AllHipHop.com: I would like to congratulate you, because it seems as though you are making a comeback and you are all over the place now.

Rick James: Yeah, I am definitely resurfacing in the world of entertainment. Back into the “bump and grind.” I am very happy about that, it feels good. I am learning a lot and I have matured a lot. I have a son, I have a family and I am taking life a lot more serious now.

AllHipHop.com: What are your plans, you would say? I know you have the movie coming out…

Rick James: Well I have the movie we’re working on that’s coming out and the book Memoirs of a Super Freak which is an autobiographical book. It was a great thing for me to do the writing, and that happened when I was locked down so it was very introspective, as far as my life is concerned. It gave me insight on musicians, a business aspect, as well knowledge on drug addiction and all that stuff.

AllHipHop.com: So you wrote it while you were incarcerated?

Rick: Yes I did, I wrote it while I was in prison, got a chance to look introspectively at myself, and it was like therapy.

AllHipHop.com: I want to speak a little bit about Dave Chappell, because he has infamously parodied you…

Rick: He is making a lot of money off of me, that son-of-a-b***h…

AllHipHipHop.com: He just resigned with Comedy Central for quite a bit of money…

Rick: I know.

AllHipHop.com: What did you think of the skit, I mean obviously you were part of it but…

Rick: I laughed, I think it was funny, it was satire, and it was fun. You know people are too serious about things nowadays. A lot of people were expecting me to get offended, f**k no! Dave is a good friend of mine. So is Charlie Murphy, and I actually lived that life and to look at myself now, and to look back on my life and see how insane I was, is pretty funny to me. I used to do things like “I’m Rick James b***h!” and kinds of stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Oh you really used to say that?

Rick: Of course I used too. “Show my your t*ts b***h” and all that stuff, it was my world and I was the king of it. So if you lived in it, and you didn’t do what I said, then get the f**k out! When I look back on it, the insanity of it all; the drugs- when I made the statement about “Cocaine is one hell of a drug”- cocaine that was the foundation of our party atmosphere, it was about that.

AllHipHop.com: What about the whole drug scene, some rappers are experiencing those kinds of problems…

Rick: One thing about rappers that I have noticed is that most of them smoke blunts, and that’s their big thing. But they smoke a blunt and they can’t remember their rap. So that could probably be worse than cocaine. You don’t really see a lot of rappers using cocaine; it is kind of a phased-out drug for them. Maybe because they saw their mother and fathers go under or there is some kind of psychological ramifications that they’re dealing with, but not lot of rappers use cocaine.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever do crack or anything like that?

Rick: Crack is for poor people. *who is that?*

AllHipHop.com: There are some rumors that DMX is having problems with crack.

Rick: Well, I hope that DMX is all right and I hope that it is just rumors. Basically, cocaine is cocaine, and a drug is a drug. But people don’t realize that the biggest drug in the world is alcohol, that’s worst than cocaine. This drug that eats up 5-6,000-brain cells every time you take a drink, that do not replenish themselves. There is a lot of money in that too. And tobacco, now those are serious drugs.

AllHipHop.com: Yes, but you are talking, business now.

Rick: Yes, but cocaine is business too…but if you want to talk about a serious drug, alcohol that is the number one drug.

AllHipHop.com: Right, I feel you on that. Business rules America.

Rick: The THC content in marijuana eats away your endorphins; it trains your endorphins to act totally different. So that is like not a good thing, alcohol kills thousands of brain cells in a single drink, I mean we have billions, but still. Cigarettes destroy your lungs. So if you think about it, you walking down the road and the guy on the bus is smoking a pack of cigarettes, then what can you really do that is healthy? I mean everybody is an addict for something, few of us will admit it. I am not in denial about my addiction I live it everyday.

AllHipHop.com: As corny as this sounds, I am addicted to candy, personally. I drink juice to get my sugar now.

Rick: Candy is a horrible thing. Because of the sugar content there is a risk of diabetes and all that you know.

AllHipHop.com: Are you touring or anything? I know that you and Teena were going to tour…

Rick: Me and Teena been on tour since November…

AllHipHop.com: I thought it was a great thing when she got signed to Cash Money Records…

Rick: I don’t know how great a thing that was. I think it gave Cash Money legitimacy that I don’t think they had because Teena is a legitimate talent. But she is very old school, she isn’t Missy Elliot or Beyonce and I don’t know if Cash Money can necessarily produce her. *I agree*

AllHipHop.com: Her album in its first week sold more than Ghost Face Killah’s Album did.


