Rick James - Hard To Get

What this video is

Released in 1982, 'Hard To Get' arrived at a fraught intersection of funk's commercial apex and systemic racial exclusion from mainstream music television. Rick James was one of Motown's most commercially potent acts of the era, yet MTV's de facto policy of excluding Black artists meant videos like this one circulated primarily through BET, Soul Train-adjacent broadcast, and retail promotional channels rather than…

Why it matters

As a single from Throwin' Down—Rick James's follow-up to the multi-platinum Street Songs—'Hard To Get' represents the consolidation of the punk-funk genre at the moment of its greatest mainstream visibility. The track reached #15 on the R&B chart and the video encapsulates the performative,…