Controversy said:

the same reason that Prince still charts and Little Richard doesn't. The same reason Usher is the new "king of r&b (gag)" and Michael Jackson isn't. It's generational--truthfully, you know 90% of Prince fans did not know of James Brown's extensive catalog before they got into Prince ...just like today's teeny boppers don't know Usher is taking a page right out of the MJ book. I know how my Mom feels when she used to say "we already did that"

meltwithu said:

U are so right even my mum could hear Prince in Outkast songs from listening to my Prince cds from years ago ...Usher is boring his music is nothing exciting he is just the big thing now like Justin was last year next year be some other fool they still not as talented as Prince

Controversy said:

To be honest, I think Outkast have made better music with Speakerboxxx/Love Below than Prince has made in years... Sad, but true IMO.

Thats not to say the whole record industry/radio play argument doesnt stand...

Jon said:

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Sorry the Lovebelow is just a really good Cameo cd. I like it but they can't touch Prince. If you really like funk/Rnb.

LIBRA said:

It was stated in a past article that James Brown was "definitely" one of Prince's major idols which is definitely obvious in Prince's early concert performances, videos, etc.

The music industry- radio, hits, airplay, videos, rotation, promotion, etc. is all based on $$$. Money is spent to make people believe something. It's not really based in art itself.
That is not to say that there aren't quality artists, or quality songs/music out there, but without big bucks and mass media/marketing it would be a whole other aural landscape across the nation and world, for that matter.
I've found myself indifferent to a lot of what I'm told is important and exciting.
I guess it's like Outkast said.....Roses really smell like boo boo boo!

I guess I am one of the few people who do not like Speakerboxx/Love Below. In fact, I think Outkast is overrated. I am proud to say that I have taught my kids to like what they truly like, and not listen to music simply because all of their friends do, and that is what is popular right now. My 12 year old son hates rap music with a passion. But all of his little friends love Nelly, Eminem, etc. He came back from a skating party and complained to me how all they played was rap music. He kept wishing they would play "Jam on it" (by Nucleus)! Hah! I told him none of his classmates have probably even heard that song. I think it is funny that he can recognize two singer's voices immediately, even if he has never heard the song before...Prince and Jimi Hendrix.

meltwithu said:

It is indeed all about youth. Most kids have an easier time relating to Outkast than a man in his mid-forties. How often do artists in their 40s or older have top 10 hits anyway? When was the last top 10 hit by Madonna, Cher, Bruce Springsteen or Phil Collins? When I was a teen I was all over Prince, Run D.M.C., New Edition, etc. as opposed to James Brown & Sly Stone. That was what my parents listened to and I wanted to embrace my own artists, not theirs. Of course now I know better, but that's how it is for every generation.

dustysgirl said:

I agree with u 100%. Like I said they are way overated. I am so sick and tired of hearing songs on the radio about strip clubs and shakin asses and stuff like that. Back in the day the artist left a little more to the imagination, but not now. What amazes me is how all of these young girls will go crazy over artist like Eminem(and I use the word artist very loosely)when he talks about beating women. It's a very sad situation.

Hey kids if you want real music, listen to these artist:

The Bar-kays
Rufus with Chaka Kahn
Jesse Johnson
The emotions
One Way
Gap Band
Dazz Band
Slave

Controversy said:

Less than half of Outkast's album has Prince influence. I don't know how long you have been following them, but this album is the absolute only one which contains Princey songs. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is not there 1st, 2nd, or 3rd album. I initially met the group before their first album came out in 1993. They were dropping albums and were mostly known regionally until Stankonia came out. Someone mentioned that the group is overrated...hmm...I wonder if he or she have listened to their older albums? I think you would find better music on Aquemini than SB/TLB. For fans like myself, their lastest album is not their best album, just as Musicology is far from Prince's best.

GAPeach said:

Stankonia started the Prince-ish moments though... Songs like Red Velvet, ?, BOB and Toilet Tisha reeked of P and Linn drum elements.

One major flaw in sooo many peeps perception is that in order for an artist/ album to be considered influenced by another ( in this case Prince) they have to be able to 'hear' it in the music.

While this is true to an extent..its also not absolute. Outkast is compared or considered influenced by Prince.. not only becuase 'they' said so... not only because they try to sound like prince (which they don't except on a few records)... but mostly because through out thier careers they have always stepped out the box and was not scarred to do thier own thing in the genre of music the inhabited.

Outkast has never sounded quite like any other rap group around. Isn't that what we used to say about Prince?

My children say it clearly..they look at Prince as thier parents music. Most kids do not wish to go to a club and jam to what thier parents are listening to. And since the charts are more reflective of the youth age demographic which supports radio and such most... you wont see Prince chart like our 'kids' groups.Hell,

I was the same. As a kid, i knew of Earth, Wind and Fire, the temptations, James Brown, ets etc.... but thats not what I put into my 'cassette deck' I popped in Prince, New Edition, The Time, Sugar Hill Gang and some Billy Idol when I wanted to feel 'white' (I'm from the hood as black as black got and I would have gotten lynched talking about some Billy Idol, Duran Duran or Culture Club...i had to keep thrm on the DL)

sextonseven said:

Yeah I got to agree with this statement

psykosoul said:

Well, yeah, you can hear Prince's influence. I mean songs that as soon as you hear them, you would say "that sounds like Prince." I guess I was feeling like people are only basing their talent on this past album.

AsianBomb777 said:

Amen...if Prince really wants his popularity back, he's gonna have to go back to preaching nasty sex.

TheJourney4all7 said:

You hear Prince's influence all throughout Andre's portion of the album! But most notably in Prototype (my favorite jam on there), She Lives In My Lap, & Happy Valentine's Day. I think they're music's getting more play becuase it IS jacking Prince's "old" sound, and Prince these days isn't even doing that anymore. If he were to sort of "rehash" the different sounds he's used before when he was largely regarded as groundbreaking, funky, and popular, he'd be doing a little bit better sales-wise, like OutKast. It's also just an image thing, too. To a lot of the kids/people out there in MTV Land, Prince is an old artist and not necessarily up there raking in the "cool" points, like OutKast and others do. I don't agree with it all. Just telling it like it is.

enjoyniki said:

Um, I think you mean L.A. aka Antonio Reid, don't ya?

GAPeach said:

Yes, I am the one who stated that I feel they(outkast) are way overrated. And yes, I have heard their past albums and I still wasn't very impressed. But let me make this point very clear.....just because I am a Prince fan doesn't mean that out of all of the albums he has made that I have felt like every single one of those were masterpieces. Like you said Musicology was not one of his best.

strawberrydreams said:[quote]

GAPeach said:

I just posed the question. If you're not a fan, then you're not a fan.

One main reason for why prince's music doesn't hit anymore is because the lyrics are out of touch with the music buying market which is all about a more naive, emotional, immature, materialistic, perspective.... in other words, prince writes from a much older removed perspective. Hit artists have lyrics (and video imagery) that younger audiences can relate to.