Rick James Political Signs Stolen
COSTELLO: We will not keep you in suspense, before the break, we asked you this question: Rick James had an uncle who was a member of which famous musical group? And the answer is -- that was fast, wasn't it? It was C, The Temptations. Actually if you want more information, his uncle, Melvin Franklin, was the group's bass singer. So now you know. But we ask you this question this morning, what is in a name? Well, for a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, city council candidate, sharing the moniker of the late Superfreak icon Rick James has led to many jokes around town.</s>DAVE CHAPPELLE, COMEDIAN: I'm Rick James,</s>COSTELLO: That's actually Dave Chappelle, the comedian, you know? The other Rick James says "The Chappelle Show" skit on the show on Comedy Central is costing him hundreds of dollars in campaign signs. He joins us now from Jackson, Mississippi. Good morning, Rick James.</s>RICK JAMES, POLITICAL CANDIDATE: Good morning to you, Carol.</s>COSTELLO: I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting you to look just like the Rick James, but...</s>JAMES: Nothing like him, actually, nothing like him.</s>COSTELLO: Nothing like him at all. When did you first notice that your campaign signs were disappearing, because you're running for city council, so when did your signs begin disappearing?</s>JAMES: Well, pretty much right off the bat. My wife and I were campaigning. We were going door to door registering people to vote. And we noticed a few of the signs that we put in yards were disappearing. So when we went back to talk to folks, they said, well, you know why your signs are disappearing? We said, no, why? And they said, well, it's that "Dave Chappelle Show" on Comedy Central. We said, what? We found out about it. We got Comedy Central. And every time something airs, whether it's national radio or national TV, more signs disappear now.</s>COSTELLO: Well, I don't get the connection because Dave Chappelle isn't asking people to steal signs, right? So why are people taking them?</s>JAMES: Well, I'm not quite sure, but his particular bit on Comedy Central just started a lot of activity among the college crowd. So they started stealing the signs, I guess because they wanted something with Rick James' name on it. My wife ended up writing or e- mailing Comedy Central and trying to get to "The Chappelle Show" and ask them to reimburse me for signs because we heard that they were stealing signs as a result of that...</s>COSTELLO: Well. I bet they gave you...</s>JAMES: ... and then from there it just took off.</s>COSTELLO: ... a big response, didn't they?</s>JAMES: Actually, no, they e-mailed The New York Post, and the next thing we knew, we were in the news because The New York Post had us in the gossip column. And after that it just took off, it went everywhere.</s>COSTELLO: I'm sure it did. So where did your signs end up?</s>JAMES: Well, you know, it's funny, because I was talking to one young guy last night who admitted to me that he has a roommate who actually stole 12 of my signs. And that's just one person. I mean, I have over $700 worth of signs that have been stolen. And I really only have anywhere from 15 to 30 signs out there right now, because all my signs have been stolen.</s>COSTELLO: But do they end up outside of Mississippi?</s>JAMES: Actually, they do. I was sitting in a Waffle House one night and my wife and I were there and a guy tapped me on the shoulder and said, are you Rick James? And I said, yes, because I had a T- shirt on. And he said, I saw one of your signs in Jackson, Mississippi, because we live in Hattiesburg, which is about 100 miles away, and he said that there were some signs in Jackson in yards.</s>COSTELLO: Don't you think this is...</s>JAMES: Which I...</s>COSTELLO: I'm just laughing because -- I'm sorry, it's funny. But don't you think that this might be helping your campaign?</s>JAMES: Well, I hope so. I always joke that all these national radio shows, from the Canadian Broadcasting Company to Chicago, all these national shows I'm doing, the national publications, this will be for my upcoming presidential bid, because it will help me there.</s>JAMES: But for the local race, I don't know how much it's helping for the local race because I can't keep my signs on the streets of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In fact...</s>COSTELLO: Yes, but you have great name recognition already, although I don't know if you want to associate yourself with the real -- I don't want to say real Rick James, because that's not right, but the other Rick James?</s>JAMES: Well, actually, that's what I have always used, "the real Rick James," because the Rick James on TV, that was not his real name. A lot of people don't know that. But this is my real name. And what I have to do -- it has -- I've been reduced to this. Every night at 9:00, I have to take my signs into my living room and I put them back out. I have 10 signs that I put out every morning at 7:00. And every night at 9:00, I have to take them back off the streets, otherwise, those 10 signs will be gone the next morning.</s>COSTELLO: OK. The final question, were you a big fan of "Superfreak"?</s>JAMES: Oh, I love it. We own the song. We campaign with it. We put it in the CD machine.</s>JAMES: Even though I'm a serious candidate running for a serious position, you have to laugh at it, you really do.</s>COSTELLO: Well, we're glad you have a great sense of humor. Rick James, the Rick James of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, thank you for joining</s>AMERICAN MORNING. JAMES: Thank you so much.</s>COSTELLO: Back to you, Bill.</s>HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, "American Idol" coming down with disco fever of late, it may put one contestant down for the count. 90-second poppers tackle that. Who's in trouble now? That's a bit later here on AMERICAN MORNING.