Starting this thread inspired by the conversation/derail that came up around page 5 of this topic (Is Prince the Greatest Live Performer of All Time?) and after a few pages thought it deserved its own thread.


http://prince.org/msg/7/458933

We began to discuss how different art and in particular how music becomes categorized, the manner by which we're exposed to it, the avenues through which its delivered, who controls it all, how its ultimately perceived and, in some instances, how it's remembered or thought of historically.

It was (is) a surprisingly civil, thoughtful, nuanced, fresh and (I think) meaningful and fascinating discussion on what it is considered "black", "white", "Latin" music or pop, blues, metal, rock, country and what have you. I'd recommend reading it and the posts by MickeyDolenz and Pete Silas. who offered some really cool insight into the topic. In that thread, we started debating what makes for "Black music" or "white guy rock" - even Middle Eastern music and things - and started mulling over what defines that: the roots of the music itself, the audience and the fan base, what radio stations it gets played on, who promotes it, geography, etc.?

Relating it to Prince, first and foremost, I don't think he can really be categorized so he's central and germaine to the discussion and what prompted it. He was always in the "R&B" or "Soul" cassette/CD rack at the "wrecka stow" back in the day (still is) but when I turned onto him with 1999, PR and later Dirty Mind and Controversy, I didn't hear "a BLACK artist" or a a "POP star". I heard a MUSICIAN, drawing on countless musical styles (funk, rock, punk, R&B, gospel) in ways that opened my eyes to so many other things and cultivated them all into one sound. I wondered why the "rock" radio stations wouldn't play "Let's Go Crazy" back then.

Prince, Hendrix, The Stones, Lionel Richie, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pairlament and countless others were all brought up from really fresh angles and in intelligent ways. FWIW: I think this phenomonen is largely a social construct, a cynical marketing ploy and fundamentally an issue about control and image more than it is about art or music and the roots from which it grows.

Take it from there I guess and I know it's a delicate topic but one worth talking about I think.

Thoughts?

[Edited 4/26/19 16:18pm]

Prince was always outside of categories, wierd, different, eccentric or whatever you want to call it. I'm sure he planned things that way, his first nationwide appearnance he acted strange enough to get a lot of attention and by the time of controversy, word was out that he was going for the "crossover" which is how my stepdad described his music. As a mentor from afar, i couldn't really ask for more, my whole world opened up with his exciting blending of genres, and as I mentioned, all he had to do was namecheck someone and I'd have to see what they had.

Duke Ellington once said "there are only two kinds of music, good music and bad music" which I would interpret as music that moves me emotionally, which I learned could come from literally anywhere. Like anything people do, they have biases and prejudices but you can miss out on a lot of great music that way.