I did not know this...Maybe that is why you don't see Levi or Tony around anymore (Celebrations / concerts / etc.). I always thought Levi and P was tight...I guess money is thicker...U know the rest. Any word on Tony M. these days? When I was at the Celebration in '00 (with Common and Eryka Badu) Pepe Wille was in line talking about seeing Tony at the carwash....

Mosely continued with the NPG for another album (which was more well received by hardcore-fans, if not the general public) and when the NPG went "solo", he became the frontman for the group. One album was released - 1993's Goldnigga.

However, after the album was released, Prince trimmed down the NPG and retained them for his backing band once again. Mosely's relationship with Prince soured after a point.

In October 1998, Mosely (along with Levi Seacer, Jr.) filed a lawsuit against Prince, claiming that Prince hadn’t shared royalties that Levi and Tony were owed for songs they had co-written for Prince’s NPG Publishing, including "Sexy MF" and "My Name Is Prince". In the end Mosely and Seacer settled for approximately $40,000 each (apparently, not even enough to pay their legal expenses), having sued Prince for $800,000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_M.

prime said:

Did Pepe say that he saw Tony at a car wash or working at a car wash?

yeah,I remember this lawsuit.

AFTER THE NPG, TONY M. DID THE "HOOP DREAMS" VIDEO. HE DIDN'T LOOK THE SAME!!!!!

woogiebear said:

He was trying to shed his NPG image that song was horrid. I wanted to like it because I am one of the few who didn't mind Tony M that much. He was no Rakim but better than Hammer

BlaqueKnight said:

Yes he was.....

DecaturStone said:

I also liked Tony ... It was cool to see someone P can play off of....

prime said:

WOW I thought I was the only one! He was good for that era. He had a flow but I am sure P wasn't allowing him to cut loose

DecaturStone said:

Tony add a lot to his shows and videos... Could P have pulled Gangsta Glam off with out him???? I was cool era... I just wish P wouldn't have switched to the make-up and other crazy stuff so quick...Mayte kind of took over everything...

I think he should have waited maybe another year between albums because we were still bumpin' Diamonds and Pearls and then SexyMF single was here...

I wish P was going to games back then...It would have been cool to see P and Tony in the front row watching the T-wolves.

DecaturStone said:

And WAAAAAY BETTER THAN TC ELIIS!!!!!
Prince woulda been better suited giving Tony M. a "solo" disc, instead of wasting it on Carmen Electra & TC Ellis!!!!!

woogiebear said:

Now Tc is another issue all together. He was drippin wit wack juice

Wow,I thought I was the only one who liked Tony!

I never had a problem with him at all.I like his contributions to the 'D&P' and 'Love Symbol' albums,especially the rap he does on "Sexy MF".

I think it was better to have him rapping on a Prince album,instead of Prince doing it himself

SoulAlive said:

Outside of Face Down (which I take as a joke of sorts) Prince could never really be an emcee. He sounds like Fred Durst but better

woogiebear said:

I know that's the truth....

woogiebear said:

Its that kind if poor decisiveness that made WB treat Paisley Park as a vanity label instead of take it more seriously like they did Madonna's Maverick label.

The difference between Maverick and Paisley is Madonna wasn't up in the studio making folks wear certain things and making them sound a certain way... Alanis Morissette just did her thing and so did the other artists...at the time...

Prince treated Paisley Park artist like his side projects...because he was bored...also, P doesn't really know what the streets want to hear...his stuff works because we like Prince but the other stuff never worked. Diddy seems to be a control freak like Prince but he is forming his artist to what is wanted by young people (white or black). That is the difference...Diddy may not be liked but he has out some great acts out there...Faith, 112, Biggie, Carl Thomas, Mary J Blige, Mase (sell out), Danity Kane..... just to name a few....

Where are Prince's people???? The only time we see them are on Fam websites or if they are opening up for him or something.

blackguitaristz said:

BlaqueKnight said:

blackguitaristz said:

He became an accountant working in some office... wife , two kids, blah blah.

prime said:

-----
Faith, 112, Biggie, Carl Thomas, Mary J Blige, Mase (sell out), Danity Kane..... just to name a few....

With the exception of Mary J Blige (who was smart enough to get away) Diddy has never got more than 3 CD from any artist. He label is a fucking joke.

Most of the people he works with suck ass. No different than Prince but for some reason your giving him a pass. I will not even go into how only Michelle is still around and doing anything from the Maverick label. Which WB took away from Maddonna because it was not making any money.

