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.

I'm trying to change the root of funk, trying to make it more progressive, more melodic and more lyrically structured.

Off stage it's cool-out time. You can't funk and roll ALL the time.

I wrote and produced millions and millions of selling records, so my publishing company alone was worth millions of dollars. I didn't have to work anymore in life because when the rappers started sampling... I'm the most sampled artist in history.

When I'm about Rick James, it's all about get out there and kill 'em.

I get some letters from girls that if their mothers knew what they were writing me in these letters, they'd get their butts whipped.

My music is pretty honest. I can't rap on science fiction. Punk is from the street.