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.

Now is my time. Everything I've done up to this point is just a warm up. This is where it all begins.

Prison was a blessing. Going to prison was the greatest thing that happened to me. It showed me that I wasn't infallible. It showed me that I was just human. It showed me that I can be back with my ghetto brothers I grew up with and have a good time. It taught me to cool out. It taught me patience. It taught me that I didn't ever want to lose my freedom. It taught me that drugs bring on the devil. It taught me to grow up.

Anybody that's old and closed-minded does not like Rick James... They don't like the fact that I'm free and I'm wide open.

Whether you're rich or poor, life's still cold-blooded.

KISS hammered home the importance of high drama...I decided to design my show with the same goal; I wanted my fans to remember my show for the rest of their lives.

I try to make the audience forget all their problems -- for an hour and a half or so get them out of themselves, and space, and time, and consciousness.