Cover of the 1981 album Street Songs.
Street Songs was released on April 7th, 1981, with its hit songs “Give It To Me Baby” and “Super Freak.” “Give It To Me Baby” was released early as a single and had already topped the R&B charts in March and Street Songs managed to top the R&B charts in May. Another single on the album, “Ghetto Life” was known for its guitar riff, personal vocals, and having The Temptations as background vocals as well. “Ghetto Life” used a four-on-the-floor beat to help make it a danceable song while lyrics like “When I was a young boy/Growing up in the ghetto/Hanging out on corners” reveal a more personal childhood narrative for James. The song uses a strong bassline and horns, clapping in the background (reminiscent of girl groups), and a strong guitar riff to create the punk-funk sound that Rick James was known for. “Mr. Policeman” is another song that takes real-life experience and creates social commentary. This song’s lyrics criticize police brutality, a crime that had affected the African-American community for some time. The seriousness of the lyrics is contrasted by the jazzy, reggae style of the music. This song is also well-known for the harmonica solo performed by Stevie Wonder. “Fire And Desire” takes on a more romantic, slow tone with jazz undertones. This song features Teena Marie, whose strong vocals match James’. Their vocals take the forefront of the sound with a slow beat, bass guitar, and keyboard. Overall, Street Songs showcases Rick James’s ability to cover a wide variety of topics, timbres, and moods within his songs. He displays his skill for mixing genres to create his own unique sound, while also creating lyrics that many African-Americans could relate to. By simultaneously having his own sound and universal message, Rick James was able to reach a wide variety of people with his music, helping to increase his own sales and fame.
Go to the next page to look at an in-depth analysis of the music and music video of “Super Freak.”