Late funk music legend Rick James intersected through many avenues of culture throughout his storied career.
Growing up in East Buffalo, New York, Conway The Machine vividly remembers some of those encounters.
The Griselda rapper was among the celebrated guests for SHOWTIME and Mass Appeal’s documentary BITCHIN’: THE SOUND AND FURY OF RICK JAMES and shared his own personal accounts.
“OG Jimbo, that n-gga Rick James used to come through [the block], cop … getting right man,” Conway tells the show’s producers, alluding to “Mary Jane” singer’s notorious drug use.
Given the depth of Conway’s lyrical content, he remembers seeing Rick James as a star — and bad for business with his knack for making a scene.
“Pulling up in the limo with furs on him … bitches and shit with him, two-three cars deep and I was like, ‘Damn, n-gga, you gonna make my spot hot!’” Conway continued with a laugh.
“He was just one of them dudes that you didn’t want to fuck with. He was known for everything you heard in his music. Songs like ‘Ghetto Life’ and all that shit, that’s Rick James in a nutshell. And coming where we from, we all like that!”
Biz Markie Was More Than 'Just A Friend' In New L.A. Underground Hip Hop Documentary
Elsewhere in his trip down memory lane, Conway The Machine called his hometown one of the most “racially segregated cities” in the country. A June 2020 NPR titled “Can Buffalo Overcome Its Racial Inequities?” has the data to back the Drumwork Music Group CEO’s claims, specifying the city’s East Side is 92 percent predominantly Black, while African American family households make an average of $24,700 a year in comparison to their White counterparts at $44,000 a year.
The city’s overall poverty rate also stands at a staggering 30 percent, while the United States ranks at just 13 percent.
With a discography that dates back to the late 1960s before the formulation of Hip Hop, Rick James would still help pioneer rap’s urban storytelling and big mainstream ambitions.
One of his most well-known songs, “Super Freak,” was sampled for MC Hammer’s nearly double-diamond 1991 smash hit “U Can’t Touch This” while the 1981 single “Ghetto Life” Conway mentioned was remade by Busta Rhymes for 2006’s “In The Ghetto” from the gold-selling album, The Big Bang.
However, his biggest Hip Hop cultural imprint arguably came outside the music in 2004 when he starred as a semi-fictionalized version of himself during Dave Chappelle and Charlie Murphy’s Chappelle’s Show skit that coined the infamous proud-to-be-a-dickhead phrase, “I’m Rick James, bitch.”
The iconic comedic segment made light of the unruly and drug-filled behavior that permeated Rick James’ life once his recording career began to stall. In 1993, he was sentenced to three years in prison for the kidnap-torture of two women during a crack cocaine-induced rager and would go on to die at the age of 54 from pulmonary and cardiac failure.
BITCHIN’: THE SOUND AND FURY OF RICK JAMES features additional Hip Hop commentary from the likes of Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, James’ own daughter Ty, is scored by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, and is directed by Mass Appeal’s Emmy Award-nominated creative director Sacha Jenkins.
Watch the official trailer below.
Cuz I’m Rick James Bitch!!!!
The GOAT: Dave Chappelle. RIP Charlie Murphy
Conway lying like a MF. Rick ran the spot hot… Dude not even 40.
Why did they even interview him. He couldn’t have been old enough to be on the block considering he was born in ‘82!!! They let these dudes say anything to stay relevant. No possible way he ran into Rick James during his peak
He did use drugs right up until he died in 2004 so conway wouldve been 22 at that point. Rick was a legend in Buffalo that everyone knew about. My dad has some stories as he was one of the carpenters who built his house in orchard park, and I’m sure when ever he came home he knew right where to go to get his rock, which would most likely be the Eastside.
can’t front. his story seems a little sketchy, considering rick james moved to LA in the last 60’s-early 70’s & stayed there until his death in 2004.he did return to buffalo in 1977 to start a distribution company to sign talent from there, but he didn’t move back. super freak blew up in 1981 so he was constantly touring & in trouble afterwards for year, even going to jail for a portion of that time away. he came back to buffalo in 1997 for a VH1 documentary. during this interview, he was quoted as saying he could never move back to buffalo or his home in orchard park because the memories were too painful. i heavily doubt conway is telling the truth about interacting with rick james.
He ain’t lying. Used to see Rick all the time as a kid and I was born in 87. And Conway and them was eating like Avon and Stringer.
It’s only sketchy because of the times… but I remember being little and Rick James stayed next door to me on Cornwall street had bars on his window never really saw him tho… but like 4 times…
Conway goofy ass never seen Rick James in his life. Bruh would of been like 8 years old on the block lol. Another fake story from a fake gangsta lamo
A lot of dumbasses here, not even from Buffalo, hating on Conway, speaking on things they know nothing about. Conway was most definitely around while Rick James was still running around cracked out. These nobody internet gangsters make me laugh
Oh no your gangsta fantasy hero is an impostor like most rappers. So shocking! What I find crazy is that y’all idolize the fake gangstas because they are so gangsta and then talk $#!+ about these Chicago and ATL kids that are really gangsta… just stop idolizing gangsta altogether, specially you grown @$$ n!&&az!!!
Wow, a torturing crackhead is getting a documentary. Are these the people we want to pay homage to?
What does his drug use have to do with his musical accomplishments? Smh
Lmfao
He never said he sold to me, he was mimicking a dealer saying “you’re blowing up my spot.” Get off my YG’s dick.
Y’all not from b
If u from here u
know Rick would come bye anytime he was in town don’t speak on what y’all don’t know