Rick James: A Rare Interview from '88

The great Rick James giving an interview in '88. The guy's on form!
very funny! haha! I forgot I had this, I haven't seen it for at least 13 yrs!

[@bufufubu]

i saw prince in concert the week rick james died and he played the guitar riff to "give it to me baby" for what seemed like forever during his show and told rick to rest in peace. i think there was a friendly rivalry for sure, but also mutual respect. both men are great artist.

[@d-d-i]

The more I investigate about Rick James, the more I like him. I mean, this guy was so ahead of his time with that video. Nowadays, those type of music videos are standard stuff. And he said the thing people should always remember: If you don't like it, turn away from it. He nailed it, what a magnificient guy.

[@jason6rr38]

Dirty Deed Indeed Me too! Just find him so fascinating after chappelle and that compelled me to do so

[@louisebotos7321]

Read "Glow" ,you won't be able to put it down ..

[@stevehunt914]

YES! - i was just about to say that! ^ I read it in 2 sittings. You could tell there was too much to fit in 1 book. The story of him experiencing live music for the first time from within the hidden confines of his mothers over-sized coat was especially touching.

[@ceciliawells1099]

Dirty Deed Indeed me too .68

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

Dirty Deed Indeed yea, burning women with crack pipes shows great character. Being a narcissistic, sociopathic, arrogant, drug addicted asshole who habitually abused women makes him a really great man. His redeeming quality, appearantly, is that he made a music video about bitches and money.. Real original stuff there, black people never did that before him. Yes let's all have our kids be like Rick James.

[@mmafan3]

Rick had an deepness and intellect that many, sadly never gave him credit for.

[@axelnussbaumer]

Yeah, I've been watching old footage of him tonight. Never realized how smart he actually was. tbh, I had always suspected there was still some intellect left in the Dave Chappell days -- it was just buried deep under the long term effects of heavy drug use.

[@louisebotos7321]

very true....sad

[@peacefreedomandwealth]

I haven't had aby problems with seeing he was inteligent and articulate.

[@preo2]

It's just to bad that Rick and Prince couldn't get along. Can you imagine the music they could have made TOGETHER? Those two in the studio together would have made history.

[@wildone8838]

Prince couldn't get along with no one ,Rick James , Michael Jackson , Morris Day , Jimmy Jam nobody

[@youdontneedtoreadthis]

I don't think Prince was a good collaborator and very willing to share the spotlight

[@snapcrackle4077]

Brutally honest. I loved that about him. Spoke his mind, from his heart. These are a few characters of a true artist

[@erniejr]

I just finished reading Rick's book and I had a great admiration for him before now I see him as a real person. He says what is on his mind and writes his music from the real...

[@FireitupBedford]

Today marks 4 years that we losted the King Of Funk Rick James. Gone but will never be forgotten. Great music he left behind for us. R.I.P my friend.

[@Holydrawz]

He wasnt high he was being real tellin it like it is.

[@1954telecaster]

Yeah but he was also high. Very high.

[@Nic560]

He was always high 😂

[@errcoche]

I love Rick's stuff - I still can't stay sat down when I put one of his songs on. He seemed like a real charming guy, a smart guy as well. A pity who couldn't get a handle on the drugs. Still he left us this great funky music that will be with me til the day I die.

[@jamest927]

BET & MTV would not play some of Rick's videos saying they were irresponsible and sending the wrong message. Now MTV is pretty much teen age soft porn and BET has some pretty ridiculous programming too.

[@ikeabuchi1]

Lololol isn't that called hypocrisy?

[@fashionerdxo]

Rick James and Prince were both bad asses so of course they bumped heads lol. They were both awesome.

[@undergroundrailroad4946]

Artist always "bump heads" at the top but have more than enough room on the bottom. The story doesn't change even though this entertainment does. Very peculiar how corporations don't have this condition of animosity but then they have the capital not the talent'

[@denmark555]

Prince stole a lot of shit from Rick James, Rick was out before him, and was groundbreaking.