QUOTE
Rick: But her whole album has not sold more than 180,000 records, so something is wrong somewhere.

*Preach!!!*

AllHipHop.com: It is very hard to get somebody over 30 on these music video channels.

Rick: Let me tell you something, old school stations are the largest stations in the country. There is a bigger window when the Temptations put out an album it goes double platinum, this show you that people in their 30’s 40’s and 50’s don’t give a f**k about rap. I mean do you think people in there 40’s and 50’s go out and buy a Snoop Dogg album? Think about it. They are buying Temptations, Miles Davis, and on and on. They are not going to go out and buy f**king Eminem or Britney Spears. So there is a very large window out there starting at 30 to about 60. That’s millions and millions of records. If there wasn’t, I would give up and I wouldn’t be releasing this double album. The album has a chance because young kids don’t run it, old school stations do.

AllHipHop.com: New Edition was on the radio and the program director came on the radio to say why they wouldn’t be playing much New Edition, because their demographic stops at 25.

Rick: New Edition, I don’t consider new edition an old school group. I mean New Edition opened up for me. But I don’t consider them your quintessential old school group, like the Commodores or the Ohio Players or Frankie Beverly. They come between a very strange line, they never had giant record sales that could compete with us. I mean we were selling stadiums out with this stuff, and that’s a big difference. So it a fine line who play New Edition. Bobby broke out for them, Bel Biv Devoe and on and on. The demographic for New Edition would be very hard to assess. With Rick James it’s simple if you like music, I make millions of dollars a year with not even recording.

AllHipHop.com: Where does your money come from?

Rick: Mary J. Blige, had a number one record last year with Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez, Old Dirty Bastard, Will Smith, LL Cool J. That’s where it comes from.

AllHipHop.com: How much money did you get off of Hammer “Can’t Touch This”?

Rick: I don’t know 30-40 million dollars. It was an 80/20 deal; it ‘s the largest selling Rap record of all time. We sold like 100 million records.

AllHipHop.com: That’s crazy…

Rick: Yea, but it isn’t anymore crazy than opening a magazine and seeing Puffy Combs or Master P are the richest young guys in the country. That’s insane and these guys don’t know anything about music. Master P told me, “Ricky if I had a fingertip of your talent,” I said, “N***er, you already have 700 million dollars!” Puffy is sitting there not doing a thing, putting your face on everything making 800/900 million. In our day, we couldn’t release our record, and distribute them, we had to deal with the Mafia or major companies. If we made $1.75 we were doing great, that’s why I charge Motown one million dollars an hour. I was one of the first blacks to get a million an hour. But that’s because I know that if they steal five copies, they are going to charge you for such and then be part of RIAA. So I said if they are going to f**k me, then I am going to make sure that I get paid. But it’s a big difference now; these kids are sitting on 600/700 million dollars for records that will never get recorded again. You think anybody is going to re-record 50 Cent? You think there is going to be a standard or something for Eminem? Frank Sinatra has been here since I was 3 years old, he has to be about 80years old and he is still going strong.
[This message was edited Thu Aug 5 9:06:11 2004 by Harlepolis]

That was a good interview. By looking at him, you would think he's all wigged out, but he obviously knows what time it is. Interesting point about Teena Marie being signed to cash money. Her album really should be bigger than it is. She just needs a team with some vision. Whens Ricks album supposed to drop?

Sobriety is a hell of a thing...


That man knows how the business works and knows how to get his. Can't hate that!

I love Rick James. He can tell it like it is and not give a damn who likes it.

Rick meant Frank Sinatra's MUSIC is still going strong, right? 'Cos the man's been dead for awhile.

Rick: One thing about rappers that I have noticed is that most of them smoke blunts, and that’s their big thing. But they smoke a blunt and they can’t remember their rap. So that could probably be worse than cocaine. You don’t really see a lot of rappers using cocaine; it is kind of a phased-out drug for them. Maybe because they saw their mother and fathers go under or there is some kind of psychological ramifications that they’re dealing with, but not lot of rappers use cocaine.

What'sa matter with kids these days, they don't use cocaine no more?

FunkMistress said:

I was thinking the same thing.

