Douglas Rasmussen reflects on Prince’s song “Born 2 Die” from the album Welcome 2 America. The song, inspired by Curtis Mayfield and the blaxploitation genre, uses retro-soul to address social issues like poverty and economic inequality...
“Funknroll” is also an unusual inclusion on Art Official Age because a different, more rock-oriented version of the same song was included on the album Plectrum Electrum released the same year as Art Official Age. This in itself could provide thematic insight into the inclusion of “Funknroll” on both albums.
In 1987, not long after the release of his double album Sign O’ The Times, Prince was planning a Christmas surprise: An album with no title, a black cover, and simply attributed to ‘Somebody’ in the Warner Bros. release schedule. it was produced, pressed, and ready to ship, then he abruptly changed his mind. So what happened?
Early in his career, Prince felt he had to change his racial heritage, telling an interviewer that “My dad is Black and Italian. My mom is a mixture of a bunch of things," even though both his parents were African American. Prince’s obfuscation of his racial identity has been the subject of much criticism...
"Walk Don't Walk" continues with Prince’s usual themes of freedom and individuality, not just in a 'Princely' fashion, but in a way that can be interpreted through the philosophical lens of American enlightenment philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The story of how the Purple Rain movie came about is a fascinating look into the ambition and drive exhibited by Prince and would be integral to propelling him forward into pop superstardom.
A look at the new memoir "My Life In The Purple Kingdom" by former bassist for Prince and Revolution Mark Brown (aka BrownMark), who worked with the band from 1981-1986.
Douglas Rasmussen reviewed Neal Karlen’s book “This Thing Called Life: Prince’s Odyssey On and Off the Record”. In Prince circles, Rolling Stone writer Neal Karlen is a bit of a controversial figure. So it is with some trepidation that he has decided to review his new memoir on his friendship with the iconic singer Prince...
Would it be a memoir focusing on a specific time period? Would it be an autobiography encompassing all of Prince’s life? Douglas Rasmussen reviews the eagerly anticipated memoir by Prince.
With the release of Prince’s 1996 triple CD Emancipation on vinyl for the first time this past September 2019, it is the perfect opportunity to explore the album and the contexts surrounding its initial release...
