This article talks about it: http://www.rollingstone.c...3-20160422

I always thought the V was above because the whole word was too long for his face. If he had written it in smaller letters, it would have been harder to see. The article I linked above also shows a great pic of what I am saying. You never know though, there may have been other reasons too.

donnyenglish said:

I am sure this has been discussed, but what is your interpretation of the writing of Slave on his face from the 90's? The placement of the V above and the L are interesting. I think the obvious is that it also says "Slay." Any other thoughts?

Nope.

And there are a gazillion articles from Prince himself as to why that's on his face, and his struggle. Let's not be obtuse about it. We know why he did it. The stylizing of the letters is inconsequential.

TrivialPursuit said:

donnyenglish said:

I am sure this has been discussed, but what is your interpretation of the writing of Slave on his face from the 90's? The placement of the V above and the L are interesting. I think the obvious is that it also says "Slay." Any other thoughts?

Nope.

And there are a gazillion articles from Prince himself as to why that's on his face, and his struggle. Let's not be obtuse about it. We know why he did it. The stylizing of the letters is inconsequential.

Wrong. You are being obtuse. I'm not referring to why it is on his face. We all know why he put it on his face, but there are nuances to it that make it even deeper than just a word. Nothing he did was inconsequential and the "stylizing" were so much more than just "style." This was a very personal statement for him and he took great care with the message on his face. There are a gazillion articles from Prince himself about how he has messages in his art that are not always obvious to the truly obtuse. You probably think the 3 eye glasses that he wore was nothing more than a mere fashion statement. To you, he wore the phases of the moon shirt because he liked the design. Silly.

[Edited 11/10/16 11:08am]

Over the weekend I finally watched Slave Trade. It's the doocumentary with member of NPG, Alan Leeds, etc and the entire WB/slave era in P's career is discussed by insiders who were there and it was very interesting.

At one point there's a clip where P's writing it on the opposite cheek. I think the movie clip had been flipped.

Anyway, it's an interesting movie.

donnyenglish said:

Wrong. You are being obtuse.

And now you're mimicking other people, which makes you a photocopy of something better, at best. Although kudos on the attempt to expand your vocabulary.

There's a lot of 90's intrigue around Prince's behaviour that has since been rationalised by Prince and then others into 'Prince vs The Music Business'.
That's fine but there's a lot besides.

There was a lyrical element 'V for Victor' which takes us into a group of stories alluded to by Prince and by others around him during the period, (and in 'off-piste' product like 'The Undertaker' video-release) that were about a correspondence he was having with persons unknown which was not necessarily fans, not necessarily romantic or sexual but as a result of which all of these aspects made their way into songs and even interviews during 1993-5.

It's quite hard to talk about because to retrace its outlines would be like pointing out individual jigsaw pieces but there must be a substantial body of fans from this period who spotted the thread as I have seen commentary at various times. I'm hoping Mayte will allude to it in her forthcoming book as she must have been aware of it. Some external force was acting upon Prince, in a way, and it governed/obsessed his writing at the time and may have motivated his prolific output, name change and everything. He would later speak of the period as one where he thought he was going mad, only later revising this into the simpler story of the Warners protest.

You can hear so many references in the tracks of the time and he gets quite impatient in a Q interview about everyone always assuming sexual intent in his lyrics (specifically when he barks 'Come to Whom? Come for What?'). There's more going on and he sometimes seems to be wooing someone but not romantically or sexually but toward the revolution he's demonstrating with formats, multimedia, independence, NPG etc.
The whole displacement of himself across many formats and sub-identities or projects during this period is, all of it, tied up with dialogue with this correspondent, be it 'his spirit' or some 'deranged fan'.

Talking of which I may well be sounding like one so I best ask if I can get a witness on this?

To be semi-cryptic only to activate some people reading this,

V is for Victor but Prince said his name DAMN sure wasn't Victor

Although a lot of this conflated into a simple story 'Prince changes his name to fight Warners over masters', there was more going on that had some kind of basis in a dialogue with a muse or challenger and this probably began before the Symbol album.

I know there are others who have been thinking on this for years. Perhaps we can compile/collate some stuff around this subject. It is NOT really about his Warners protest but about something going on between the time when he was 'happy' with his "$100m deal" and when he wanted out of that.

[Edited 11/10/16 12:28pm]

XSX said:

There's a lot of 90's intrigue around Prince's behaviour that has since been rationalised by Prince and then others into 'Prince vs The Music Business'.
That's fine but there's a lot besides.

