I'm sure this has probably been discussed before but I was curious because, I heard both of his folks are black but in Purple Rain he had a white mother. What gives and do any of the black orgers feel offended by that? Has he ever explained why he chose to do that?

dancerella said:

His mother was Italian/American that's why (was it?)

Lennon said:

No, that's just in Purple Rain. His parents are both black. Don't know if Prince thought he'd be more accepted as a bi-racial artist, or if he just wanted to make the race discussion moot, but it's definitely confused a lot of people.

Lennon said:

again Prince parents are black... its it thats that end of fuckin discussion..

i already know how this'll end up.

dancerella said:

You still have time to run away from this thread

according to an old interview, prince has said that his father was black and italian, and that his mother was "a bunch of different things" - pictures i've seen of her look like a black lady to me. most all of us are "a bunch of different things" when it comes down to it though, no?

Axchi696 said:

i kind of guessed he might have done it so more people would accept him but i do find it kind of insulting to his black fans, me included.

I heard his grandmother is straight up white.

CynicKill said:

so's mine!

Anxiety said:

Smooches;)

Anxiety said:

but you white right (say THAT three times fast!). Since Prince is black there's a little more shock-n-awe to it.

CynicKill said:

So's mine. And I'm black too. Just like Prince.

Shocked and awed?


S

Redayh said:

Yeah I was just making the point that it MIGHT explain his look. Why the choice in casting? I don't know.

CynicKill said:

simple: cross-over.

his father is half italian half black and his mother is black. So Prince is black.

beret1022 said:

newbies, oy...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Okay, so what is he then?

beret1022 said:

it ain't that jazz you (and so many others here) have been duped into believing...that was a mere ploy for cross-over status. it worked, but unfortunately it still sticks to this day.

wonders why the search engine ain't up to snuff after forever...

dancerella said:

-----
You have to understand how things were back in the late 70's and 80's. Black culture was not mainstream like it is today. Prince wanted to get off the chitlin circuit and crossover. I think a lot of things he said and did were for the purpose of crossover and mainting his carreer.

Keep in mind he use to open for Zapp, Cameo, and Rick James. The brother just wanted to keep going for 20 years or so and not have his carreer come to him after a few albums.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Okay, so if he ain't black, then what is he?

beret1022 said:

you misread my post...he's black. [/notabouttoblowupmode]

Please answer the question.

laurarichardson said:

i hear what you're saying but it doesn't send out a good mesage to his black audience. sure he gainedwhite fans but what about us? has he ever talked about his culture in any interviews? what does he describe himself as?

dancerella said:

i don't see why it's a bad example or a bad message. he didn't wanna be pinned to just his black audience, he wanted everybody to dig 'im. you do whatcha gotta in order to become known.

as for talkin about his background, besides the earlier stuff he's kept that pretty mum. he wants folks to notice his work more than what background he comes from/is/whatever.

Yaaay! It's our monthly "what race is Prince?" thread!

Universaluv said:

i know, right?

dancerella said:

He describes himself as black. He has said so to the chagrin of many non-black fans a few years back when he did an interview with BET (was is Tavis Smiley or someone else who did the interview?).

And Dansa is right it was different back in the 70's and 80's. Case in point the late Eddie Hazel of Parliment/Funkadelic. Kick ass rock guitarist who rarely gets his due in that field. People knew Jimi Hendrix and that was it for black rock guitarists.

I don't think it's fair for people who were either too young to remember or not even born yet to make judgments about what he (or anyone else) should or shouldn't have done to get over in the music biz.

As for "Purple Rain" ... for the 8,476,876 time is was just a movie. Very loosley based on Prince's life.

Regarding this thread

.
[Edited 2/10/05 14:05pm]

I'm a NEWBIE and I can't stand this thread...


WHO CARES