Damn, 80/20 to Rick or to Hammer? shoulda known that was the biggest selling.....

found1 said:

I've been wondering why Teena's CD isn't getting the proper promotion it deserves.There wasn't even a video for the first single,even though the song was getting massive airplay! And where is the second single? By now,the song "Honey Call" should be all over R&B radio and BET! Her album is superb and it had alot of momentum.Will Cash Money just sit back and let it fade away?

Here's another one from Eurweb:

BUSTIN’ OUT: R&B legend Rick James is literally too many things. At least for me. After we wrapped up our very spirited phone interview session yesterday, the funk music maestro who delivered such hits as “Super Freak,” “Cold Blooded” and “Give It To Me Baby” threatened me. “If I read some sh@# where you take everything I said and turned it around, I’m gonna come and get your little ass. Me and you are going to dance all night. Okay! You may find that funny, but we gonna dance hard.”
Alrightee then.

Now some of you may be asking: ‘Why are you interviewing that washed up has-been?’ or commenting: ‘Nothing can come close to the top-rated VH1 “Behind The Music” special where he spilled the beans on all of his drinking and drugging’

I beg to differ.

I’m always up for the challenge in bringing a new spin to a story. Especially one like Mr. James’s. And since I’ve never chatted with him, and we have so much in common (we’re both huge fans of song stylist Nina Simone and can’t get enough of White soul singer Teena Marie), I thought that would give credence to some talk time. And then again, it is called The Ru Report. Translation= I do what I want to do.

And of course Rick James is current. He’s constantly touring – going out on dates this July with Mary J. Blige, Al Green and Millie Jackson. His music is still being sampled (most recently by J-Lo and Ja Rule with the chart-topping single “I’m Real.”). He recently made some “not so nice” remarks regarding chart-topping R&B “It” girl Alicia Keys on national radio.

And he has a new CD out.

Well, the saying “What’s old is new” rings true in this case. The folks over at Universal Music Group, surely becoming a leader in reissued music, released the definitive 2-disc career compilation, aptly titled, “Anthology,” this week.

As first reported here, the 28-track collection tells the musical story of Rick James (nee James Johnson) with newly digitally re-mastered selections, equaling more than 2 1/2 hours of music. “Anthology” begins in 1978 with James’s first recordings with the Stone City Band on Motown and continues through his brilliant theme albums to, and for the first time on any James collection, 1988’s “Loosey’s Rap,” his #1 R&B hit for Warner Bros. featuring Roxanne Shante. Compiled with James’s assistance, the package also includes an essay by acclaimed author David Ritz and rare photographs from the Motown archives and from James.

I assure him that there won’t be any editorial maneuvering, here; just a straight-up Q&A. Warning: It’s long and it’s raw. Just the way some of us like it. Well…at least ‘long.’

So here it goes.

How does it feel to be immortalized once again with another Greatest Hits collection?

“The only thing immortal is God.”

What makes this set different from all the others?

“This is the first time for any sort of anthology for me. The good thing about this one is that I could partake in the kind of music I wanted to hear. I couldn’t do that before.”

So what do you have to say about lowdown Motown?

”You got to understand that when Motown was really beginning, those were the days when people would’ve paid to have a hit record. The Temptations, The Supremes and The Four Tops, all they cared about was music. I don’t know what Berry Gordy’s agenda was or the people who were around Berry. There were a lot of people that left broke. And I wasn’t going to be one of them.”

Well, after some of you the earlier artists were raped and robbed, it’s a shame that some of these artists today still aren’t writing and producing.

“I think you’re wrong on that. I wish I would’ve known in those days what people like Dr. Dre, Master P and Puffy Combs is doing now. Unfortunately, it was a different time. Payola was against the law. Now, it’s part of the establishment. So now you don’t have to write a real song. You just put together some fabricated rhythms and dupey ass words and make millions of dollars. That’s because of the consciousness of the people. There is no consciousness of spirituality out there like there was in the old days. I mean, when you can get away with saying words like n@#%& and bitch and ho’ and ‘I’m a stick by d@#% in you’ and all that s@#%, ‘Back that ass up’ and sell a million copies I think something is wrong.”

So where did it go wrong?

