FULL INTERVIEW: Ty James, Stokley, & Je'Caryous Johnson On Way Up With Yee + More

Ty James, Stokley, & Je'Caryous Johnson On Way Up With Yee + More

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
It's way up with Angela Yee. I'm Angela Yee, And
as a person who loves going to the theater to
see Broadway plays, off Broadway plays, plays in general, to
celebrate that type of art, I'm really excited to have
the team that is behind us and in front of
Super Freak The Rick James Story here with me today.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
We have Dacarious Johnson Entertainments. All right. We also have.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Ti James, who is Rick James's daughter but also the
president of the estate.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yes, yes, what's up? What's up? And we have.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Stokely who is starring in the play but also you
know him from Mint Condition?

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Does that bother you or you? Okay, okay, the Condition?

Speaker 2 (00:43):
But also a solo artist, also a solo artist, we
can't forget that, and a musician.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
So thank you guys for coming.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
So first, while people are listening, let's talk about Super
Freak the Rick James Story. It's a play, just to
be clear and so people can see this. The plays
been on tour. I know you guys were in d
T which is a lot. I actually heard a lot
of things about it from when it was in detrait
and that it's very you know, not censored. Let's just say,
because you can't have a Rick James story and censor that.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yes, absolutely, we have to give it to you real
and raw, just like he would like it.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
M hm.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
That's our that's our goal, and I think we've definitely
accomplished it.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
So was this always the plan?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Because ty I know you did the documentary right bitching
correct that came out previously.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
I know there's been other projects on Rick James.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
So was it always like, Okay, we're gonna do this,
We're gonna do the play, then we'll do the movie
that's going to be a biopick or something like that.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
So I would think it's definitely steps.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
I really go by how I'm led, you know what
my spirit says, being the only daughter and really the president,
you know, making sure that everything is really according to
his wishes. I know I have to make my dad proud,
and you know the world needs to see the man
that he is and always say is in the present tense,

(02:02):
because it's never was to me.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
His presence, his spirit, everything is still here.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Jacarrius, what made you decide to get on board as
executive producer?

Speaker 4 (02:12):
Well met Tye and Tye is fantastic, just an incredible
human being and most importantly her passionate about her father's legacy.
And the more I read about him, the more I
realized that we really don't know the man. You know,
he was relegated to kind of a Dave Chappelle's skit
and an Award show statement that kind of became the

(02:34):
language that defined him. And the truth is he was
so much more than that. And that's what this play
with music, I would call it more of a musical
because it has all his.

Speaker 5 (02:44):
Hits in it.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
It uncovers the man, you know, the journey, the conflict
and everything that he embodies.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Right, the complications of being the superstar who he was,
but also being a human being, but also pitfalls and
the music business.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
It's so much joy and pain and just the emotion
that it takes and that you have to actually possess
to pull this off. You know, between Jakarius and his expertise,
I'm sure this is even something challenging for him because
of the musical legacy you know that exists with my dad. Stokely,

(03:22):
just being able to embody, every element and every aspect
is just really blowing my mind. So it's almost like
we're reliving his life. It's really really crazy, stokely.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
I've read some amazing reviews about you playing that lead
role just because of the abilities that you have as
a singer and the rains that you have for you.
How intimidating is that though, because it is Rick James
and so the legacy of Rick James, you have your
own legacy in your own right. But sometimes it's hard
when it's somebody that's like a figure like that who's

(03:55):
also not with us anymore in the flesh.

Speaker 6 (03:58):
A musical hero to me. Roads you like, actually saw
him one time, didn't say anything.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
And that was so like, where did you see him?

Speaker 6 (04:05):
At Le Montrose in Los Angeles a long time ago?
Sidn't even checking in something like that.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
And that's a nice intimate hotel too. You can't act
like I didn't see.

Speaker 6 (04:15):
Rick James right here, you know, I'm reading a variety
of magazine or something like that. I saw him, watched
him see me, and he.

Speaker 5 (04:23):
Was like and I was like, oh, just like.

Speaker 6 (04:29):
All these rose colored glasses, these pink glass like man.
But I wanted to say something after him kicking myself.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
And that was in the days when we had cell phones,
you would have definitely been like, can we get a pick?

Speaker 6 (04:38):
Yeah. Later I heard he said some of the complimentary
things about so.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah, how could you not love men conditioned though, honestly,
oh my god.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Too many.

