In his latest (May 01) somewhat monthly "TERRORDOME" writings at PUBLIC ENEMY´S official site, CHUCK D amongst other things comments on books he recently bought. Amongst the latest is Alex Hahn´s "POSSESSED; The Rise And Fall Of Prince"

Apparently, just as myself he doesn´t quite agree with the subtitle.

This is what he has to say:
"4. POSSESSED; The Rise And Fall Of Prince..I don’t understand the stupid sub-title and I still don’t see how Prince fell when he calls his own shots on creativity. Why do black artists get tagged with this and how the hell does ROD STEWART still have juice?"

Check out the TERRORDOME at http://www.publicenemy.co...ordome.php
Extremely interesting reading on the hip-hop community, music and politics.

PEACE
David, Sweden

True Chuck, Right on brutha!

But I do remember the time if memory serves me correctly on an old PE video collection, you dissed Prince yourself in relation to Black music. (Although "Bruthas gonna work it out" ripped off the "Let's Go Crazy" guitar solo in a continuous loop)

Like The Elvis diss, Mista Chuck backpeddled on that one last year: http://www.linenoise.co.uk/news/199 is one of many websites that reported this one.
(Ironic how this website's comments section bellow the news story says this about PE: "Although in recent years the decline and fall of Public Enemy has been utterly irredeemable")

Chuck D only gave Prince respect after Emancipation and Prince's whole war on the music industry, because Chuck himself was a "victim" by his record label Def Jam (which Chuck calls "Def Scam") Wonder if Chuck would like Prince if he never done that....Hmmmmm.

It's good to see that's all in the past, Maybe others can do the same.
[This message was edited Mon May 12 6:04:57 PDT 2003 by dnaplaya]
[This message was edited Mon May 12 6:09:00 PDT 2003 by dnaplaya]

I've only ever seen Public enemy on TV. I think they're great. I keep going to buy a PE album but when I get to the store I see about 5 and can't decide which one to buy.

Are there any Public Enemy fans who can recomend an album to someone who only just started to buy their stuff.

- Fear Of A Black Planet

- It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

- Yo! Bum Rush The Show

Would have 2 be the top 3, along with Terminator X's solo joint

CHUCK D for president!

Yes, he said things in the past. A lot of things. But also Prince changed his additute about being black/ his past (avalange?!) just recently. I mean he never sang about it in this manner before.

In the time when Public Enemy (they started a whole revolution) on their highest peak, the most popstars and mainstream were not ready for this type of music and opinions.

You can tell by these words, that singers would not accept PE:

"you singers are spinless
as you sing you senseless songs to the mindless
you general subject love in minimal
it's sex for prophet..."

(please know that hiphop was mainly underground)

I guess Chuck D only wanted awareness to the mainstream. With this new quote about Rod I can see he hasn't changed.

It really surprised me that they did that song undisputed together. Finally two hero's of mine got together! It was great news to me!

I'll never forget what Chuck D has done for his community. God, I miss the hiphop-scene from back in the days!

peace, newdawn

Isn't the author, in part, talking about Prince's fall from fame & mainstream radio? If so, that isn't really debatable.
I'm sure I'll get a lecture from some orger, but I think it's stupid for Chuck to make a racial issue out of this...especially when Prince is well-off financially.

BTW, please educate me on how Rod Stewart still has juice.
Forgive me for not having done a google search on him lately.

dnaplaya said:

ThanX

divo02 said:

co-sign.
he also made a statement which was never proven.... when he called Elvis Presley "racist".

[This message was edited Sun May 11 7:43:53 PDT 2003 by Joshy84au]

divo02 said:

---
He is not making it a racial issue. It is a racial issue.

Rod Stewart, Elton John, and about a dozen other white rock groups do not sell a lot of records these days or get on the radio. Yet they always have a recording contract and know one in the press every claims they have fallen.

No one in the history of popular music has continued to sell records and stay on top for 20 or 30 years but, when Prince does not reach this ridiculous goal he has fallen.

The only good thing is that he still has money as a lot of other black stars usually live in poverty after their fame has gone.

