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Before Prince, Rick James was the artist on the edge of funk, with his hard-edge grooves underpinning tales of urban street life. Although James has not sustained the superstardom he enjoyed in the late '70s and early '80s, his hooks have turned up as samples in rap-era hits, most notably M.C. Hammer's "You Can't Touch This," which was entirely built on James's "Super Freak". Starting with such dance floor classics as "You and I," The Ultimate Collection" is a party record, packed with pop hooks, funk beats, and James's rock-inflected vocals. An impressive collection. --Skip Heller