Speaker 6 (04:49):
He was the music dude, so I mean, come from
a band, so a lot of one of those things
everything identified with and just like yeah, I mean, it's
just we're just talking Earlier, I'm like, man, just so
a thrill about this whole experience, and it's been amazing.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
What would you say has been the most challenging part
for you?

Speaker 6 (05:08):
Diving into just trying to embody the character, the essence
you're trying to get because you know, he's an amazing
you can never you know, play a person and he's
his own thing on island, so you get as close
as you can, and trying to just embody you, like
I said, get the essence of what he was, all
the different ranges, because only as Jakari said, you know,

(05:29):
we only saw a few things. You know, some comedic
things we saw, and you know, seeing the thing on BT,
you know, it's just he's so much more than that.
So trying to really get into the spirit of that
and to make it believable. You know, it's been the thing.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
And there's also a lot of other famous people who
cross his path that are going to be featured in
this play when people see it as well. You know,
clearly he had a hit song with Smokey Robinson. He
also wrote Eddie Murphy's whole album, and everybody knows that
infamous story about how that was a bet with Eddie
Murphy and Richard Pryor a hundred thousand dollars that he
couldn't put out some music and then he went right

(06:04):
to Rick James and Rick James row Eddie Murphy a
whole album.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
You know how crazy that is. Did Richard probably ever
pay that one hundred thousand dollars? Do you guys know?
For you that's a good question all the way to
the top. But really anything, you know.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
My dad put his hands on just prolific writer, arranger, producer.
He embodied all three elements, which is you know, called
a triple threat, and that rarely even exists in this
day and times.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
And great haird is that people still do today?

Speaker 3 (06:36):
You know when people have that's the Rick James here, dude, Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
That's the beauty of the musical too.

Speaker 4 (06:43):
Because I feel like because he embodied all of that, Like,
that's what he was trying to say in the way
that we've told the story. That's what he's trying to
say at the end of it. When he's like, I'm
Rick James, it's like, put some respect on my name.
Understand what I did for the culture. Understand how I
really contributed, and don't forget that, right, you know, And

(07:03):
that's the point in this. We we need to celebrate,
you know, what what RJ did, and we need to
put some respect on his name. And when you see
this musical, you understand why.

Speaker 5 (07:16):
Right, you know.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
I mean, there's a lot of stories that people who
are listening, if they didn't watch the documentary, maybe they
don't know, but some of your favorite songs, like I
could compare him to Prince in a way that Prince
wrote songs for a lot of people that we love,
especially women too, right, because he was writing for Mary
Jane girls, you know, some of their hits. But then
they also were kind of in a competition with each other.

(07:38):
But Prince actually started out opening absolutely for Rick James.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
A lot of people don't even know that.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
What are some yeah, Todd, tell us some Rick James stuff,
because I feel like, you know, there's things that maybe
you learned while on this journey, even of doing the
documentary that you were surprised to find out.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
So for me, it's just always a learning experience when
it comes to my dad, because there were so many
facets to him, I would like to just emphasize the
fashion and just the vulnerability that he gave to men
to be able to explore themselves freely, you know. I

(08:17):
know that impacted a lot of people, from you know,
to Change to Travis Scott to you see all these
guys with the you know, leather jackets on, no shirt underneath,
tight leather pants, like just being able to embrace the metro,
you know, without necessarily being by or gay. And I

(08:38):
think that that is a beautiful thing that you can,
you know, explore as a man. And I really gravitate
to that just fashion, you know, sense an innovator in
that department, and you know, not to mention, I got
that from my dad.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
I love, love, love that. And you have some early
memories too.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
I mean I remember seeing that you would like step
over women in the Oh gosh, how embarrassing at like
fourteen fifteen years old on the way to school, walking
over like naked girls.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Like but like it's normal. You know, they've been partying
all night.

Speaker 3 (09:17):
I was like, oh wow, night's excuse me?