“I think it deals with evolution. Me and Quincy [Jones] had this same talk not long ago. And we both sat there talking and we found ourselves very pessimistic about the music scene and the outcome of the conversation was that music has always been a part of the consciousness of the people. In Japan, in Rome, in Africa, politicians would walk around the land just listening to the music and govern the land by the music. And you had your Elvis Presleys and your Mozarts and the Sinatras, the Beatles and on and on. All of those people changed music consciousness. Now we have a very negative thing going on, with White kids are hearing that word ‘n@#%&’ and think they know what it means. And they’re expressing it and Black kids are running around using it and making lots of money and saying bitches and hoes. I think that it’s taking Black people back and music back 5,000 years. It’s a shame. I have nothing against Black people being rich. I have nothing against that. I am pro that. I came out of the ghetto myself drinking Cristal. But one thing I’ve never done, and you’ve never heard me call a bitch or a hoe. And I puff mary-janes (marijuana) and maybe some people agree with that, and maybe some people don’t. Although I did a lot of cocaine, I never told people, ‘Yeah, everybody just snort!’ And never said women are bitches and hoes.”

Well, you did call them ‘Super Freaks,’ a term that’s still being used.

“‘Super Freak’ was a song man. ‘Super Freak’ was a song about a scenario, a situation. It didn’t say bitch and hoe, okay? It said the kind of girl that you don’t take home to mother. A woman could have leprosy and my mother would love her. My mother was a saint. She didn’t give sh@#. If she was a hoe, a junkie or anything, my mother would’ve loved her and welcomed her into the home. I was writing for the establishment. If a guy meets a girl and the girl isn’t presentable fashion-wise or verbally or she doesn’t articulate, you wouldn’t take her home to your mother. So you take the one with the bouffant and the one who articulate and that’s the one you bring home as your lady. That’s what you go out and catch. If you go into a bar in New York and a girl is chatting and going, ‘Oh, Alpha Beta Psi and I’m getting my hair done tomorrow and did you read the Daily Column 6’ and if you get another girl saying, ‘Damn, I need me some d@#%, I want to find me a mother-f@#%&$ who’s gonna eat this p@#%&,’ which one are you going to go for?”

You’re crazy.

“I’m real.”

How would you self-describe yourself?

“Real. I’m telling you what I feel because the situation of it is that it’s not a laughing situation. It’s a very serious situation with what’s going on out there right now. I mean we got politicians that have stopped music programs. All over the country.”

What do you think about Michael Jackson calling Tommy Mottola ‘the devil’ and teaming up with Johnnie Cochran and Al Sharpton to stop what they call “Superstar Slavery?”

“I haven’t heard too much about that. But Tommy Mottola, David Geffen, Clive Davis, Suge Knight or any other president of a major record company are, as far as devils when it comes to money because they will sell four of your records and pay you for one. Especially Motown. Especially Motown. Now I don’t know the statement of how Michael was phrasing that as far as Tommy Mottolla, but Tommy’s a genius, Berry Gordy’s a genius, Clive Davis is a genius…these are all geniuses.”

The people who are making the music are geniuses too. You guys.

“I don’t consider myself a genius at all.”

What do you consider yourself Rick, besides “Real?”

“I’m a good songwriter, not a bad singer. A genius? No. Mozart was a genius. When he was three years old, composing. Stevie Wonder is a genius. To walk over to a synthesizer with more holes in it than Monica Lewinsky, and program it, that’s a genius.”

You need to do a comedy album.

“Music and life has become a f@#%&$ comedy.”

I’m serious. You’re like Dolemite.

“Drama, Dante’s Inferno? It’s bullsh@# ass comedy. When a person can sing a song about how long his d@#% is and rub a bitch’s ass, and go ‘Whoop De Whoop’ and get a hit record, now that’s scary.”

Now what’s going on with you and Alicia Keys?

“I don’t know. She calls her album, ‘Songs In A Minor,’ and all of the songs are in E and D. I don’t think she knows her grammatic skill, personally. I think she’s ‘The Gong Show.’ When she did the Donny Hathaway song in front of millions of people and fucked it up, that just goes to show you right there what’s going on…What about Rachelle Ferrell, or Lalah Hathaway? What about all these serious bitches that can really sing? Alicia Keys? Because Clive Davis eats the best See’s Candies and gives the best whatever, and wants to show Whitney [Houston] that she ain’t shit, yeah, he’s going to put his effort in Alicia Keys.”

Now, what do you think of Whitney?

“I love Whitney.”

Is she going to come back? Strong?

“If God is willing she will. I pray she does.”

What about Dirty Diana?

“Who is Dirty Diana? (pause) Oh that’s the song Michael made.”

About Diana Ross.

“Oh, Diana Ross is far from dirty.”

What have you been drinking? I love this energy.

“Diana Ross is one of the finest people I know.”

So have you visited her in rehab?

