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Forums > Prince: Music and More > I Like Tony M's Rapping... So Shoot Me!
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Thread started 03/17/16 3:47pm

Junglehop

I Like Tony M's Rapping... So Shoot Me!

I actually like Tony M's rapping on 90s era NPG Prince albums! I know the drill, people slag the dated 90s production and think his raps are cheesy and ruined good songs, and they cringe at what they see as Prince's misguided attempt to give his music street cred, but I'd have to disagree! I'm biased because I became a true fan of Prince aged 17 in 1991 when the Diamonds And Pearls album came out. Living in Melbourne, Australia I was very fortunate to see Prince and the NPG tour that album in early 1992. I then promptly bought the Love Symbol album that same year as soon as it came out. Especially on the Diamonds And Pearls LP, I think Tony M's raps really add something to the feel of that album overall. His raps have humor and I actually enjoy his flow and rhymes, even if they are a little cheesy sometimes. I know he doesn't have any street cred (I listen to rap these days; Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, Schoolly D, Biggie Smalls, 2Pac etc. so I'm not completely clueless!) - I understand Tony M is never gonna go down as a legend in the pantheon of great rap. What I enjoyed about him on the D&P album was that he added to the sense of unity to the NPG being a solid band. His interplay with other band members like Rosie Gaines and Prince himself was fun and playful. I think on often overlooked songs like 'Push' and 'Jughead' Tony really brings the party, his flow the perfect synthesis to the funk. Those songs are awesome played loud, they really come into their own as great jams. Also, Tony was never overused on those albums, he doesn't intrude on ballads and most songs... he's only really there on the jams. Also his final outro rap on 'Live 4 Love' really is a joy to listen too and works perfectly as a musical counterpoint to the bass line. Hell, I even like his rap on 'My Name Is Prince'... it's just damn fun, so shoot me!
[Edited 3/17/16 15:50pm]
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Reply #1 posted 03/17/16 4:24pm

NorthC

shoot
In all honesty, his raps on Willing & Able and Sexy MF were okay and on the Diamonds & Pearls tour, it worked. I never had anything against him. Didn't miss him either.
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Reply #2 posted 03/17/16 5:01pm

trax

I liked him too on the albums. I just hated him live. Studio wise he sounds fine

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Reply #3 posted 03/17/16 6:12pm

ufoclub

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When you listen to the New Power Genreation 12" mixes... he was way better than TC Ellis.

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Reply #4 posted 03/17/16 6:26pm

thedance

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I witnessed the Prince D&P concert in Hamburg in Germany in 1992.

Tony M. was terrible, shouting his lines out during this concert.. sad

But I like his deep voice on record, Gett Off, Tony is cool in the song and in the video... I can agree to that. In Sexy MF too. Yes, imho...

But oh dear how he, Tony M., ruined a lot of the Hamburg show... mad sad lol

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #5 posted 03/17/16 6:26pm

NorthC

ufoclub said:

When you listen to the New Power Genreation 12" mixes... he was way better than TC Ellis.


That's not saying much. bored2
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Reply #6 posted 03/17/16 6:37pm

thedance

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TC Ellis, I have one vinyl 12 inch (the title I believe is "Miss Thang" or something like that),

One of the track mixes includes a Sign "O" The Times sample (from the SOTT song),

And I liked (likes) this mix/ and the song a lot. music

I haven't heard this in many years, but I remember that I liked it a lot back then, I can't judge TC Ellis, I have never heard any other songs than this only 1.

I don't no if TC E. has released an album..?

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #7 posted 03/17/16 6:46pm

UncleJam

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disbelief

Make it so, Number One...
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Reply #8 posted 03/17/16 6:51pm

thedance

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Gett Off is cool. eek


Live 4 Love, the Tony M rap is awful, what a shame... it's not good (the rapping), its ruining an otherwise great song.

Just take a listen to Live 4 Love, in the Live Video, on the Diamonds & Pearls music dvd.

Awful. sad sad

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #9 posted 03/18/16 12:08am

jayspud

I think his voice on Live4Love on record etc actually fitted quite well as did Willing & Able. Personally I think his work on the 2nd NPG Album is actually his best.

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Reply #10 posted 03/18/16 12:22am

batman89

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His studio recording contributions were a product of that era and mainly worked well on the material.

[Edited 7/11/20 22:28pm]

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Reply #11 posted 03/18/16 1:53am

dodger

batman89 said:

Fair points listed above...his studio recording contributions aren't offensive to the track...it's his live performance bell ringer type delivery that ultimately works against him. I recall the 92 newspaper review pointing his muffled breathless lyrics being the only downfall of an otherwise stellar show.

Favourite Tony M line = "I'll sink ya like a ship, Poseidon........adventure"

Queue Captain from Peach & Black.......

lol

I'd agree - live he could be excruciating but I quite liked his bits on the likes of Gett Off, Willing & Able, Sexy MF and The Max.

I also like Goldnigga - funky fun little album.

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Reply #12 posted 03/18/16 2:37am

jayspud

dodger said:

lol

I'd agree - live he could be excruciating but I quite liked his bits on the likes of Gett Off, Willing & Able, Sexy MF and The Max.

I also like Goldnigga - funky fun little album.

Totally agree, I thought I was almost alone in liking this album. It is Funky with humour and some great horn riffs by the NPG.