Speaker 2 (09:24):
And what were the dynamics few because we know he
was married, but then he also you know, Tina Marie.
Everybody knows that they or maybe they don't know. I
don't know what the real reality of the situation is.
But had their relationship but also made great music together,
like Fire and Desire. I mean, you can't even you
can't compare that music to today's music.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
Is like where is a ballot? Like that now? Like
I would love to see it. But it's funny that
you say that because a lot of people think Tina
is my mom. It's like, right, no, they didn't happen kids,
although you know, Alia's like family to me.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
That's Tina Maurice's only daughter.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
But they definitely had a love affair that could not
be denied, right, and that's for sure, And it came
out in the music, the chemistry, that dynamic. You know,
it's almost like a love hate because the angrier they
worried each other, the better.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
We love some dysfunctional music.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
And Jacarius so what are some other things that you've
worked on and really like drawing you into this project,
What was the process for you to say, all right,
let's get this done.

Speaker 4 (10:44):
Uh. You know, one of the things that I just
believe in is there's not a lot of people kind
of celebrating and submitting the legacy of you know, our
icons and people who came before. So part of my
mission is that is to be able to submit that legacy.
And you know some some are dead, but even while
they're alive, like be able to control that narrative so

(11:06):
folks don't go a wall with that narrative when when
you're dead and you know, and the state is forced
to do that. So this opportunity to tell Rick's story
and you know, the journey, the amazing journey and all
the conflict and all the things was just you know,
something that I couldn't pass up. And between that and
the movies and stuff that I adapt, that's kind of

(11:26):
my sweet spot. I did set it off, I did
New Jack City and now you know Super Freak. I
did Snoop Dogg's bio musicals called Redemption of a Dog
that where we toured around, So that's part of it.
I'm like, the people come to me to get great stories,
great craftsmanship, and and you know, stories told at the

(11:48):
highest level.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
And I left seeing us in those seats, like when
you go to the.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Their black audience, you know, to see Yes, I think
that's amazing. You know there's times that yeah, that and
and this is just something you could see on Broadway
because you know, I go to plays and I go
to off Broadway plays.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
But a lot of.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
Times it'll be like the night that they have Okay,
all the black people will come out this night, but
it's not consistent. Like what do you think is the
barrier or the disconnect when it comes to us, because
I do like things like this because it shows you, like,
what a great night out this is. Let's do this more, like,
let's go to the theater more and then also proven
that you can sell those tickets.

Speaker 1 (12:22):
Let's tell these stories more.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
Yeah, there's definitely a disconnect, and part of it is
is some of it is taste, some of it is
how it's being curated. Right when you see Rick James
super free, it's an experience like none other. It's electric,
people are talking back, it's a high energy, and so
sometimes there's a culture to the theater that exists that

(12:45):
you know, that doesn't necessarily make room for that type
of high energy, interactive nature. And I think Broadway is
trying to get there so and they're not telling stories
about us.

Speaker 5 (12:57):
I mean that's the truth.

Speaker 4 (12:58):
I mean, yes, there's that was Most Town, Yes that
was the Temptations, and yes that was Tina and you know,
and now what Color Purple, Like, we're getting real limited.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
I want to go see for Color Girls that came
and went so fast and went because yeah, people need
to go to the there there, but it made it
to Broadway.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
But then you got to also stay on Broadway. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah, so it's support, but it's also the experience and
you'll have a once in a lifetime experience. You're going
to walk out that theater saying that was a very
good time.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
Listen, I've been hearing such amazing things, and stukey back
to you. You know, we also hear a lot about
like publishing, and I know that's been a public thing too,
and then making sure that artists are getting paid. For
you coming into the music business, you've been doing this
for a while, you know, did you know anything like
for yourself personally about what you needed to be asking
for agreements, contracts like all of that. Were you able

(13:51):
to handle that in the right way. Some people feel
like you're always going to end up signing bad deals
at first and then you fix it later as you
go down the line.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
But what was your experience.

Speaker 6 (14:00):
Into the industry? Yeah, well, yeah, you know some things
and the rest you learn as you go, you know,
so you figure out what things you can cope with,
and if you do well a lot of that pretty
much that tops everything. So if you're doing, you know,
great records and it's you know, going to the top
of the charts, and you can always go back and renegotiate,

(14:21):
because there's why not if things are going well. So
but no, didn't know everything, but we knew enough to
get our foot in the door and make a little noise,
and you know, then we started shaking some trees.

