JAMES RICK Vinyl Records and CDs

... millions off of rap artists sampling his vast catalog; most notably, MC Hammer liberally borrowed from "Super Freak" for his own mega-smash "U Can't Touch This." In 2004, James was back in the spotlight, thanks to a hilarious skit on the Dave Chappelle show, which coined the pervasive catchphrase "I'm Rick James, bitch!" After releasing 14 solo albums in less than 20 years, and producing many more, James firmly established himself as a funk icon on par with legends like James Brown, Sly Stone and George Clinton. He was working on an autobiography and film about his life when he died of natural causes in August 2004. He was 56 years old.