[@slofever512]

@@denmark555 facts

[@1954telecaster]

“Don’t watch it. Turn the TV off” Rick James unironically giving some good advice.

[@ironpirites]

To me the great thing about Rick James was that he never pretended to be a "yo, yo, yo" dumb guy. The worst thing about him, I think, was too much coke for too long. Very intelligent, creative guy.

[@tdsafff]

"Yes. There were thighs and buttocks being shown. Ha-ha-ha. So what?!""

[@miriamray2271]

he just doesn't give a shit and I love it,like he says you don't like it,don't watch it,turn the TV off! use some common sense! RIP Rick! love you love you love you

[@tylerlucas1936]

Rick James was a man ahead of his time. The world needs people like him to help it grow up.

[@normabracey8379]

Rick was " Always " real.

[@Gestureye7x]

SO WHAT!? Rick James, he's a master!

[@_thepoet68]

everyone saying that he's high in every video and shit must not have much of a personality

[@saxenas]

u basically need to act unconfident and like a white person to be accepted by the US society

[@gerikara]

HE is a true musician

[@tdsafff]

At Rick's memeorial service, Sherry Carter from BET gave a speech about Rick and said of all the people she and Donnie Simpson had interviewed over the years - which was just about everybody in black music - Rick alone was the one that was a TRUE STAR.

[@timmy841212]

Rick James always kept it real. RIP.

[@JBG84]

Good interview and he spoke well. My respect for the man has grown.

[@ericstrickland9866]

Rick was awesome. Kept it real

[@tru2thagameav]

wow this is fucking brilliance. you are immortal Rick

[@firedrum71]

Prince had a more diverse and consistent catalog of work throughout the first 20 years of his music. He owned the 80's with 10 great albums each with their own unique aesthetic.

[@casparwijn]

+firedrum71 yeah It's funny how Rick james disses Prince and then ten seconds later we hear his new record which sounds like a fake Prince song... Oops..

[@InfiniteRhombus]

fuckin right, rick james was nowhere near close to being on princes level

[@cle-chi]

Prince stole from Everyone

[@michaeltruthson6262]

Ok damn Dave Chappelle had this dude down pact.

[@michaeltruthson6262]

I meant Dave captured Rick James when he impersonated him. From his voice syntax, his mannerisms and over all swag DC studied Mr. James to the tee.

[@SkinoGreeneVu]

you gottta think..this is the guys chappelle grew up on...it would be like me impersonating dmx lol

[@tigner1]

Rick was as Funny as he was Funky. His book will have you laughing all the way through. RIP Rick, you will always be the King of Punk Funk.

[@tdsafff]

I was there at Rick's memorial service in Los Angeles August 2004. Sherry Carter who used to host Video Soul with Donnie Simpson on BET gave one of the eulogies. She said of all the famous people she and Donnie had interviewed over the years - which was probably everybody who was anybody in black music at the time - Rick was one of, if the not the only, the ones who she could honestly say was TRULY A STAR. Everything he did, on and off camera, had overwhelming cachet and star power. RIP.

[@Funkateer79]

He was and still is the innovator or inventer of freedom in music & its videos! So many copied/bited him in his style & words. He's the Greatest, may he rest in Funk-Party all the time-Heaven. Let's make party for him, as he did for us in his influencing funk-music. Thanx for postin' that rare interview. Best wishes to all from Germany!

[@astheskylarksings]

wow... what a good person. nice to see the real side of him

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

Cool interview, thanks for posting it. Rick was a lot more intelligent than people remember him for being.

[@MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Thank you!! He was one of the few artist who won lawsuits against the label. Gladys Knight & the Pips, Teena Marie and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas had sued and won.

[@marchbabi323]

SO WHAAAT?!?! LOL! Rick was the man! #RIPRICKJAMES

[@FireitupBedford]

Rick was openly true about his addiction unlike Prince who hid his. But it finally caught up to him......