“No, because she has to deal with her issues by herself for a while. Like I did, and just like a lot of people have to do. You can’t get visitors coming in and giving you adulations while you’re trying to learn yourself. Diana Ross was one of the greatest talents out there. And she never said she was a great singer, but she was a great goddamn diva.”

So you’re writing a book?

“Yeah, I am. ‘Confessions of A Super Freak’ We have four or five [publishers] trying to get dibs on the book. Right now, I’m working with Suzanne De Passe because she’s going to do the movie.”

And you’re doing a musical. What’s up with that?

“Yeah. How did you know that?”

Hey, I’m psychic. Call me Mister Cleo.

“Well then you’ll be Fake. You’ll be fake, fat and full of shit.”

You’re horrible.

“I’m honest. You believe in Cleo?”

No, it’s entertainment.

“You want to know about clairvoyant people? You want to know about people who tell the future? Read Yi Ching because it damn sure ain’t that nappy head, wannabe Jamaican, Los Attitude bitch.”

(Laughing hysterically at this point) Wait a minute. Wait one minute. You’ve gained some weight. How do you feel about that?

“By the way, I think you’re wrong. I’m looking very slim and trim these days.”

No, I saw you at B.B. King’s with your belly hanging out.

“You know what. Did you mention that to Luther [Vandross] when you interviewed him?”

You’re horrible. You really need to do a comedy album. Are you always like this early in the morning?

“When I’m doing an interview with a person asking me about people who twenty years ago, wouldn’t have shared the same stage with The Bar Kays, yeah. I try to express what I’ve always expressed, man. Just like during the Prince days. I don’t bite my tongue. You have never heard me do it and you never will. And that’s why people relate to me because I am truthful about this shit. That’s why I was able to create the Mary Jane Girls, because they spoke honest sh@# about love: the pain of it, come and get it. They weren’t bullsh@#ing. You know what I mean? They weren’t Vanity with ‘Give me nine inches or more.’ Prince ain’t never seen nine inches.”

What happened to the Mary Jane Girls?

“What happened to them is, during the time and the height of their success, I had a serious addiction and I couldn’t be there father, lover, brother, manager and everything. So I put them in the hands of someone else and that f@#%ed it up because they needed me and I wasn’t there. But you know what, that’s okay. So JoJo [McDuffie] goes out now and she’s fabricating The Mary Jane Girls with three other girls. But she’s getting ready to be sued by me and Mary J. Blige, so don’t you worry about it. You could read it Page Six.”

Now tell me about your musical?

“What do you want to do know about it?”

What’s the name of it and when can we see it?

”It’s called ‘Alice in Ghetto Land.’”

Are you kidding me?

”It is called ‘ALICE IN GHETTO LAND! It’s a white girl’s experience in the ghetto. It’s a very positive show. And I’m working with David Talbert, who’s tired of doing bubble gum musicals and wants to bite into something real. And most likely, Teena Marie will do it. If she does it, it might be a little bit of trouble. Mariah [Carey] could get away with it but Teena is Alice. Teena went through the ghetto. Any white girl with as much soul as Teena Marie, survives with 80,000 black people holding up candles when she comes on and white people doesn’t even know who she is but she sells platinum, yeah that’s Alice.”

Now you stated that you always wanted to sing “God Bless The Child.” Will you ever do that?

“Ummm, that’s a hard question because I’ve heard so many people and I’m not real confident in a lot of standards. Yes, I would if I did a jazz album, which I plan on doing one day in my life.”

Now, new music, you’re working on new music everyday. When can we hear something?

“I got enough material to last about ten years. Real soon. As a matter of fact I’m negotiating with some people later on today and tomorrow. I’m taking my time because there’s like no need for me to rush. As we speak you’re hearing me. Ja Rule and J. Lo or whether it be Ol’ Dirty Bastard, you gonna hear Rick James and that’s the great thing is that they keep the legend living. I really wish they knew how to play instruments so they can take black music to a another level.

Well, Alicia is playing the piano…

“Yeah, in a key of A flat, right? Try playing one of those songs in A flat.”

The album is called “A Minor?”

“A Minor, A Flat…we call it A Flat. A Minor my ass. Minor is giving her an A-Plus”.

You don’t cut these new kids no slack, huh?

“I got a 13 year old girl in Buffalo who will take Alicia Keys eat her up and spit her out like a suppository. I’m not saying her name because she’s underage, number one, and her mother a friend and won’t let her get in the business because she’s in church.”

