Thug Life Army

Court documents obtained by “Celebrity Justice,’ say the estate of Rick James is worth less than $250,000, despite a discography that includes a substantial amount of million-selling records.

Sources told "CJ" that his legal battles are what depleted his estate. For example, James reportedly paid $1.8 million to a woman who sued him after he pleaded no contest to assault.

Attorney Steffeny Holtz, who once represented James and is now the lawyer for Ty James, one of the late singer's three children, told "CJ" that his music will generate lots of income for his heir for decades.

“You can''t just look at that number,“ Holtz said.“That's a number that moves all the time. Every time they play ‘Super Freak’, it generates income for the estate.“

Holtz cites a project with Kanye West as one potential money-earner.

“There's a lot of music still that's going to come out,“ Holtz said. "And you''ll hear it, and it is good stuff. There are some surprises in store."

Holtz says a foundation is being considered in Rick’s memory and as previously reported, a biography of the singer is in the works, titled, "Memoirs of a Super Freak."  

Meanwhile, the coroner's report listed various drugs in Rick James'' system, concluding that James died from a heart attack.