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Reply #13 posted 03/18/16 5:33am

MIRvmn

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He was terrible lol especially live
Welcome 2 The Dawn
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Reply #14 posted 03/18/16 10:10am

Bohemian67

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Willing and Able cool

The rest .... BANG BANG

"Free URself, B the best that U can B, 3rd Apartment from the Sun, nothing left to fear" Prince Rogers Nelson - Forever in my Life -
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Reply #15 posted 03/18/16 10:14am

TheDigitalGard
ener

He was utter shite, everyone knew it......except Prince.

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Reply #16 posted 03/18/16 11:09am

starkitty

johnwoo

uzi

machinegun

shoot

shoot2

shoot3

missile

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Reply #17 posted 03/18/16 2:25pm

funksterr

I don't see how you can like most Prince music, but have a real problem with Tony M. Prince is often just as whack as Tony M, if you think about it.

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Reply #18 posted 03/18/16 3:08pm

AnnaSantana

NorthC said:

ufoclub said:

When you listen to the New Power Genreation 12" mixes... he was way better than TC Ellis.

That's not saying much. bored2

It damn sure ain't lol

I don't argue with people about my opinions. Scram. I said what I said.
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Reply #19 posted 03/18/16 3:10pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

uzi Junglehop machinegun

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #20 posted 03/18/16 4:05pm

TraSoul82

Tony M shines a light on the fact that Prince viewed 'rap' as potentially lucrative, but he never embodied or embraced hip hop culture. Featuring that guy not only put a glaring timestamp on the music, it also shows that Prince's cool has obvious limitations. Prince himself was clearly the better rapper. Tony was probably an excellent weed man.
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Reply #21 posted 03/18/16 4:50pm

funkycat00

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"And as I put the Mmm in Man
I'm kickin' the Gangster Glam." lol
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Reply #22 posted 03/18/16 5:03pm

SoulAlive

On certain songs,his raps aren't that bad.For example,I like rap he does on "Sexy MF".It's short and simple and brings a little 'street flava' to the song.
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Reply #23 posted 03/18/16 9:45pm

starkitty

Tony's about as street as iggy.


when prince took a little foray into rap, it was just that - an easily ignorable, easily forgettable foray.

that was all tony had to offer. and it was lukewarm trash. embarassing.
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Reply #24 posted 03/18/16 9:48pm

starkitty

Junglehop said:

Schoolly D,


you listen to schoolly d in Australia?


well, can you tell me what PSK means??
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Reply #25 posted 03/18/16 9:58pm

Junglehop

starkitty said:

Junglehop said:

Schoolly D,


you listen to schoolly d in Australia?


well, can you tell me what PSK means??



I do! My favorite Schoolly D album is 'Am I Black Enough For You?'


Oh and PSK... Park Side Killas
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Reply #26 posted 03/18/16 9:59pm

Junglehop

starkitty said:

johnwoo


uzi


machinegun


shoot


shoot2


shoot3


missile




Haha... I knew I should have never started this topic!
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Reply #27 posted 03/19/16 12:34pm

Doozer

avatar

thedance said:

TC Ellis, I have one vinyl 12 inch (the title I believe is "Miss Thang" or something like that),

One of the track mixes includes a Sign "O" The Times sample (from the SOTT song),

And I liked (likes) this mix/ and the song a lot. music

I haven't heard this in many years, but I remember that I liked it a lot back then, I can't judge TC Ellis, I have never heard any other songs than this only 1.

I don't no if TC E. has released an album..?


.
thedance, the Miss Thang 12" is the highlight of TC's career. He did have an album on Paisley Park Records on which he ruined Girl O' My Dreams and made Tony M sound like Dr Dre.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/...onfessions
.
Available for 1¢ + shipping, slightly overpriced.
.
Info on princevault: http://www.princevault.co...onfessions
Check out The Mountains and the Sea, a Prince podcast by yours truly and my wife. More info at https://www.facebook.com/TMATSPodcast/
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Reply #28 posted 03/21/16 3:54pm

KoolEaze

avatar

Junglehop said:

starkitty said:
you listen to schoolly d in Australia? well, can you tell me what PSK means??
I do! My favorite Schoolly D album is 'Am I Black Enough For You?' Oh and PSK... Park Side Killas

PSK was my first vinyl album. Bought it in 1985 (or was it 86?). Until then I had only bought cassette albums.

Scholly D dissed Prince on record. I think it was either on Am I Black Enough For Ya or on some other album.

All his cover art was mostly designed by himself. He´s pretty good at graffiti lettering and drawing characters.

" I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?"
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Reply #29 posted 03/21/16 5:04pm

bonatoc

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On the studio recordings, he has an interesting approach on rap, a musical approach if you will, he puts in triplets, syncops, delays... It doesn't qualify as rap, but he was an interesting vocal sidekick on D&P and Love Symbol. I always considered him being an extension of Prince's musical palette.



Live, it's atrocity personified, the guy simply loses it and yells frantically.

I always felt sorry for Boni, another example of stage fright resulting in poor live performances when compared to the records. When Prince gave her some bars to ad-lib, it always resulted in pointless screams and scales.

But hey, it's Prince, and you're on stage with him. I'd probably shit my pants.

[Edited 3/21/16 17:05pm]

The Colors R brighter, the Bond is much tighter
No Child's a failure
Until the Blue Sailboat sails him away from his dreams
Don't Ever Lose, Don't Ever Lose
Don't Ever Lose Your Dreams
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Forums > Prince: Music and More > I Like Tony M's Rapping... So Shoot Me!