James Brown is one of the greatest musicians of all time. He was a pioneer in R&B, Funk, Soul. He was one of the original fathers of hip-hop right there with George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic.
Its just unfortunately in the 80 and 90s his drug use spiraled out of control and combine that with public spats with his exes and his trouble with the law. It clouded a great legacy but still the man really helped open so many doors and inspire so many artists. He def belongs in the pantheon as one of America's GOAT musicians.