Just Blaze gave the music of the late Rick James new life in 2006, when he made comeback track “Kingdom Come” for Jay-Z. Using elements of Rick’s “Super Freak,” which were already the basis of MC Hammer’s smash hit, “U Can’t Touch This,” Jay had a red carpet re-entrance to the game.

Well, Just’s appreciation for the Motown Records star, Eddie Murphy producer, and early collaborator of Neil Young goes well beyond the hits. In this new “Legends + Pioneers” series, animation traces JB’s words in describing the braided hit-maker’s impact:

Related: Here’s a mix of a lot of the music that inspired the G-Funk sound. You’ll find music from Bootsy Collins, Parliament, Funkadelic, Cameo, The Gap Band, Slave, Teena Marie, Rick James, Zapp and many more