When AllHipHop.com announced
this 5 part series, we like everyone else, could never have forseen this shocking
blow to the music industry, especially black music. Rick James had died.
Like Ray Charles, Rick James
was a titan that influenced several genres of music.
The first group
he was in was known as the Mynah Birds, which featured Neil Young and Goldie
McJohn (Steppenwolf..think ‘Born to be Wild’). He pioneered what was labeled
as “punk funk.”
Don’t let his statements
about Hip-Hop fool you. Rick was down with Hip-Hop back then. He released
a chart topping single on Reprise Records named “Loosey’s Rap,” a
number 1 record that featured Roxanne Shante.
Read this interview carefully.
Rick James is telling all of us something.
AllHipHop.com:
I’m unhappy with a lot of Hip-Hop music; I don’t even listen to tthe radio anymore. The corporations have taken over…
Rick: Universal
would have bought other corporations, but black rappers and dope money have
a whole other move in the industry. They have taken young black rappers through
dope money and have made them successful. I won’t have my child walking
around talking about, “N***er this , N***er that.”
AllHipHop.com:
All rappers aren’t like that…
Rick: Don’t
turn a blind eye, black music has always taken people to a spiritual and elevated
plane. Ever since Miles Davis, Motown, Earth Wind and Fire.
AllHipHop.com:
None of the positive Rap gets played on the radio anymore…
Rick: Music has
now taken another toll, man. Quincy was saying that music is sad. There will
never be another music that will come that will change the consciousness of
people. Every decade a musician comes that saves the world, and that’s
not happening now and its been over 20 years. I am a musician and I am excited
about hearing a group that makes me feel like I want to live again. But when
I go to a club and hear a rapper singing about, “N***er N***er N***er,”
and wearing their pants down pass their a###### it makes me sick to my stomach.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think the artists will eventually grow out of that and
change?
Rick: Hell no,
they are not going to grow out of it…. because they are going to buy cars,
and end up with their cars and out of the business. Rap changes so quickly.
I saw a kid on TV, Lil Jon, but he has got a mouth full of diamonds. I like
Kanye cause he is simple, I worked with him because the kid is simple and I
believe he has been touched. He released an album, puts God stuff in it, and
it goes number one.
AllHipHop.com:
I believe the corporate structure isn’t set up for positive influence
anymore.
Rick: It has never
been set up for that. Everybody out there is a duplicate. There is an artist
out there with a baldhead who sounds like Stevie Wonder. This is a very sad
state of affairs.
AllHipHop.com:
Do you think there is originality anymore?
Rick: Yes, Outkast
is making big money I think. Everybody else has baseball hats, and sings the
same. It’s incredible.
AllHipHop.com:
Who do you like?
Rick: There are
so many people that I like, I am talking now about the esoteric part. I think
Eminem is brilliant, I like Dr. Dre; I like Scarface, Tupac, Biggie Smalls.
But when I heard the Fugees album, I threw it out the window.
AllHipHop.com:
Your daughter is rapping now…
Rick: My daughter
is rapping about s**t that is positive. You don’t need no man to take
care of you, take care of yourself, b***h….she is running her s**t.
AllHipHop.com:
How are you going to help her?
Rick: By supporting
her and keeping her away from all the snakes. I think she is blessed. She asked
to use my studio, I said “for what? She said she just wanted to mess around,
I said well go ahead, I pass my studio and heard it banging. Didn’t even
know it was my own daughter. She has a song called, “Dad” that speaks
out my whole life.
AllHipHop.com:
Do u think she will be able to establish an identity apart from you?
Rick: My daughter
never did any drugs, she doesn’t do any drugs, and she is the total opposite
to what I am about.
AllHipHop.com:
You know they say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree….
Rick: Who the f**k said that? That is some one of those ridiculous things..s**t
is thicker than blood…you can take all those stupid things and stick them
up your ass! Life is about the love of God.