I think Chuck D made a good point.

Joshy84au said:

How was that never proven?

laurarichardson said:

You so conveniently forget to mention that Prince alienated the record industry by writing "slave" on his face only years after having mainstream appeal. Prince has nobody to blame but Prince himself for falling out of the graces of mainstream radio. And before you say he doesn't care...don't forget his attempt at a comeback with Rave. Prince cares. But whatever makes you feel better I guess.

jessyMD32781 said:

Why don't YOU prove it then?

divo02 said:

Joshy84au said:

---
I think everyone on the org knows that Prince alienated the industry. So what. It is a f-ked industry that needed to have someone speak out. The industry as gotten over the slave comments and the industry will get over the decline in record sells that the industry caused and life will go on.

In addition, while the slave thing hurt Prince. I will repeat this little fact that you ignored. No one in the history of popular music has every maintain a 20 year history of selling millions of records continually. All artist see a drop in sales as time goes on. Prince is not any different then anyone else in the industry. Please realize that because you do not agree with my theory it does not make my theory untrue.

I also would like to point out that when Clive Davis gave Prince a big fat advance for RAVE I think Clive was expecting a commercially viable recording. Prince was doing what he was paid to do for once. I do not understand why you or anyone else would have a problem with that. We all have jobs and are paid a salary with the expectation that we will be productive.

divo02 said:

---
Back in the 50's Elvis Presley said that the only thing a black man could do for him was to shine his shoes and buy his records. I read an interview that was appeared in Ebony back in the 80's with Redd Foxx concerning the racist comments made by Elvis.

Redd Foxx was a good friend of Elvis's in Vegas in the 70's.
Ebony magazine asked Redd if Elvis made those racist comments. Redd said he asked Elvis about it and Elvis admitted he said those things but, said he was sorry he had said them. There's the proof.

I do not think its so much a racial issue. It is one hell of a stupid title for a book, the author is definetly selling drama.

To a Rolling Stones fan the music is fresh as it was years ago, they are still on top. Same goes for a Bowie or Elton fan. Same goes for the core Michael Jackson fans, if Elton would have changed his name to a symbol and his sales dwindled people would have bagged on his shit.

When music lives with you in your heart these artists never fall..Prince is a legend, just like Bruce, the Police, etc..

realm said:

---

Yes, Prince is a legend but the media and the industry does not treat him like a legend. The Rolling Stones are a perfect example of what I am trying to say. They sell-out stadiums all over the world but, they have not had a hit song in over a decade but, they keep obtaining recording contracts and putting out records.

Racism plays a small roll in this type of nosense.

laurarichardson said:

So what are these records that they KEEP putting out? Prince has released more new material in the last 3 years then the Stones have in the last 15.

laurarichardson said:

I never said I thought artists could be popular forever. Your right...whether your black or white...no artist can maintain that level. (With few exceptions). I never disputed that.

Also, I have no problem with Prince doing what he was paid for. My point is just that Prince will act like he doesn't want commercial appeal and bash the industry but then attempt to make a commercially viable recording. Which is it then? Then of course he blames the record company for not promoting it correctly.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't care if Prince NEVER tried to get mainstream attention again. Keep on putting on TRC type records (even with it's racial undertones that Chuck D. doesn't point out) and don't fuck with radio. Hopefully, he's at that point.

laurarichardson said:

I question the validity of that quote. I've also read about a "catfish" remark when referring to black people's breath that is attributed to Elvis. On the contrary, I've read comments from Elvis that are very complimentary to black people.

I don't think off the cuff comments are enough to label somebody racist. That's true whether your Elvis or Jesse Jackson.

The percieved racism with Elvis had more to do with with Elvis doing "black music", which contributed to the legendary status he has, and never acknowleding his black influences.

Doesn't Prince kinda like Elvis? Has he covered him before?

Speaking of Jesse Jackson, I FULLY SUPPORT, his planned protesting of hiring Mike Shula for football coach. The SEC and college football as a instituion have a piss poor record of hiring minorities.

