Rick James

Great. Another book about Jesus. Whose agenda will the author be lugging along this time? Author Rick James begins by clearing his throat. Free of creeds, quarrels and specialized theologies, he speaks of Jesus. No dogma, no politics, no moral at the end. Jesus. What he said. What he did. And what, exactly, was the point. The answers about Jesus, according to Rick James, are in the context. In his own unconventional way, James recalls the specific contexts that color Jesus' story, bringing forward this man you've heard so much—and so little—about.

What Did He Say? What Did He Do? What's the Point?

Jesus Without Religion

David Ritz

A posthumously published self-portrait by the music artist best known for such songs as "Super Freak" discusses his musical youth as the nephew of Melvin Franklin, his creative associations with fellow artists and his brushes with the law.

The Autobiography of Rick James

Glow

To be asleep is to be oblivious to being oblivious. The danger of sleep is the danger of carbon monoxide: it's colorless and odorless, and you're anesthetized before you know it--before you ever hit the floor. And for the follower of Jesus, it's just as dangerous--because the Christian who is "asleep" is spiritually unreceptive. If anything will be our undoing, sleep will. In this thoughtful, engaging, challenging book, Rick James dives deep into the New Testament's teachings on spiritual wakefulness, calling Christ-followers to defy the darkness and remain awake as they await Christ's return. Because being awake--continually in prayer, watchful for God's will, expectant of open doors, cautious of sin, desiring to serve, eager to repent, continuously giving thanks, willing to witness, embracing of humility, overflowing with kindness, persevering in obedience--changes everything.

Wide-awake Faith in a World Fast Asleep

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“We operated perfectly legally. We considered ourselves philanthropists! We supplied good liquor to poor thirsty Americans ... and brought prosperity back to the Harbour of Vancouver ...”—Captain Charles Hudson At the stroke of one minute past midnight, January 17, 1920, the National Prohibition Act was officially declared in effect in the United States. From 1920 to 1933 the manufacture, sale, importation and transportation of alcohol and, of course, the imbibing of such products, was illegal. Prohibition was already a bust in Canada and it wasn’t long before fleets of vessels, from weather-beaten old fish boats to large ocean-going steamers, began filling their holds with liquor to deliver their much-valued cargo to their thirsty neighbours to the south. Contrary to popular perception, rum-running along the Pacific coast wasn’t dominated by violent encounters like those portrayed in the movies. Instead, it was usually carried out in a relatively civilized manner, with an oh-so-Canadian politeness on the British Columbian side. Most operated within the law. But there were indeed shootouts, hijackings and even a particularly gruesome murder associated with the business. Using first-hand accounts of old-time rum-runners, extensive research using primary and secondary documentation, and the often-sensational newspaper coverage of the day, Don’t Never Tell Nobody Nothin’ No How sets out to explain what really went down along the West Coast during the American “Noble Experiment.”

The Real Story of West Coast Rum Running

Don’t Never Tell Nobody Nothin’ No How

This super-freaky collection contains 12 top hits from the King of Punk Funk, plus a biography. Songs: Can't Stop * Cold Blooded * Dance Wit' Me * Ebony Eyes * Give It to Me Baby * Glow * Loosey's Rap * Seventeen * Standing on the Top * Super Freak * Sweet and Sexy Thing * You and I. Includes photos.

The Best of Rick James

Best known for his 1980s hit songs “Super Freak,” “Give it to Me Baby,” and “Mary Jane,” the late singer and funk music pioneer Rick James collaborated with acclaimed music biographer David Ritz in this posthumously published, no-holds-barred memoir of a rock star’s life and soul. He was the nephew of Temptations singer Melvin Franklin; a boy who watched and listened, mesmerized from underneath cocktail tables at the shows of Etta James and Miles Davis. He was a vagrant hippie who wandered to Toronto, where he ended up playing with Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and he became a household name in the 1980s with his hit song “Super Freak.” Later in life, he was a bad boy who got caught up in drug smuggling and ended up in prison. But since his passing in August 2004, Rick James has remained a legendary icon whose name is nearly synonymous with funk music—and who popularized the genre, creating a lasting influence on pop artists from Prince to Jay-Z to Snoop Dogg, among countless others. In Glow, Rick James and acclaimed music biographer David Ritz collaborated to write a no-holds-barred memoir about the boy and the man who became a music superstar in America’s disco age. It tells of James’s upbringing and how his mother introduced him to musical geniuses of the time. And it reveals details on many universally revered artists, from Marvin Gaye and Prince to Nash, Teena Marie, and Berry Gordy. James himself said, “My journey has taken me through hell and back. It’s all in my music—the parties, the pain, the oversized ego, the insane obsessions.” But despite his bad boy behavior, James was a tremendous talent and a unique, unforgettable human being. His “glow” was an overriding quality that one of his mentors saw in him—and one that will stay with this legendary figure who left an indelible mark on American popular music.

To be asleep is to be oblivious to being oblivious. The danger of sleep is the danger of carbon monoxide: it’s colorless and odorless, and you’re anesthetized before you know it—before you ever hit the floor. And for the follower of Jesus, it’s just as dangerous—because the Christian who is “asleep” is spiritually unreceptive. If anything will be our undoing, sleep will. In this thoughtful, engaging, challenging book, Rick James dives deep into the New Testament’s teachings on spiritual wakefulness, calling Christ-followers to defy the darkness and remain awake as they await Christ’s return. Because being awake—continually in prayer, watchful for God’s will, expectant of open doors, cautious of sin, desiring to serve, eager to repent, continuously giving thanks, willing to witness, embracing of humility, overflowing with kindness, persevering in obedience—changes everything.

Wide-Awake Faith in a World Fast Asleep

Beth Ley

Reuniting Body and Sole

Arch Enemies

To fans of sassy and savvy urban music, the name Rick James will forever be associated with the mainstream emergence of funk—that bottom-heavy blend of rock and soul that sparked a multiracial musical revolution in the 1970s and 1980s and has since influenced everything from rap to raves, punk to progressive rock. Along with the fame, the Grammy Award, and superstardom came drug abuse and even felony convictions, all of which are chronicled in this gripping, posthumous tell-all of the funk revolution.

Memoirs of a Super Freak

The Confessions of Rick James

We talk a lot about resurrection. What about the death that must come first? Through story and biblical insight, Rick James reminds us that when Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, he is describing a path of death, not a path to death. Giving up our own plans in order to meet someone else’s needs. Allowing God to shape our dreams, even as we lose a relationship, a job, a hoped-for future. Being alert to these daily opportunities to die to ourselves is how we discover that every act of dying, done in faith, leads to spiritual growth. As we learn to embrace the little deaths of everyday existence, we lose our taste for lifeless religiosity. Our appetite for a thriving, vibrant life in Christ grows—and our own experience motivates others to live out their extraordinary mission on earth. In truth, death is not an ending. It is the only way to experience abundant life.

Rick James

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