Speaker 1 (14:33):
A little bit later. People say that you were so loyal.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
People had wanted you to do solo projects, but you
were like, no, I'm loyal to my group, you know.
So finally you were able to step out and do
that on your own. How does that feel and what's
the difference for you? And do you want men condition
to come back together and go back out.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
That's that's always open. I've never It's funny how whatever
you do, people always want the opposite.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
Here I am. Now, should I go back.

Speaker 6 (15:00):
Thirty something years together? It's like you should all the
whole time solo, So sol three few years solo. When
you're going back with the group, it's like, right, this
gout here, like you know, but.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
Much fine.

Speaker 6 (15:13):
It's human nature.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
I get it.

Speaker 6 (15:15):
But it's it's all beautiful. I mean, it's there's just
some things I've been able to do, not like with
not being with the group, you know, so I can
move a little bit differently, do business a little bit different,
and you know, it's just all the things. Everybody's an
individual in the group. So just have a chance to
kind of spread my wings and you know, just do

(15:36):
it the way I like.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
And it's interesting because you know, like you said, it
was thirty years ago, but now people may not even
know you from Men Conditioned. They know you as stokely
like people who are fans of you as a solo
artist may not realize that this is the guy.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
From Men Conditions too.

Speaker 5 (15:52):
It's true.

Speaker 1 (15:53):
That's dope, though.

Speaker 6 (15:54):
I love it, you know, kind of reinvent yourself and
you know, align yourself with some other folks that you like.
You know, I get the couple records with a few
people there Snoop is on the latest one with San
Koch and her is on there. The bonfires on there
while they on there. Okay, yeah, so befull circle with them,

(16:14):
you know. So and they since the beginning, like we
want you to do this for a long time. So
you know, it's been a lot of fun. So you
know this this whole thing comes up and it's right
in my backyard, righting my soundtrack.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
To approach you or did you like, how did this happen? Well?

Speaker 6 (16:29):
I heard about just came across my management desk and say,
you know, they're just Brig James thing going. It's like,
Brig James, what is that? I'm like wow, because I'm
such a you know, he's one of my heroes, you know,
you know, like we were just talking earlier, like Roll
skates to him and just he just he's in he's

(16:51):
in there, you know what I mean. So I feel
like it's been simmering the whole time and it's got
this opportunity and now the fire has been lit. And
this thing is I can tinue Car says it is
a ride, like seriously, we're talking about it, but you
have to experience it. So whoever's listening, if you miss it,
I don't know what to tell you. Yeah, it's really

(17:12):
an amazing ride. And I love you know that you
love unedited versions of things because that's what you're gonna
get good.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
It's real life. Yeah, because it's too much for it
to not be.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Absolutely, I mean, if this would have been like a
rated PG Rick James Sterry, I don't.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Think you can tell it right. Too much blood, too
much blood.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Now, Ty, When it came to handling the business of
the estate, how much was that a mess?

Speaker 1 (17:35):
Was it difficult? Like? How was that for you?

Speaker 3 (17:38):
So obviously you know my dad is a legendary, iconic figure.
His impact to the culture is massive. There's some some
super big shoes to feel and thank god I'm a
girl and they I don't have to have that big episode.
But just as far as this business is concerned, Jakari

(17:59):
Is and I when we started talking about it, it
just seemed to run smoothly. I got all the reads
and the fields, you know, between our attorneys. It was
never any really back and forth, I tend to move again,
how like the stars align, And even with Stokely coming on,
it's almost like it came into everything came full circle

(18:24):
because your cars.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
And I were sitting here twiddling our thumbs.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
Like, oh my god, Okay, we know, we know we're
doing this, but we don't know who's doing this.

Speaker 1 (18:34):
Yes, that was the biggest task and the hardest part,
you know, of all.

Speaker 5 (18:39):
So when s video say look at this, yeah, it's.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
Doing you and I because it set and boy boy,
it was like a light bulb moment, like, oh my god, yes,
thank you Jesus.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
Is that your favorite Rick James song? You and I?
That's mine?

Speaker 2 (18:58):
That's my favorite way, isn't it is? I mean, of
course I love Fire and Desire. I would say that
only because some of them are like a given right, right,
you know what I mean? So of course somebody's gonna
say that. Of course we'll say Mary Jane.

Speaker 3 (19:11):
But you know, it's so many like fillers that we
can probably re release that. I mean, great ballads, musical
love songs like It's it's really so much more to
my dad that you know, a lot of people know.
So that's what we're diving into and we can't wait
to show you.