There was a lyrical element 'V for Victor' which takes us into a group of stories alluded to by Prince and by others around him during the period, (and in 'off-piste' product like 'The Undertaker' video-release) that were about a correspondence he was having with persons unknown which was not necessarily fans, not necessarily romantic or sexual but as a result of which all of these aspects made their way into songs and even interviews during 1993-5.

It's quite hard to talk about because to retrace its outlines would be like pointing out individual jigsaw pieces but there must be a substantial body of fans from this period who spotted the thread as I have seen commentary at various times. I'm hoping Mayte will allude to it in her forthcoming book as she must have been aware of it. Some external force was acting upon Prince, in a way, and it governed/obsessed his writing at the time and may have motivated his prolific output, name change and everything. He would later speak of the period as one where he thought he was going mad, only later revising this into the simpler story of the Warners protest.

You can hear so many references in the tracks of the time and the whole displacement of himself across many formats and sub-identities or projects during this period is, all of it, tied up with dialogue with this correspondent, be it 'his spirit' or some 'deranged fan'.

Talking of which I may well be sounding like one.
Can I get a witness on this?

To be semi-cryptic only to activate some people reading this,
V is for Victor but Prince said his name DAMN sure wasn't Victor

Although a lot of this conflated into a simple story 'Prince changes his name to fight Warners over masters', there was more going on that had some kind of basis in a dialogue with a muse or challenger and this probably began before the Symbol album.

I know there are others who have been thinking on this for years. Perhaps we can compile/collate some stuff around this subject. It is NOT really about his Warners protest but about something going on between the time when he was 'happy' with his "$100m deal" and when he wanted out of that.

[Edited 11/10/16 12:22pm]

Good post. The V for Victor thing is interesting. I'm also thinking about Dolphin and the Same December video, which illustrates many of your points.

XSX said:

There's a lot of 90's intrigue around Prince's behaviour that has since been rationalised by Prince and then others into 'Prince vs The Music Business'.
That's fine but there's a lot besides.

There was a lyrical element 'V for Victor' which takes us into a group of stories alluded to by Prince and by others around him during the period, (and in 'off-piste' product like 'The Undertaker' video-release) that were about a correspondence he was having with persons unknown which was not necessarily fans, not necessarily romantic or sexual but as a result of which all of these aspects made their way into songs and even interviews during 1993-5.

It's quite hard to talk about because to retrace its outlines would be like pointing out individual jigsaw pieces but there must be a substantial body of fans from this period who spotted the thread as I have seen commentary at various times. I'm hoping Mayte will allude to it in her forthcoming book as she must have been aware of it. Some external force was acting upon Prince, in a way, and it governed/obsessed his writing at the time and may have motivated his prolific output, name change and everything. He would later speak of the period as one where he thought he was going mad, only later revising this into the simpler story of the Warners protest.

You can hear so many references in the tracks of the time and the whole displacement of himself across many formats and sub-identities or projects during this period is, all of it, tied up with dialogue with this correspondent, be it 'his spirit' or some 'deranged fan'.

Talking of which I may well be sounding like one.
Can I get a witness on this?

To be semi-cryptic only to activate some people reading this,
V is for Victor but Prince said his name DAMN sure wasn't Victor

Although a lot of this conflated into a simple story 'Prince changes his name to fight Warners over masters', there was more going on that had some kind of basis in a dialogue with a muse or challenger and this probably began before the Symbol album.

I know there are others who have been thinking on this for years. Perhaps we can compile/collate some stuff around this subject. It is NOT really about his Warners protest but about something going on between the time when he was 'happy' with his "$100m deal" and when he wanted out of that.

[Edited 11/10/16 12:22pm]

All I remember about that era is that P got very thin and delicate looking yet seemed incredibly angry...in recordings and in live performances. He definitely had turmoil going on.

his sweeter nature seemed very elusive, only breif glimpses.

Mostly he seemed angular in look, fashion, clipped speech, so hostile and beligerant and agressive (not in a good way).

For me, this is most memorable during the award show where Tom Jones announces P's Purple Medly dance tribute, Mayte announces "Prince es muerto", then P sings BJB, IHU and 319 before accepting an award.

I love the performance but every dance move P makes is pure defiance.

XSX said:

There's a lot of 90's intrigue around Prince's behaviour that has since been rationalised by Prince and then others into 'Prince vs The Music Business'.
That's fine but there's a lot besides.