It’s not no R. Kelly business, right?

“I said she’s a friend. Have I ever been known to be a pedophile? I don’t think so. The women that I’ve gone out with are adults. I don’t ever hang out or f@#%ing with a 14 or 13 year old girl in my life. I f@#% with a lot of other things, but not a baby.”

What is going on with our celebrities?

“It’s this music that’s going on. Why Slick Rick was in jail for murder? Why Puffy Combs got a murder wrap? Why Snoop got a murder wrap... It’s the f@#%ing music industry that they’re in. There is no spirituality, no realism. No wonder Mase quit. I love that boy.”

Would you ever think about doing what Al Green did and go gospel for a little while?

“I did a Christian album, but I’m not Christian. If anything, I’m Muslim-oriented, which I’m studying. Whatever Allah is planning for me, it surpasses what I do musically and what I say and what I play. I don’t just talk about sexual things in my records, I talked about nuclear warfare, I’ve talked about the government dropping nuclear waste in Black ghettos. I’ve talked about politics. I just don’t talk about sex. My name ain’t Prince. And I’m not just a funk artist. I take when someone says that as derogatory. I do classical music, I do African, I do Latin, I do Indian, I do Japanese, I do Country, I do Blues, I do Rock. You’ve never heard an album of mine with just funk. If you have, then you haven’t listened to Rick.”

After all of this time, do you have any regrets?

“Yeah, I should’ve become a gynecologist. When you have this kind of job, you can get into the job, go home and relax. You don’t have to take the job with you. I got to take music and I got to take all this adulation…it’s not me. Rick James was an alter ego that I created, a long time ago. And he was meant to be a person that could say and express, and wear braids, and teach blacks about their history and their legacy in a way that was dance music. That was my plan, to teach using dance music.”

So who’s the real James Johnson?

“I have no idea who I am. I learn a little about me everyday. I used to think that I knew me and I used to think that I knew everybody else. And then I found out that I didn’t know anything. And I’m finding out more about me everyday, the things I like and the things I don’t like. The things I don’t like, I work on them everyday.”

Do you get back to home Buffalo at all?

“No, I don’t because Buffalo is too much of a negative and a dark city. My nephew was just murdered there last year. So Allah and the spirit tells me to stay away from Buffalo. And I do. I follow that.”

Well you made it to 54. And you’re still going.

“Well age ain’t nothing but a number. And I made it through OD’s and it was all through the grace of Allah. He’s the one who has a plan for me. He’s the one that won’t let me go, even in the times when I want to. He’s the one that under such a depression that I wanted to take a gun and blow my brains out, because I’m very sensitive to the world and it hurts to see a lot of things that are going on.”

Who would you like to record with that you haven’t?

“I would love to work with Paul McCartney, and Ravi Shankar.”

Well, I would pay to see you and Nina Simone.

“Only if Nina Simone was any kind of condition that I would love to see her in. Last time I met her, she had just came back from Switzerland and I guess they let her out of the asylum for a while. They had locked her up. She came to my show and I was really humble and honored. She was very flattered that I knew her and so much of her material and so much about her life. She was way ahead of her time. I would’ve loved to have worked with Nina Simone.”

Any new people?

“There are a couple of people out there. I love Maxwell. I love D’Angelo and what he’s trying to do. I wish he would do what not what people expect him to do. Maxwell is a great concert. It’s so hard because there are not a lot of youngsters out there who are doing real music. When I did ‘Urban Rhapsody,’ I did Snoop Dogg, and Rappin 4 Tay and blah, blah, blah, and my crowd of people didn’t like it. The radio stations that play me didn’t play me because they don’t play rap. And I had a thing about that. I felt like that was copping out. I felt really bad. And I’ve also worked with Bobby Womack which was a great thing. It’s really hard to say because I’ve worked with the greatest. When you write a hit for The Temptations, and work with Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. I’ve already tasted the caviar, why would I go back to pork chops.”

How has your past perils, trials and tribulations shaped your current state of mind?

“It made me more aware of life, people and situations. You could say, I've grown-up a little. About time isn't it?”

In concert you reflect about your near death and paralysis experiences. What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned?

“This lifetime is so f@#%ing short, I could leave this planet at anytime. The temporary paralysis had nothing to do with drugs. No, it was not self-induced. I look at my stroke as a blessing. God's way of telling me to relax and chill.”

R.I.P.