I'm referring to the comments that D'angelo wrote in the liner notes to his Voodoo album. I don't remember what he said verbatum, but it was something to the effect of the reason some of Prince's new music sounds like it does is because there aren't any young artists out to inspire him. He also said something about wishing he could see Prince's face the first time he listened to Voodoo.

So I was wondering if Prince ever responded to those comments or gave his opinion of Voodoo. Does anybody knoow?

I do not think that d'angelo wrote the linear notes you are reffering to, but from what i understand prince must have taken it personally as the undisputed moneyappolis mix on rave it to is suppose to be a response to it.


He must be cool with that camp now though as he has worked with common and jammed with ?usetlove since then.
[Edited 12/11/05 6:38am]

yeah i think prince took it as an insult, wrote a 'diss' to him on undisputed, is it something along the lines of 'my level is what you must learn to rise above, just ask d'angelo or better yet ?uestlove'.
they had a jam together once and supposedly prince was an arrogant SOB and told ?eustlove to play the drums 'right'. d'angelo left the meeting with his all-time hero saying he felt like he needed a shower.

however, something must have happened since then (presumably prince finding out d'angelo didn't write the inlay comments and sorting it out) as they've all jammed etc and ?uestlove wrote his reports on being at the 3121 party and jamming on drums with prince watching then them all playing with stevie wonder etc.

The liner notes are written by Saul Williams - although obviously D'Angelo would have given approval.

Some people consider that the swipe at resulted in:

'U Make My Sunshine' - considered by some as a musical response to 'Untitled (How Does It Feel)' - recorded with Angie Stone, mother to a child by D'Angelo, and ex-collaborator and backing singer.

'Undisputed (the Moneyapolis Mix)' - includes the line:

"My level is now what U must learn 2 rise above
Talk 2 D'Angelo or better yet ?uestlove"

.

.

softandwet said:

Prince and D'Angelo jammed together live prior to this episode.

?uestlove and D'Angelo then visited Paisley Park together with Alan Leeds who is on record as commenting that the meeting wasn't particularly reconciliatory, as they felt somewhat lectured at rather than treated as guests by their host, and D'Angelo didn't feel particularly welcome.

However, ?uestlove is believed to have accompanied Common on a subsequent visit to record at Paisley Park and it has been reported that Prince surprised them with a return visit.

And Alan Leeds wrote glowingly after seeing Prince perform on the US leg of the 'One Nite Alone' tour during 2002.

.

And ?uestlove praised Prince at the MTV Musicology special...

xpertluva said:

- Those lines were really written? (I don´t own Voodoo, only the first album). While I think it sounds arrogant to assume that he would influence Prince (in fact he did - "Muse 2 the pharaoh"), I must agree with him.

It always annoyed me when Prince says that there are no real musicians out there anymore, because his vision is limited to the Top 10 american artists. There are lots of talented musicians in jazz, blues, etc, and in several countries too.

So, when Prince releases an album, he shouldn´t be happy if it sounds better than a Britney CD...

?uestlove jammed with prince again recently, he wrote it on the okayplayer site. he played the drum beat to "777-9311" amongst others and apparently had an awesome time.

For the press that he did for Musicology.. when asked what artists he liked.. he said there were just a few and he always mentioned D'Angelo and that he hopes he gets back in the game soon (referring to his current problems with drugs/drinking).

altavista said:

-----
I think all of this drama was really started by Saul Williams. A fucking poet (LOL)

laurarichardson said:

correction: THE fucking poet! Saul is baaadddd!!!!
The drama was actually started by fans trying to pit D'Angelo against Prince. They're both artists. Everybody should just enjoy.

Prince and D'Angelo both use the services of one Londell McMillan.

"is that my song playin on the radio?", I dont know G, it could be, I wrote it in eighty fo"

The liner notes here:

http://www.angelfire.com/...Notes.html

"My opinion, over the years as I’ve sat in countless conversations about why it is that the Artist puts out half the shit he does (you know the half I’m talking about) is because he lacks any new inspiration."

- It was a little rude, but true...after Prince, there weren´t many great artists to inspire him. Some of the best ones - D´Angelo is very repetitive, and Lenny, too retro...

softandwet said:

Isn't that just like Prince though, an arrogant SOB? I mean it's a reflection of that big male ego of his right, that he has these young contenders snapping at his heels after a few years of a commercial/creative dip (whether he admits it or not), and he invites them on HIS turf to play, and then tells them how to play ball.

