hip-O/Motown, the film includes tons of rarely seen performance clips allowing you to see the Braided One in action. Rick cocking his "Love Gun" on Dinah Shore's daytime talk show? Check! A shot of "Super Freak" from Dick Clark's New Year's Eve program? Check! In addition to these and some rather more esoteric clips, there are excerpts from seldom-seen TV interviews with James. What it all adds up to is undoubtedly a hell of a lot more potent than a Dave Chappelle catch phrase.