http://story.news.yahoo.c...deo_prince

New Prince Video Rocks Terrorism

By JAKE COYLE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Prince, now a Jehovah's witness, has toned down his mojo, but the Purple One can still pack a political punch. His new music video, "Cinnamon Girl," is a big-budget production that follows the hardships and confusions of a teenage Arab-American girl in a post 9-11 America.


It stars Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider") who concludes the video by imagining herself detonating a bomb in a crowded airport terminal.


The video, directed by Phil Harder (a seasoned veteran of music videos from Incubus to Liz Phair (news)), visualizes the lyrics of Prince's four-minute rocker. It uses a stylized type of illustrated animation, with Castle-Hughes filmed over a background of high contrast tints of black and beige.


Following an airplane crash, presumably 9-11, Castle-Hughes is beset by racism and prejudice because of her Arab ethnicity. After being chased by her schoolmates, she watches Arabic storefront signs be replaced with English ones and is chided by her more traditionally Islamic parents.


Prince sings, "Cinnamon girl mixed heritage/ Never knew the meaning of color lines/ 9-11 turned that all around/ When she got accused of this crime."


Disillusioned and angered, Castle-Hughes' character detonates a bomb in an airport terminal, exploding herself and others. However, a reverse motion immediately following the explosion reveals that it is only a thought of hers.


"I kind of think about it as how far can her imagination go when the world comes down on her pretty heavy," says Harder. "None of it's literal, but you get the picture."


Prince only appears in the video intermittently playing guitar and singing. He gave Harder much room for creativity, but was very involved in the video, following its production throughout.


Seeds of controversy are already beginning to grow, even though the video — the first from Prince's new "Musicology" — will not begin running on MTV until next week. (It is currently viewable on Yahoo and on Prince's pay fan club site, www.npgmusicclub.com.)


But Harder says, "Kids are seeing real death and war on television. Kids are smarter than people think and know what's going on in the world." He adds, "The main motivation is to get people to talk about it."

do they ever think of finding a new story anytime?im sick of the press with the same story everyday

Kind of NEW news here because it says this:

Seeds of controversy are already beginning to grow, even though the video - the first from Prince's new "Musicology" - will not begin running on MTV until next week. (It is currently viewable on Yahoo and on Prince's pay fan club site, www.npgmusicclub.com.)

Atleast MTV is goin to play this video and maybe we will see this song in the chart if it gets some airplay

dealodelandron said:

And there i was thinking Musicology had a video.... and Call My Name.
Must have dreamed them up.

Billboard.com has picked up on the article now.

http://www.billboard.com/...1000663705

funkyfine said:

We musta been havin the same dream.....

hendela said:

I second that. though, this is the BEST video from that bunch.

Contro said:

Yes. Quick call and tell them that it is too bad the song is lame. And ask them why Candy is all dolled up and shows her cleavage? How is that connected to 9/11?

funkyfine said:

This AP story is now on the Drudge Report.

Way to go, Prince!

I don't get it, "the first from Prince's new "Musicology"" How come ?? What about call my name and musicology ??

calin said:

Maybe they meant first single?

Contro said:

just from the crappy version i watched on dial-up, i can tell this is the best from ANY bunch of Prince videos.

The FIRST video from the album?

Anyhow, hopefully he won't pull and "American Life" and pull it, since he can be fickle.

AsslessPants said:

fickle and stupid. yes. he can be. he never turns down an opportunity to fuck himself over in the marketing department. hopefully he'll suprise us all and won't.

[b]sup org-an grinderz...u grind all tha live long day...so do I, so do I...Hey I only have good to say basically P go 'head bruh do you thang...u cant be mad tha kid is only being what he is an controversial artist...

laterz

kikiriki boooommmm!

I know people like Prince's stance with the new video for Cinnomon Girl -and how it's questioning people's ideas about terrorism---What Prince is doing is great but There is a project I heard about by Warbux Records is putting together called "Five Pillars, Five Elements" whose purpose is to dispell the misconception of Islam by using Hip Hop. Check out www.warbuxrecords.com and in regards to this project. What Prince is doing a start and I think even Prince would appreciate Warbux Record's efforts with the "Five Pillars/Five Elements" CD.....as it's a noble cause it today's political/social environment. Support this project and check out www.warbuxrecords.com.