I can see D'Angelo getting pissy, but as well as Prince saying 'You're not good enough to beat me', it's also a cocky challenge to say "You think you got what it takes, PROVE IT! Show me what you got".

I have D'Angelo's first two records, they're OK as that kind of Soul music goes, but they don't really break any barriers . I'm not saying Andre 3000 is the next Prince, but I think he takes some of those ideas that Prince had a pushes the same buttons, and in a better way than D'Angelo did (at least for my tastes) - Again, Andre needs to come upto the plate and show us what he's got, or get off the field.

D'Angelo remade "She's always in my Hair" for the "Scream 2" soundtrack so i would assume things must be ok between him and Prince. Even if it is not, so what? D'angleo is washed up, fat, on drugs and possible in jail. Prince is still at the top of his game AND he didn't remake one of D'Angelo's songs.

GustavoRibas said:

Thanks for the link. After rereading the liner notes, I don't know why I ever thought those were D'angelo's words. I'm not so sure they were intended as a put down, although Saul Williams (I presume, the same guy who has that song "Black Stacey" which is a cool ass song btw) does imply that a large part of Prince's music is stale. I agree to the extent that it's hard to become inspired by todays pop market, but like you already said, there's certainly not a shortage of good music, old and new. Artists like Chocolate Genius, Finley Quaye and even Meshell N'degeocello don't get half the recognition they should. Even in hip hop, there's K-os and Deltron 3030 that are doing some really good stuff but aren't being heard by the masses.

Still, I'm among the minority who dig Prince's newer releases. I admit that nowadays there are a lot more average songs mixed with the great ones but overall I like the new direction. I would even like him to delve deeper into jazz and blues because I really like what he was doing with The Truth, The Rainbow Children, and ONA. I also like the songs from The Vault, such as "5 Women", "She Spopke 2 Me" and "When the Lights Go Down".

So if he has infact exhausted the possibilities of what he can do with his main/most obvious inspirations (Marvin, Jimi, Sly, JB, ect.), I say put on some John Lee Hooker, Duke Ellington, Roy Ayers, whoever and lets see what happens! Hell, maybe even play some Antonio Carlos Jobim and get some real Latin vibes going! Hopefully I'll get that wish from the new album

I don't know about all that stuff and don't care. I just like remembering D'Angelo butt naked in that video! Wonders who inspired that?

BlaqueKnight said:

That is really one of the lamest arguments ever "Don't have an opinion on the music until you can make an album yourself".

Music has a performer (the communicator/encoder) and listeners (the recipient/decoder) - The audience does not have to actively partake in the performance or creation side to appreciate or critique music.

Opinions are like ass-holes, everybody has one and is entitled to use it. Without the audience, the performer would be sat at home twinkling his keyboard or strumming his guitar to no-one but himself. The listener's opinion, as intended audience and consumer is valid.


And since it would be churlish of me not to turn your post into a self-fulfilling prophecy, here's my ruminations on the performer in question, D'Angelo.

He made a couple of decent soul/R&B records, that's it, and he took his time making those handful of tracks. Both albums were rather standard, pedestrian R&B affairs, breaking no particular boundaries or pushing any buttons, just giving his audience a reminder of the stuff he grew up on as a kid before Hip-Hop entered the scene and attatched itself like a blood-sucking leech to the jugular of popular R&B.

.
[Edited 12/12/05 1:13am]

GustavoRibas said:

I think what he meant was that in American music, right now, everyone seems to be into Hip Hop. So, you really don't hear "real" music being played. You will hear the sample of someone's else's hard work. But remember, Prince recently travelled to Panama and played with musicians there, so he knows what's up.
[Edited 12/12/05 0:27am]

BlaqueKnight said:

Apologies. To clarify, I was using 'arguement' in the sense of 'case' or 'point', not a confrontation.

BlaqueKnight said:

Were you expecting Prince to bring Soul back? Do you even consider it was his place to do so? (Not a judgement call, an honest question).

BlaqueKnight said:

I agree with that, although I kind of think it's a moot point - Jimi came first, in an important era of civil rights and personal/grass-roots political activism. And he's dead, which deifies him almost, certainly cannonising him.

xpertluva said:

- Oh yeah! Xpert, I couldn´t agree more with you. In fact, I thought that Prince would get some inspiration from brazilian music, because Renato should show him our greatest songwriters (the ONA box mentions Gilberto Gil at WNPG, but I think it was because Renato was listening to him, not exactly Prince). Jobim is such a great songwriter...wow...if Prince listened more to him, maybe he could bring some elements to his music...same thing about Duke Ellington, Coltrane, etc

I am one of the few fans that liked his recent jazzy output. Many people here hate the Vault, but I thought it was kick ass to hear a ´clean´ Prince, focusing on the songs, without drum loops, etc. Simple and great. "5 women" is a great song and one of his best lyrics.

