James' mainstream success had peaked with the release of his album "Glow" in 1985 and his appearance on the popular TV show, "The A-Team". His subsequent album releases failed to sell as well as their predecessors. Rapper MC Hammer sampled James' "Super Freak" for his 1990 hit, "U Can't Touch This" which won Best R&B Song at the 1991 Grammy Awards. James received his only Grammy for composing the song. By the early 1990s, James' career was hampered by his drug addiction and he was embroiled with legal issues. In 1993, James was convicted for two separate instances of kidnapping and torturing two different women while under the influence of crack cocaine, resulting in a three-year sentence at Folsom State Prison. James was released on parole in 1996 and released the album "Urban Rapsody" in 1997. James' health problems halted his career again after he had a mild stroke during a concert in 1998, and he announced a semi-retirement.