Val Young on Rick James, Motown and What We Owe Our Hometowns | Ep. 9

Val Young sits down with Judge Greg Mathis, Linda Mathis, Amir, and Greg Jr. for a Detroit homecoming conversation that moves from Motown history to a question every person who has left home has faced: what do you owe the place that made you? Val shares how church, Aretha Franklin, and Detroit shaped her before the Gap Band, Rick James, and Motown. She explains how she refused to wait quietly for opportunity, how a determined backstage meeting with Rick changed her career, and what people miss when they remember only his wild public image. Judge Mathis tells the story of the Detroit voters who elected him despite his past and why he believes success creates a debt to the community. Linda describes a different Detroit childhood, one rooted in Black excellence, while Amir admits he once avoided saying he was from the city. The family also debates whether hometown identity belongs to the next generation and whether giving back must involve money. And yes, the conversation includes Rick James’s feet and Linda’s accidental visit to a Beverly Hills “pajama party.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.