Now back to Elvis...
[This message was edited Sun May 11 10:18:33 PDT 2003 by divo02]

divo02 said:

I agree with everything you say in all of these posts and yes Prince has covered Elvis on many occasions. One time at Paisley Park Prince came out on stage and said, "Tonight we are going to honor the King and I don't mean Martin Luther" and then he went into Teddy Bear.

As far as Shula is concerned I have to disagree slightly. I mean yes the record of SEC is terrible, but I don't think that anyone can say that Croom was a better candidate then Shula. If it would have been between Dennis Green and Shula or someone with experience then I would have been outraged, but in all honesty neither Croom nor Shula are good candidates.

Jackson lost ALL the remaing respect I had for him after we learned where his support was coming from in the Chicago nightclub fires.
[This message was edited Sun May 11 10:27:30 PDT 2003 by lovemachine]

divo02 said:

I never said that I could prove it I was just asking how it was never proven. Who aked you anyway? I was responding to Joshy84au. As for your other comments...

jessyMD32781 said:

You clearly don't understand what a PUBLIC forum is. If it private communication you would have kept it in orgnote form.

laurarichardson said:

exactly

prince does not get

his props the

way he should

his race definitely

plays a huge

part in that

there will

never be an artist

that matches his

skill or unique

image

chuck d's statement

is on point

NPGFlav said:

Oh come on. Prince has fallen out of the limelight and the interest of people. Noone is stopping any one of you from going down to the stores and buying his albums. We're not drones at the mercy of a big record label. We all know who Prince is. There doesn't need to be some big mega advertising campaign in order to get people to like his music. Thats for no-talent stars like miss Spears. The music should speak for itself and attract the attention of listeners. Shit like NewPowerSoul, Chaos & Disorder, etc, did nothing to garner any merit or attention.

PEOPLE, just like you and me, lost interest in his music. And you can't really blame them because quite a bit of it just flat out sucked ass over the past 10 years.

Prince HAS fallen out of the superstar status he once had. Who knows, he may be more than happy with that. But if someone wants to comment on his career and write a book, so be it. What he is saying in the book isn't any worse than the BS gossip that goes on here, so why throw stones?

I grew up on Public Enemy and love Chuck D. But sometimes he can be the kind of person that would boycott Breyers because theres no chocolate in their vanilla ice cream.
[This message was edited Sun May 11 10:41:00 PDT 2003 by Tom]

divo02 said:

Elvis was a racist, the only reason he tolerated black Musicians is because he stole their music and their ideas. ELvis has even went as far enough as to admit he didn't like African Americans when he said he didn't want "niggers" in the front row of his concerts because he didn't want to see them falling crazy in love with him and having good time because of him. In his era, the word nigger was definately a popular racial slur which the caucasian population freely and frequently without remorse described the African population. There is no mistake about what group of people he was referring to when he made those statements. What heats me is how BB King pretends that he didn't know Elvis's intentions when they associated.

lovemachine said:

I DO understand what a PUBLIC forum is.

Tom said:[quote]

NPGFlav said:

It's funny because it's true.

I think it's a racial issue only in that it reflects how "mainstream" music journalist tend to view R&B as compared to how they view rock...which, in turn, reflects on how they view long-time rock artists as compared to how they view long-time R&B artists.

But probably the reality is many critics are reflecting on their disappointment in Prince's career decisions when they write about him "falling" moreso than they are about whether or not he's fallen artisically or financially...Prince could be making more $$$ now than he was in 1992 and TRC could be infinitely better than Diamonds & Pearls, but that won't be reflected in many music journalists' articles about the man...they just hate the decisions he's made, and that colors their opinions on where he's at right now...it's almost as if they're saying "Oh, what could have been if only..."...Well, that's a valid thing to bring up and discuss, definitely...but what is now is pretty cool and impressive as well...it's too bad the media constantly overlooks the latter in order to concentrate on the former...

And for the record, I just wish articles about Prince or that mention Prince would simply mention him without needing to constantly mention how he "hasn't matched the commercial success of 'Purple Rain'"...

Talk about what he has done lately, don't just drone on and on about what he hasn't...