Speaker 2 (19:30):
God, so are you the person that you would be
responsible for like clearing things if somebody wants to sample?

Speaker 1 (19:36):
Absolutely now, so do you say no?

Speaker 5 (19:39):
A lot?

Speaker 3 (19:41):
It depends on so basically they send the material because
we had to clear Nikki's you know, super Freaky Girl.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
Okay, thank god we did.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
But we know what the barb's coming out again? Lord,
you know they coming Yes, they do.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
But I mean it was you know, good in so
many ways. Again, multi million selling albums, so we're really
happy about that. And it just depends on the integrity
of the record, like as long as you know, the
music is still strong and it's not vulgar or you know,

(20:17):
offending anyone like we try to make sure we don't do,
but sometimes it doesn't happen.

Speaker 1 (20:23):
Can't help it, yes, exactly.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
So Now for you coming up though, because your dad,
like we all know, he had a lot of things
going on, So what were your early memories of him,
and then like even dealing with your mom and then
I'm sure she probably had a tough time being a woman,
you know, dealing with Rick James as her husband.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
Cops. What are some things that you remember.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
From that, because you know, somebody could be a great father,
but maybe not the best husband, or maybe she was
okay with it, and she was like, we have an understanding,
what are your memories of that?

Speaker 3 (20:56):
So he didn't come like into our life until I
was preteen, like twelve thirteen. My mom was like, she
kicked up dusts early. So that's how they really met
because my mom did all types of things that you know.

Speaker 1 (21:14):
We're not going to even talk about on it.

Speaker 3 (21:16):
You can come and see it in the place in
a short, long story short they met at an orgy,
so let's let's just start and you can imagine the outcome.
And we actually they share two children, so they're you know,
with serious love and I'm very very proud of that.

(21:37):
But you know, he had to do what a man
has to do. And sometimes when you're chasing your dreams,
you have the freedom to leave you know, the home
or the nest or you know, and then it's just
the woman's responsibility to make sure that the kids are
coming up. So you know, I had to do a
lot of forgiving in my mind on both on both

(21:59):
behalfs because I'm mad at her because like.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Wait, a minute. This man is a multi millionaire. We
live in the hood.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
We live in the ghetto, like you better go get
something hello, Yeah, And then you know with him, it's like,
how could you abandon your family? So it just took
you know, a lot of prayer for moments and just
again forgiveness in my heart. But some some crazy, crazy,
crazy rides along the way.

Speaker 1 (22:25):
What was it like when he did come back into
your life?

Speaker 3 (22:29):
Basically from like rags to riches almost We were raised
in the hood, in the ghetto all over la. My
mom did you know, the best she could with two kids,
and that sometimes meant not even eating at night, like
you know, but I still applaud her because she was
a hustler. That knock on the door was definitely life changing.

Speaker 1 (22:54):
Right.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
We were literally wiss off to New York in the
next couple of days.

Speaker 1 (23:00):
Can't even imagine what that must have felt like for you.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
This man didn't even know who his kids were because
he hadn't seen us. So we had a flight attendant,
you know, accompany us on the flight. So I see
him looking around like, because of course we know who.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
You are, you don't know who it was.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
It was really really crazy to going outside, and it's
like pick a car. There's the Limo, there's the ex Caliber,
there's the roads Royce, which one he want to I'm
just like.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
Whoa this is? It was all very, very overwhelming. I
know it looked like you wanted to say something. It
teaches you balance, you know.

Speaker 3 (23:41):
I really believe that you have to go through some
things in life and that might consist of, you know,
going without or a struggle, or it teaches you work ethic.
I'm glad I wasn't born with a silver spoon, because
you know, there's a lot of issues with that as well.

Speaker 1 (23:59):
So I do things happen how they're supposed to happen.

Speaker 3 (24:02):
Yes, Yes, And I believe that that's how you maintain
humbleness and being grounded in this business, to me is
very important.

Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yeah, there's a line in the show about him being
a rock star, and you can't have rock star in
the family. And that's kind of a dynamic for pretty
much every whether you're an artist, whether you're a businessman,
whether or whatever. It's like a woman wants a successful man,
but then she wants you at home, and that's always
a complicated dynamic between how do you go out there
and conquer the world and be all these things that

(24:37):
you want to be and that she wants you to be.
And then you got to but but you can't. It's
only so much time, right, You've got to give your
time to one or the other. And that delicate balance
is always a challenge for everyone. And so you know
her Tie's experiences is true in the sense of he's
doing what he has to do. Is this rock star
to make this, to make this happen, to show to

(24:59):
create that life that's life changing, that's racks the riches
to be that. But then you give up something, right,
You give up time, You give up some tenderness, you
give up some care, you give up you know, some qt,
some quality time you know, with your kids, in order
to achieve that.

Speaker 5 (25:15):
And I think if we all could figure.

Speaker 4 (25:17):
That game out on how we could balance it, I
think we all be a better human being.

Speaker 5 (25:21):
But in this.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Society that we live in, it's just the struggle that
we that we all have.

Speaker 5 (25:28):
I deal with it.

Speaker 4 (25:29):
I have three boys, right so, and it's always a
struggle to be a way for me to leave a
house and then my kids say, you're leaving again, daddy.
You know, my kids are here with me right now
in New York.

Speaker 5 (25:41):
You know what I'm say, you.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
Do a really good job of balance and that I
will say, let me take my hat off to you,
because I mean I've seen them multiple times at you know,
the shows, and they are very, very happy and healthy
and and that is just a good dynamic that you
provide for your family.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
And provide is a key word, like being able to provide,
you know, for your family is important. So it's not
like you're away doing things but then not helping out
the family and providing for them too. If you can
do both of those things like providing also make sure
they're involved, you know, so much important, that's.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
The ideal situation. Now.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
Earlier, you guys did bring up Dave Chappelle, So got
to ask you those Dave Chappelle's sketches with Charlie Murphy
talking about Rick James.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
You know, we look, did you find them funny?

Speaker 3 (26:35):
Oh my god, My dad and I would sit on
the couch just cracking up because it's not just that,
it's so many of those incidences that have occurred, and
that's real life. That's why it came off so great,
you know, for the viewers and the audience, because that's
really how they interact with each other. These guys just

(26:56):
walk up to each other. POWs are all serious like that.
You know, my dad has messed up multiple things in
Eddie's home and just like, oh yeah, I'll tourn it out. Yes,
more than the couch helped the Falcet out front. It

(27:17):
was always something and you know through that they they
found comedy. They had a dynamic that you can't even
it's irreplaceable, like the love they have for each other.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Like it feels like he must have loved comedy to
the people that he surrounded him with and so with
like you know, that's really funny to me. So he
must have really enjoyed like laughing, because you can't just
be hanging out with Richard pryor Eddie Murphy and absolutely
like my dad was low key a comedian too, I
feel like, and they gravitated to him.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
So in the manner.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Now, were there times that you were like, I don't
recognize my dad because you know, we do know it's
documented that he did have issues with drugs. You know,
he did end up going to jail where there are
times that to get told on you personally that you
witnessed or affected your relationship in any way.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
Absolutely. I was so angry when when that came out,
partly because you know, half of it was not true.
This is somebody that willingly, you know, wanted to participate
in a weekend party or you know, whatever they were doing.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
It lasted for three days.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
So if somebody does something to you in a violation,
you're not gonna be there locked.

Speaker 1 (28:29):
Up with them for three days.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
But the other part of that is, you know, I
had to be really understanding of his part, you know,
in the whole situation. So definitely angry for him putting
himself in that situation.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
For some reason, my dad thought.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
That I didn't know that, you know, he did drugs
as strong as he did. I've never once seen him
high other than you know, of course, taking some toots
or you know, smoking some trees or something like that.
But as far as the heavier things, that was definitely

(29:12):
really upsetting to me at times.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
And it has to be hard to because then you
see the media's perception of what's going on, and you
have your own knowing this man obviously you know, personally,
and then having to hear that and yes, you know,
I can't even picture what that must be like, even
in the show, because you know, we keep it so real.

(29:35):
I was talking to Jakaria and so I'm like, well,
you know, I really don't like this part, but.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
We're gonna have to. You know, I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (29:46):
And it's like we have to give you his life,
you know, the way that it was, and that you know,
that's important because I do feel like if somebody can
take something away from this as a learning lesson, as
an experience to you know that drugs don't only affect
the person that does them. They affect the family in

(30:09):
a way that sometimes is irreversible.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
So yeah, it gets difficult.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
Everybody got a demon. Sometimes it's drugs. Sometimes it's food.
Sometimes it's money, Sometimes it's gambling.

Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, it's sometimes it's all of it.

Speaker 3 (30:28):
So if I can just say that his contribution and
you know, the drug abuse, if I was to balance
those that falls so far under the radar the drugs
to me, you know, I'll take it, right.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
And I mean.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
They say in prison he wrote four hundred songs, right,
He wrote over a four hundred songs that.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
And also Pin too, you know, autobiographies on his life.
So this is depicted, not a made up story. This
is my dad's life that he actually penned, so we
kind of have the blueprint. It's not like falling out
the sky. That's what makes it so great too.

Speaker 4 (31:05):
Yeah, and he even acknowledged he needed prison at the time. Right,
It was the thing that changed his life, correct, got
himself together, got away from everything and isolate so that
he could rediscover his creativity, is passion, his purpose.

Speaker 5 (31:19):
All over again.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
So yeah, you know prison was a positive impact on him.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
And he grew up in Buffalo, New York. Right did
you spend time there too, or oh, yes, I went
to school there. Okay, it's upstate New York so it
was kind of like, you know, the burbs.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
So they said it was probably maybe seven African American
kids in the whole school.

Speaker 1 (31:44):
So definitely straightened me out. Okay, how to get it right?

Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yes, but I like that diversity because just being born
in Cali and then able to come to New York
at such a tender age, you know, it was NY
was variant, like influential in my life. Like I'm preteen, thirteen,
it's everybody, it's biggie. It's like you know, Eric being
brock him of like in the GEP and yeah it

(32:11):
was beautiful. So I love living in New York.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
And I'm stucky for you playing this, playing Rick James.
How has that affected your music?

Speaker 1 (32:19):
You know?

Speaker 2 (32:19):
Even just seeing how he does things, playing this character,
learning things about his process? Has that affected you in
any way as far as you as a musician, as
a writer.

Speaker 6 (32:29):
In process? Still, I'm processing it all because it's always
like I said, It's always been in me. But I
guess we have to wait to the next album.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
You know, when is that happening? Is that almost done?

Speaker 6 (32:42):
Write when I'm in the room, you know, when I'm
on vocal rest, I'm always painting stuff and got my
little studio with me.

Speaker 1 (32:47):
So do you write for other people too? Do you
write for other people?

Speaker 6 (32:50):
Yeah, dude, I'm going to be doing more of that,
Okay for sure?

Speaker 1 (32:53):
Yeah that makes sense?

Speaker 6 (32:54):
Yes, all right?

Speaker 2 (32:55):
Now, how can people find out these days? So they
can go see super Freak the Rich James Story.

Speaker 4 (33:00):
They can go to super Freak Rick Jameslive dot com. Uh,
super freaklive dot com. Then go to the King's Theater.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
They can go to uh this is Ty James. I
G Anything you type in Rick James. Oh that's.

Speaker 2 (33:20):
I just want to say you are so beautiful as
his daughter, like I see your I see his features,
but beautiful, like just to see you and see how
you're handling business. We love a boss woman, so like
amazingly beautiful too.

Speaker 6 (33:35):
Congratulations on the show.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
Asking if I like girls, Well, thank you guys so much.
And is this something that you see really like being
on Broadway, because I think Broadway could use this and
I know that's how it can start. You go out
on the road, you tour and then you know these
are classic songs like forever songs.

Speaker 4 (33:58):
Uh, it definitely can be on Broadway. We just want
to right now, we're on black Way, right, which is
telling black stories across the country, and and uh, it's
it's the it's the roadmap, okay, so we believe that
once we see it, we give the stamp of approval,
we give the support and the word of mouth, then
our pathway, too, Broadway will be supported, feued and fired

(34:21):
up by us.

Speaker 5 (34:22):
So we could really give it to them.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
And then what about the biopic? Oh girl, you know
that's Brelling that is on the way.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
You would not have to wait too much longer. I'm
trying to see if Stokely gonna play r J.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
All Right, well, thank y'all so much, honestly, like I
really appreciate it. May suw y'all go back, check out
the documentary Bitching, and then also go see the play
when it comes to it sitting near you or travel.
That's a nice trip to plan around to go see
it with everybody. All Right, it's way up