[@chelsearogers1289]

B Taylor, If you didn't know Prince personally, you have no right to accuse him of being some closet drug addict. And you don't have to be a drug addict to die of an overdose. They really want people to believe that after 39 solid successful years in the business, all of a sudden Prince had an uncontrollable drug addiction

[@Niamh2012]

What has this got to do with anything on this video? Boring irrelevant speculation. Stop projecting

[@mastere1737]

@@chelsearogers1289 yeah its possible

[@dantedlane2]

@@chelsearogers1289 well him dying from a overdose...kinda fucks up what your saying

[@areguapiri]

Rick destroyed his career at its height due to drugs. Prince did not.

[@VallyreMusic]

Loved his funky music...

[@OmarScruggs]

this was clearly before they went to 4 straight superbowls

[@79SteelyMatt]

The mark of a true legend is when you ask -Was there ever anybody like him before he came around or after he was gone?The answer with Rick James is no- a truly original talent who did things his own way and with only the flair that Rick had.Rick disses Berry Gordy rightfully so, but Rick was receiving $75,000 per month from Motown from 1985/1986 on so those words he says are not totally true.He must have snorted millions worth of cocaine in his day.Rick was awesome and totally classic and funny-"I'm Rick James bitch!!"That says it all.

[@slimdudeDJC]

I agree with on this. Maybe what he said about Motown was true in part. The old school Motown peeps were still doing well when he came along. Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, etc. Admittedly, some of those and others like them started with Berry Gordy so maybe just the symbiotic relationship between he and them rewarded them financial solidarity. Just maybe. At any rate, those who became dissatisfied like Rick left just as he did. That's what anyone would do. Berry Gordy wasn't/isn't an angel. Neither was and especially not Dick Griffey(Unsung - Shalamar), or Norman Whitfield, who incidentally came out of Motown as well(Unsung - Rose Royce) It wasn't a Motown-Berry Gordy shifty attitude, it was a record company CEO attitude. They all did it and still do it. Remember, there are two types of people; those who hate the game and those who play it. Take a guess who the winners and losers are?!

[@casparwijn]

+79steelymatt " Was there ever anybody like him before he came around or after he was gone?The answer with Rick James is no " is there a reason you crossed this one out? i was going to suggest you check out George Clinton or rather Bootsy.. James is a watered down unfunky ( motown/disney) version of Bootsy..

[@79SteelyMatt]

casparwijn Actually sometimes You Tube does that for some reason I haven't figured out why they do that-he was a more watered down version for sure I like Funkadelic and George Clinton much more than James-he was one of the first to have that bad boy persona and use it to his benefit that's what I really meant but by what I wrote it isn't very clear that I meant that-sorry for the confusion

[@casparwijn]

+79steelymatt no apologies needed! I was making bold statements again.. the internet does that to me.. actually Rick aint all that bad.. He's cooler than I could ever wish to be.. so yeah ;-)

[@zoesdada8923]

79steelymatt I don't think he was snorting much of it.

[@techbro404]

Dan akroyd once asked rick james to do the soundtrack for his movie dr detroit, to which rick declined. Dan akroyd lives near me, and the first time i met him, the first thing i asked about was rick XD

[@messiahblack4816]

Gotta love Rick, that was my cat. He contributed to Hip Hop and we respect his legacy and his zero fucks given attitude.

[@Brokephi316]

Thanks for the post, the last time I saw Rick was in 1980 in Memphis, Tennessee. There is more to the story with Rick and Prince because he really hated Prince. Thank you, Rick, we still miss you.

[@williemo44]

When they do a Rick James movie, it will be an awesome story. Just as long as they dont fhuk it up!

[@jameskeane1990]

''He just licked the whole side of her face man...AND SHE WAS WIT IT!'' - Charlie Murphy

[@FireitupBedford]

RICK JAMES. THE KING OF FUNK FOREVER.

[@drlove259]

Rick James was the shit and way ahead of his time. Super interesting person to say the least.

[@nonni139]

Not many stars would say Hello to mum as Rick did when he once was being interviewed on a tvshow.

