optimistic about Prince's latest protege, Tamar. I didn't know that P had a less than impressive record when it came to his proteges.This is due to the fact that I had stopped being a Prince fan after the Parade album(I became a fan in '79/'80). It wasn't until 2004 that I began to rediscover P during all the hype surrounding his induction into the RRHOF. During those 18 years, the only Prince purchase I made was the Hits cassette.

Because I was out of the loop for so long, I knew nothing about Jill Jones, Taja Seville, Rosie Gaines, Tony M, Anna Fantastic, Ingrid Chavez,Carmen Electra(I knew of her but didn't know she was an associate of P), The Dames, etc, until I became a member of the Org in '04.

Well, as I follow the making of P's latest protege, it's painfully obvious that Prince is not very competent in cultivating and promoting new talent. I mean does he really think that Holla and Shout sounds like something that would be played on the radio in 2006? I don't know what's worst, the 90ish sound, the rapping or the sexual lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, please tell me she didn't say "...release good love and your pants gon' stain."

Oh and the album cover is just awful. I hope that will not be the actual cover.
What in the world was P thinking.

Where's the promotion? She needs to be doing interviews, going to events, etc. Where's the video? This is a disaster waiting to happen.

She can't possible feel good about how this is going down. Poor thang, probably afraid to tell P "aww, hell naw."

I am really pulling for Tamar. I hope I am wrong, but things don't look very promising.

I haven't heard the newest song, but based on SNL, I don't think too much of her. She didn't seem any more talented than the twins.

u2prnce said:

I don't agree with that. I think she can sing but the 2 recorded songs that I have heard don't showcase her vocal range. I listened to the clip of her live performance of Rock Steady, which was posted in Room 3121 and the girl can sing.
[Edited 5/6/06 7:45am]

I admit I was very dissapointed in hearing Holla and Shout. It is very boring and does not distinguish from any other bland R & B song

BUT

I still like her very much for the only reason that I saw her live in Miami and she is AMAZING. She can sing and dance and I enjoyed her performance 100%.

You know, I have to be honest...I don't see how Holla and Shout can be offensive to any Prince fan...nor the cover...if the cover is her with soap suds on her? I assume that is the picture you are talking about. I think Prince has forver portrayed this female protege's the same...I mean....Tamar really isn't singing anything different than Carmen Electra or Jill Jones would....I don't know what Prince fans were really expecting.

I understand your situation was unique in that you haven't been following Prince during those years but I mean it's Prince...this is the man who did a S&M music video (Automatic) in 1982! The music is good that's all that matters to me anyway...maybe his lyrics and how he chooses to portray women can make certain people blush but I'm totally comfortable with it....it really doesn't bother me if the lyrics or pictures or whatever are boardering on soft core pornography...

It does make me kinda skeptical about him in some ways though...like during 2004 his whole...I'm not gonna promote sexuality and I'm keeping Musicology a family show..and just had this super innocent image and all...now he seems to have become more flexable on that with 3121...ok...sooo. basicaly it was just a makreting ploy Prince? Ok...ummm...well whatever...so I guess people who got back into him during this time might be a little shocked now but...I don't know..he's Prince he can do whatever he wants and I'd think it's fabulous probably!

having seen her live, i think tamar is very talented and has a lot of stage presence. my only concern with her being a prince protege is that he starts out strong with a new idea, then gets bored with it and lets the quality slack when he's not interested anymore. if he's on to the next thing right now, i'm hoping he hasn't left the completion of tamar's album in the lurch.

i've read that prince has been in the studio recently finishing her album, but i've also seen the cover art for "milk and honey" and i think it looks chintzy...i hope that's an initial shot and it gets some photoshop love before it hits the shelves. SHE looks okay and the general composition is a cute nod to the old ohio players album covers, but the milk and honey on her arms doesn't look sexy - it looks nasty. it doesn't look like "ooh baby i wanna lick that stuff off you" - it looks more like, "UGH, give that poor girl a washcloth!" PHOTOSHOP. PLEASE.

anyway. if the quality of the music is even half of what it was in concert, i think tamar will have an album that at least the fans will like. i just hope prince's heart is still in it.

Anx said:

Havent heard no songs, havent seen no pictures....WHY AINT prince.org on this?

Anx said:

This pretty much sums up what I think.

Listening to "Holla & Shout" all the way through, I can say that my optimism for Támar is starting to diminish, as well. "All Eye Want Is U" doesn't sound bad, it sounds a helluva lot better than "Holla."

Watching her performance from Nokia would definitely make me think that she can rock a stage, but something seems to be falling apart at the foundation.

I dunno. I'll just wait for the album.

paisleypark4 said:

http://www.myspace.com/tamardavis


oh and by the way, most of her photos and those of the twins, look terrible... particularly the one with all the makeup.



it' clear prince's talents do not lie in the visual arts.

Damn that photo's disturbing! If that's what 50-year old semen looks like i bet she's glad she just gave him a hand job and didn't let him go facial!

This is taking 'The Hef Years' a bit too far...

Yeah, that picture is pretty bad. So literal, milk on one hand, honey on the other. Okay, we GET it. Milk. And honey.

I agree that something about this picture is just not right. I have been around for all of Prince's protegees and all I can say is that I hope for Tamar's sake that old patterns do change because if not-it's over for her .

TheBigBang said:

lol.
Prince is at that ol' sabotage again.