There was a lyrical element 'V for Victor' which takes us into a group of stories alluded to by Prince and by others around him during the period, (and in 'off-piste' product like 'The Undertaker' video-release) that were about a correspondence he was having with persons unknown which was not necessarily fans, not necessarily romantic or sexual but as a result of which all of these aspects made their way into songs and even interviews during 1993-5.

It's quite hard to talk about because to retrace its outlines would be like pointing out individual jigsaw pieces but there must be a substantial body of fans from this period who spotted the thread as I have seen commentary at various times. I'm hoping Mayte will allude to it in her forthcoming book as she must have been aware of it. Some external force was acting upon Prince, in a way, and it governed/obsessed his writing at the time and may have motivated his prolific output, name change and everything. He would later speak of the period as one where he thought he was going mad, only later revising this into the simpler story of the Warners protest.

You can hear so many references in the tracks of the time and the whole displacement of himself across many formats and sub-identities or projects during this period is, all of it, tied up with dialogue with this correspondent, be it 'his spirit' or some 'deranged fan'.

Talking of which I may well be sounding like one.
Can I get a witness on this?

To be semi-cryptic only to activate some people reading this,
V is for Victor but Prince said his name DAMN sure wasn't Victor

Although a lot of this conflated into a simple story 'Prince changes his name to fight Warners over masters', there was more going on that had some kind of basis in a dialogue with a muse or challenger and this probably began before the Symbol album.

I know there are others who have been thinking on this for years. Perhaps we can compile/collate some stuff around this subject. It is NOT really about his Warners protest but about something going on between the time when he was 'happy' with his "$100m deal" and when he wanted out of that.

[Edited 11/10/16 12:22pm]

Something was definitely up with him in the 90's but I haven't seen much conversation about it. That time frame was busy for me too so I may have missed interesting info. I'd love to hear more from you and anyone else who has something relevant (yet non-conspiracy theory baloney) to add.

donnyenglish said:

XSX said:

There's a lot of 90's intrigue around Prince's behaviour that has since been rationalised by Prince and then others into 'Prince vs The Music Business'.
That's fine but there's a lot besides.

There was a lyrical element 'V for Victor' which takes us into a group of stories alluded to by Prince and by others around him during the period, (and in 'off-piste' product like 'The Undertaker' video-release) that were about a correspondence he was having with persons unknown which was not necessarily fans, not necessarily romantic or sexual but as a result of which all of these aspects made their way into songs and even interviews during 1993-5.

It's quite hard to talk about because to retrace its outlines would be like pointing out individual jigsaw pieces but there must be a substantial body of fans from this period who spotted the thread as I have seen commentary at various times. I'm hoping Mayte will allude to it in her forthcoming book as she must have been aware of it. Some external force was acting upon Prince, in a way, and it governed/obsessed his writing at the time and may have motivated his prolific output, name change and everything. He would later speak of the period as one where he thought he was going mad, only later revising this into the simpler story of the Warners protest.

You can hear so many references in the tracks of the time and the whole displacement of himself across many formats and sub-identities or projects during this period is, all of it, tied up with dialogue with this correspondent, be it 'his spirit' or some 'deranged fan'.

Talking of which I may well be sounding like one.
Can I get a witness on this?

To be semi-cryptic only to activate some people reading this,
V is for Victor but Prince said his name DAMN sure wasn't Victor

Although a lot of this conflated into a simple story 'Prince changes his name to fight Warners over masters', there was more going on that had some kind of basis in a dialogue with a muse or challenger and this probably began before the Symbol album.

I know there are others who have been thinking on this for years. Perhaps we can compile/collate some stuff around this subject. It is NOT really about his Warners protest but about something going on between the time when he was 'happy' with his "$100m deal" and when he wanted out of that.

[Edited 11/10/16 12:22pm]

Good post. The V for Victor thing is interesting. I'm also thinking about Dolphin and the Same December video, which illustrates many of your points.

Good calls! I would add the whole of the 'Come' album which starts into some kind of final resignation continued to the point of 'All That Glitters Ain't Gold' on TGE via some kickbacks on other tracks on that album. The period around 'The Beautiful Experience' was when this 'flava' was definitely being picked up and noticed by the British music press to some degree and some commentators at the time speculated Prince's opening of a music shop in Camden portended a full move to the UK. I may be stretching, but at the time I think the press suspected a romantic connection in the UK rather than the not-quite-visible-as-yet Mayte connection.

Welcome 2 the Overthinking Experience.

it was a really cold thing to do but,

it kept the bad people away.

[Edited 11/11/16 16:30pm]