I thought he challenged himself with TRC. Musically speaking, it was great to see him and Blackwell doing such a great album (ok, the storyline annoyed many, but the music was indeed good).

NEWS was a jam album, and Xpectations was too smooth-jazz for my taste...didn´t love them...

Musicology had its moments, but I missed more jamming...the songs are too short. "SST" is nice, but the plastic drums make it bland..."Glass cutter" isnt a strong composition when it comes to melody, but Prince rocks on that one. One of the best one-man-band moments by him.

Jamzone333 said:

- That´s what I said...You dont hear real music playing on radio. But there are several not so famous people doing a great job, especially around the world. Cuban music is great, and so is brazilian. In the USA, there are some real good things happening. Living Colour´s last album "Collideoscope" showed the band going in new directions, and it´s a real good album (unfortunately not well promoted). Vernon Reid solo album "Known Unknown" is real good also for those who like instrumental music.

I am, personally, totally bummed out by D'Angelo's lack of releases. If the guy would just release some of the jams htey recorded at ladyland, DAMN!

I wish he would channel his state of mind into his music and release the whole load onto us. Doesn't he remember Prince's 1985/1987 output?
We needs some new D'Angelo stuff. I totally adore almost everything he did and even if I still think Voodoo was a too ecclectic follow-up to tight Brown Sugar, I am willing to cut him loads of slack cuz the stuff he did on Voodoo was DEEP. Deep funk, deep emotion, deep dedication. Things I had been missing in Prince's work up til TRC.

And then D'Angelo live. Doesn't he realise he came close to me recapturing that SOTT-1987 live feel when playing live with them Aquarian fella's?



I miss your music, D'. Come to Amsterdam and play, damnit.

BlaqueKnight said:

-----
I know who is and I am not that impressed. I don't care how bad you think he is the notes were disrespectful which is pretty typical of the hip-hop generation.

A lot of artist today are trying to figure out how to get beyond 3 CD's and most of P's peers are on what is left of the Budwiser Super Fest circiut but,know body will give our boy any f**king credit.
[Edited 12/12/05 5:09am]

laurarichardson said:

Ha! HA! Not impressed wth Saul in this time period is like not being impressed with Prince in the 80s. Damn near every poet I hear these days is doing Saul's inflections and copying his ryhme schemes. As Jay-Z would say "He's the blueprint". If you like any black contemporary poets, chances are they have been influenced by Saul. YOU may not be impressed but the rest of the poetry world is.
What you seem to PRETEND not to know (I know you're no dumbass Laura, you know this) is that Prince's contemporaries CAN'T get past 2 CDs and Superfest tours because all the money that would be going to R&B acts are going in the pockets of execs via filtering through rap acts. They invest low these days. Prince has surpassed most of his peers. He attained superstar status and has a fanbase and is using it wisely. Who's not admitting that? Prince fans always want Prince to have more credit than he's due because of how he's affected THEM as opposed to everyone else. Damn, he made it into the R&R Hall of Fame as he should have. What do you want; some special "Prince" category? Not gonna happen.
D'Angelo is the father of Neo-Soul. He brought back the BLACKNESS and recaptured the essence of black culture in his music. Some of y'all are just mad because he didn't go for a politically correct "crossover" sound. He upped the standards for R&B and brought attention to musical excellence without the need for "crossing over". His music is unapologetically BLACK AS HELL and if you like it then you were down, whatever your color/culture. Some of you resent that, but whatever. Nobody in the black community ever bitches about the onslaught of whine-rock that bombards the airwaves or this new-country bullshit that's just "Skynard-era" rock in disguise. People only seem to complain when AMERICAN black folks indulge in their own culture. I wonder why?
NouveauDance: I never expected Prince to bring soul back. He's never been all that soulful in the first place. He's made hybrid music most of his career. You can't dilute soul music and expect people to hold it in the same regards. He's no Al Green or Marvin Gaye. He never wanted to be and I don't think he could have been even if he wanted to. Too many Prince fans on this site look down on soul music as if its inferior. I don't know if its just institutionalized "bias" or not but whatever the case, FUCK THOSE WHO DO. Its NOT inferior. Its BLACK. Maybe therin lies the real resentment? It always will be primarily black American.

BlaqueKnight said:

Well put!! Keep it REAL!