Hustling on the Streets of Toronto
After his release from the Portsmouth Naval Prison in August of 1967, James went back to Toronto. By 1968, he was working under the name Ricky Matthews, producing and writing songs at Motown for groups like The Miracles, Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, and The Spinners. According to James himself, this was when he got involved in pimping. (More on this later…)
Rick James and Lionel Richie. Photo by Globe Photos / mediapunch / Shutterstock
He stopped, though, because he felt he wasn’t fit for the harshness and the abuse of women that typically goes along with the role. During his third stint at Motown, James met musician Greg Reeves, who was hoping to find a better situation than just $38 a week (which is about $625 in 2019 dollars) as a session bassist for Berry Gordy.