[@magdelinna]

He had many hits and wrote songs for many people, but you haven't done your homework. He wrote songs for famous people at Motown b4 he started his own band. He also was in a band with Neil Young. Dance wit me, Bustin Out, You and I, Coldblooded, etc Check his hit list. He did drugs from day one, had he not he would have lasted much longer, but don't say, he was a 1 hit wonder. If u knew all songs he wrote u wouldn't say what u said.

[@blainearrieta5462]

magdelinna yup love his albums. Track to track i would hear them he was a fucking great artist

[@conniehollins3185]

I don't know which song came out first. But Loosey's Rap and Jungle Love sound similar to me. I can also hear Why you wanna treat me so bad, Sexy Dancer and Wanna be your lover. Similar guitar licks. So Prince was obviously influenced by Rick. I had the pleasure of meeting them both. Great guys. May they R.I.P

[@magdelinna]

Rick James was pure funk! Which I love. He also had a stronger voice and better voice than Prince, whom I like also. In Fire and Desire with Teena Marie, he saw slow jams fantastic. I hated when Prince wrote Raspberry Beret and songs of that nature. That was kiddy songs. Horrible. Purple Rain, Baby I'm a Star, they were to me, great songs, not the stupid ones. Rick James, is a funk man and if u love funk, u luv him, if not, so be it, but u can't compare the two. Chocolate and Vanilla.

[@vburd62]

she said late seventies....super freak came out in 1981

[@artistarj]

Prince is funk when he wants to. Check specially his live stuff. But Prince can be very pop too, play some rock, etc. Both are great. For me they were some of the last ´true funk soldiers´.

[@Bones4rm716]

Lmfaooo 'they are famous for chicken wings and a TERRIBLE foot ball team" years later that description still stands for Buffalo

[@itinavarait]

716sOwn Bones 😩😩😭😭😭

[@hmngbrd]

He's superfreaky, Yow!

[@Niamh2012]

So what. Exactly. Too much programming to turn sexuality into shame. Love this

[@Brokephi316]

That was because they could not stand each other when they toured together in 1979-1980. Rick is the O.G. of R&B & Punk Funk!!!

[@heyroz27]

Dang! He put Motown on blast, LOL!

[@rufus317]

Not only that but Jill Jones too. She started out as a backup singer for Teena Marie and Rick James both. You can hear Jill Jones on "1999" "Erotic City" and "Little Red Corvette".

[@VENUS.SE7EN]

Rick was sexy...he was a freak as we all know already. He was biting that lady's legs and I was crackin' up. I love how he "picked Prince up". That was funny.

[@MastersGraduate2023]

I wish I went to Rick James concerts and received his autograph when he was still alive. Rick still had so much to give until he ended his life. That woman paused on Five: Thirty Nine is the actress, Kelly Rutherford. I'm I right? I loved her character in the TV drama Generations as Sam Whitmore.

[@3alarm247]

He spoke his mind, that's for sure.

[@mario6sic6]

"dont like it, dont watch it" well said rick

[@areguapiri]

Rick was a hard core drug junkie at the time of this interview. He admitted it in his own book.

[@macmoney2043]

Pfttt ,look past the drugs

[@MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

He was smart to form his own publishing company which is how he got his royalties.

[@Wridde23]

Berry Gordy decided to release Rick from his Motown contract due to Rick using drugs during his Motown days so he jumped ship to warner bros. (Prince's label)

[@JesseWorld1000]

Thanks for the video, the part about Prince metting Rick james when he was little known was very eye opening.

[@stratman457]

Rick is the man and Prince took from him big time !!

[@frankfisher3011]

Rick took from Prince far more though. He literally stole Prince's entire Purple Rain look

[@wtb0]

You are on point!!! In fact, Rick mentions this in his bio--Confessions of a Super Freak that Prince opened for him and took alot of his stage show!!! Rick's bio is a must read!!! There's a part in their when Rick says that he grabbed Prince by the hair and pour some Hennessy Down his throat (as a joke) and Prince spit it out LOL!!

