To celebrate what would have been Rick James’ 76th birthday in February, VIBE looked at 6 iconic Rick James samples as part of their “What’s That Sample?” series. Here’s the first one for Cold Blooded and ODB’s “Got Your Money”, including the alleged backstory which I had no idea about:
[…] Legend has it that James was dating The Exorcist actress Linda Blair during that time. However, things took a turn when the Buffalo, NY native found out Blair was pregnant and got an abortion without his knowledge. Upon his discovery, the artist created this song as a response.
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Ol’Dirty Bastard linked up with Kelis and The Neptunes for a flip of the popular record. “Got Your Money” was the lead single for ODB’s second studio, Ni**a Please, in 1999. ODB’s performance and delivery at some points in the single mimic Rick’s as an homage. Pharrell can also be heard in the background repurposing one of James’ ad-libs for the top ten hit. “Sexy, Sexy,” Williams chants in almost a whisper.