The Sketchy Reason You Wouldn't Want To Meet Rick James In Real Life
History is full of musicians you wouldn't want to meet in real life, but few of those got that reputation because they might burn you with a crack pipe, as might be the case with Rick James. According to the L.A Times, James and his girlfriend were arrested in 1991 for allegedly imprisoning and torturing a 24-year-old woman they had met at a party. They reportedly burned her with a searing hot crack pipe multiple times during the three days they did not allow her to leave.
But, as James himself would say, "cocaine's a hell of a drug," and a drug-fueled weekend going neo-medieval on some poor, star-struck young woman was merely the low point of what Rolling Stone called his "inferno." The superstar that gave us "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me, Baby" fought a mostly losing battle up with drug addiction until his death in 2004. James said that the last straw was the death of his mother. "There was nothing to keep me from descending into the lowest level of hell," he wrote in his memoir. "That meant orgies. That meant sado-masochism. That even meant bestiality." Thankfully, James did not elaborate further on that last matter. He would go on to be notorious for his bad behavior on drugs.
The list of lesser reasons to have avoided Rick James
But Rick James didn't stick to torture and bestiality. He made sure to give people a number of reasons to hate his guts. Among the numerous famous women he claimed to have sexual relationships with was Jan Gaye, the wife of Marvin Gaye, who was James' friend and mentor.
Art historians can thank James for ruining what could have become a priceless sketch by none other than legendary Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. In his memoir, James recounts meeting Dalí at a dinner party in Hawaii. Enthralled by the look of James, the artist asked to draw him, completing the sketch in about 20 minutes on a napkin. He then gave it to Rick James, who pulled a wake 'n' bake the next morning, forgot it was in his pocket, and took the irreplaceable memento for a swim, turning it into an inky mass of pulp.
And, of course, Eddie Murphy's brother Charlie had his beef with James, as famously and hilariously told on Chappelle's Show, rounding out the reasons you wouldn't want to meet Rick James in real life.