A biography for Rick Jameshasn’t been written yet.
“I believe everything happens under God's plan anyway.”
“I love rap.”
“I'm finally locked into the now, and it's great.”
“I was angry about the fact that my father would beat my mother on a daily basis, that my mother would take it in turn and beat on me. I was an abused child. I was mad about all those things, very bitter and very angry.”
“I just live one day at a time.”
“I'm trying to change the root of funk, trying to make it more progressive, more melodic and more lyrically structured.”
“I had always been a free spirit and always gotten what I wanted.”
“I mean, Rick James was just a man-made image, the image I created. Just trying to live Rick James almost killed me.”
“I was going to get drafted, but I didn't really want to go into the Army.”
“I wanted to play the Apollo because I didn't think I was going to be on the earth long.”
“I'm really not tailored for responsibility.”
“I'm too old to do crazy things anymore.”
“You can't have rock and roll without drugs, you can't have rock and roll without sex.”
“I think rap definitely has its place in the art world. I think it is an art form. But, just like any art form, you can misuse it.”
“If anything I consider myself non-violent, I'm from the hippy era, peace, love, groovy.”
“I love kids.”
“I don't have aluminum foil on my windows anymore.”
“I went to India, lived, and studied.”
“After I saw Kiss on stage, I wanted my show to look like the fourth of July. The persona of Rick James was wild and crazy, sex, drugs and rock and roll.”
“I'm a long way from Ike Turner.”