The main title of this documentary directed by Sacha Jenkins comes from a sketch of Dave Chappelle’s old show still mourned on Comedy Central. He regularly recreated the anecdotes recounted by the Charlie Murphy comic; in one of them, the funk renegade rick james “I’m Rick James, bitch!” The sketch provided new visibility for James while also turning him into a cartoon.
But then again, James’ awkwardness formed his crossing line. visible career. This movie tries to make the case for James as a serious artist, social commentator, and funk innovator who never got his due.
To that end, the film spends considerable time on James’ roots in Buffalo, NY. Conway, a contemporary rap artist who is also a Buffalo native, talks about the city’s abject segregation. James’ enlistment in the Navy in the early 1960s can be seen as a desperate bid to escape his origins. It was an unsatisfactory situation. While escaping, he landed in Toronto and forged various musical alliances, including an R&B-inspired band with Neil Young that took many stylistic cues from the Rolling Stones. James was the lead singer, and as of this time, multiple interviewers say he deliberately imitated Mick Jagger.
The mellowing period of James’ wood-picking and parties gave way to “punk funk” hits of the late ’70s. One interviewee insists on a distinction between frat attractiveness”maniac“and deeply felt anger”ghetto lifeBut James’ flaws soon overwhelmed his art and destroyed his character. MC Hammer’s sampling of the early ’90s “Super Freak” led to James’ unexpected fall, which was taken over by James’ appetite. He died as an active user in 2004, despite spending some time in prison and several stabbings from which he was sober.
The movie wants the audience to believe that James’ job wasn’t easy, and James didn’t either. But he cannot overcome the deviant acts that led to his imprisonment. “Bitchin’” is a fascinating and disturbing viewing.
Bitchin’: The Voice and Fury of Rick James
Not rated. Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes. Watch on Showtime platforms.