Most vanity labels are disasters and Alan Leeds put it out already how P's management and WB never took Paisley Park seriously from the jump.

prime said:

Exactly.Paisley Park Records was nothing more than a vanity label.It was Prince's personal playground.Many of the artists weren't even "real" artists....they were loyal friends of his that he rewarded with a record deal.

laurarichardson said:

As I sit here and read you trying to equate Paisley Park with Maverick and numbers run through my head, I just laugh.
Maverick is responsible for Michelle Branch, MeShell N'Degeocello, Alanis, Candlebox, the Deftones, Muse's 1999 CD "Showbiz", and The Prodigy - not to mention Madonna's CDs through most of the 90s and up to around 2K3-2K4. Maverick had The Matrix soundtrack, the Wedding Singer, JACKIE BROWN!!!!, Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged me, etc.,etc.,etc. You can't even mention Paisley Park in the same breath as Maverick, which was a truly successful "vanity label". Come on. Her label may have run its course but it was MUCH MUCH more successful than PP.
I won't even get started on Bad Boy. I can't stand that sonofabitch but Puffy gets the numbers. Mary alone is more successful than EVERYTHING on Paisley Park. From a business standpoint, Paisly Park was just like any other label major will distribute for one of its successful artists. Even Prince didn't seem to take it seriously.

BlaqueKnight said:

-----

“Michelle Branch, , Alanis, Candlebox, the Deftones, Muse's 1999 CD "Showbiz", and The Prodigy. “

Are any of these artists during anything right now? In the last couple of years?

I will answer the question for you. No. In addition, I do not care for any of them and none of those artist were able to make it beyond one or two CDs.

“MUCH MUCH more successful than PP. “

I never said Marverick was not successful. I said they had a lot of shitty artist none of whom are doing anything now.


”I won't even get started on Bad Boy. I can't stand that sonofabitch but Puffy gets the numbers. “

He does not get the numbers anymore and Mary is the only artist that started with him that is still out selling and making decent music and she is not on Bad Boy anymore.

“From a business standpoint, Paisly Park was just like any other label major will distribute for one of its successful artists. Even Prince didn't seem to take it seriously.”

That is my point. Vanity labels are just something to sweeten the record deal with. Stop trying to make Madonna out to be some talented singer/business mogul. She is good at marketing herself; she had the career she wanted to have no reason to make it out to be more than what it is.
[Edited 4/1/08 8:00am]
[Edited 4/1/08 8:01am]

When Madonna had her label,she was smart enough to hire skilled people to help her run it.She brought in people who actually hung out in clubs,who knew what the kids were listening to,who knew what people were buying.That's why her label was successful.

In 1992,Prince hired his former bodyguard,Gilbert Davison,to be the president of Paisley Park Records You can't have a successful record label if you have unskilled people in charge.You need people who know what the hell they're doing.

.
[Edited 4/2/08 2:54am]

laurarichardson said:

Alanis Morrissette is currently on tour with Matchbox 20.They're playing arenas and the tour is a success,from what I've heard.

Meshell Ndgeocello tours regularly.She's making a living.I'm not sure what the other Maverick artists are doing,but they are "real" artists,so I'm sure they're making money somewhere.Their careers are far from over.Can you say the same about the Paisley Park acts? Notice that I call them "acts" because many of them aren't real artists.

Good Question? Taja Sevelle? TC Ellis? Where are THEY now? Could they tour these days? Who would pay to see them?

As for Bad Boy Records....I can't stand P.Diddy,but his label is legitimate.The latest Danity Kane CD is a success.As a businessman,he knows what he's doing.He obviously has skilled people helping him out,which is obviously something that Prince never had.

.
[Edited 4/2/08 3:12am]

My whole point when I brought up Bad Boy was Diddy uses the label to make music kids want...Prince used Paisley Park to make music he wanted. Thanks to BlaqueKnight for answering / commenting on laurarichardson responses...we're on the same page. It doesn't matter if you like Madonna or Diddy but their labels have sold a lot of records and have made a lot of money



Mary was never on Bad Boy (She was on Uptown when Diddy work there)...He just produced her Love @ 1st CD a few years ago and she was just on his Press Play CD.

????? Any Ways

Back to story...

Prince also only worked with acts that he controlled. I highly doubt Madonna was in a room telling folks A-Z. As the head I am sure she had input but Prince controlled everything...That is why Paisley Park wasn't that successful. It was just Prince acting out with Friends playing characters he wanted to play the part. If he had acts (rock, rap, R&B, Pop) and he add folks helping run the company Paisley Park would have been one of the first BIG vanity labels.

JMO

Much love to everyone ~ Peace

Also ... Have you ever been to the NPG store when it was open? I loved it but it wasn't going to be successful because it was just stuff you would buy and keep as a souvenir. If he actually sold some clothes that folks could wear out it would have been cool....There is another problem Diddy and Madonna knows that folks will buy your stuff if the product is right but P believes Graffiti Bridge is a great movie and who ever passed on it missed out on being a star. (Just a little humor, relax).

JMO