[@heatherholyland9218]

SO WHAT !!!! ....you gotta love this guy,

[@deannawitt9376]

Rick i miss u❤❤

[@dominicmutua7371]

RICK JAMES SEEM A CLEVER GUY. HE DID NOT CARE, HE HAD GUTS, HE WAS DIFFERENT AND THAT'S WHY HE MADE IT BIG. HE WAS REAL AND JUST DID HIS THING. HIM AND TEENA MARIE WERE THE MOST INTERESTING ARTISTS ON MOTOWN RECORDS.

[@ctreid89]

Yo Rick James was badass he aint give a Fuck what anybody thought

[@jelinaangel]

Wowo this guy has his screwed on the right way...u go Rick...RIP.

[@blachubear]

DAM!!! We keep hearing the same thing over & over again about Motown. I don't understand why Smokey Robinson defends Berry Gordy the way he screwed over so many artists. Sure Gordy created Motown & made history but he should treat the artists that made Motown what it is better. Rest in Peace Rick.

[@MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Thank you. Now u see many of today's music videos with more hotter scenes than the ones in this video

[@funkazoid2511]

just like Rick...freaky funky interview...may the funk be with you

[@hdressler1868]

It was real back in the day. Not like today with all the offended people and claims of misogyny and all this hatred and racism of the last 6 years. We were going throughthe motions working things out. People talked it out came to mutual understanding and respect. Had consideration for each other, Black White Puerto Rican everybody just a freakin', good times were rollin. It wasn't perfect but it was better than it is now. Where did we go wrong??? Rick, Prince there will never be another like them. I'm glad to have enjoyed the musical fruits of there journey.

[@FireitupBedford]

You know it's a damn shame that the media can't even get that right. Superfreak didn't come out in the late 70's. Please do your homework first...

[@joshtj44]

The guy lived his life and had fun...isn't that what we all want?

[@notynoty7526]

At least he can admit he was jealous of Prince's success.

[@TallSomeone]

Going back to the Temps! Who else had that respect that was young on the scene? Rick James, boys and girls. He had respect and vision.

[@Pirate7X]

Pure gold, thanks Stevenarada. But uh, 'Superfreak in 70's'? The damn credit plainly says 81! MaryJane was the 70's. Clear, honest truth Rick. Rock on...

[@FireitupBedford]

SO WHATTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@samsaint11]

"har-har-har.. so wat?" im rick james bitches its a celebration

[@musicman195959]

Really now. I beg to differ. I was in agreement with you but the snooty ''then Prince went into Overdrive and that was that'' comment stopped me. Step up to the roundtable,sit down and let's talk about this. My favorite entertainer of all time is James Ambrose Johnson Jr. Bring it.

[@TheMadMax1000]

Love this guy.

[@scatterman66]

classic more please i cant get enough

[@UltraPOPDJ]

LOL @ the late Rick James when he simply said "So What"!

[@grunekc]

they seem to make you but they break you -rick james

[@BlueDolphin2011]

i love this guy

[@kool79]

The pride of Buffalo, NY!

[@mgiebus1869]

"Yes there was thighs and BUTTOCKS being shown. HAHAHA so what"

[@destineemariedeatineemarie7304]

RIP Rick James 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗😍🥰💘💘❤️🥺🥺🥺🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🥺🥺🥺🥺🙏🏿🥺🥺💜💜💜💜

[@RequiumFrost]

wow new respect for this man, all i new of rick james was chapelle

[@rickjames21]

He seems a whole lot more sober in this compared to when he was older...

[@CotardDelusion]

I had no Idea he toured with prince. I always thought prince ripped him off a little. I love prince too though, hes amazingly talented, but it seems prince ripped off ricks use of sexuality in the records and music videos.

[@363Magi]

"Welcome to the China club! Cha-chang-cong!" "Darkness motherfuker~~"

[@plprz]

artists don't keep it real like this anymore.

[@MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Thank you.

[@AndrewsOpinion15]

R.I.P RICK JAMES !!!!!!

[@Money-dn6uq]

A very interesting artist I feel doesn’t get enough credit as he deserved