A new clip from the forthcoming Rick James documentary Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James has been released – you can watch the excerpt below.

The Showtime film is aiming to take an “intimate yet propulsive look at Rick James, one of rock, funk and R&B’s most legendary and often under-appreciated figures”.

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Bitchin’ will feature rare footage of James, who died in August 2004 at the age of 56, performing live, as well as “never-before-seen home video, original interviews with legendary artists, collaborators and friends, and a treasure trove of recorded interviews with James”.

“The documentary presents a full picture of James’ dramatic rise and fall, focusing in on the ‘Punk-Funk’ music he left behind,” the synopsis for the film adds.

A new preview clip of Bitchin’ has been released by Showtime this week following its recent premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The snippet focuses on how James redefined funk music and made his way to the top, with Bootsy Collins commenting: “All is fair in funk and war.”

The film’s director, Sacha Jenkins, said in a statement: “The ‘wild’ side of Rick James often eclipses his musical genius, but the mathematical equation that is his life depends on all of the numbers to make a whole.

“Our aim was to create a balanced portrait of a brilliant artist who both chased his dreams and stalked more than a few demons. Still, his influence on funk and popular music and culture is unparalleled, and his eventual rise to the top is easily more compelling than any freebase rush.”

A release date for Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James has yet to be announced by Showtime.

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