Morris and Jerome are going 2 do the Viagra commercial.

mirrorbestfriend said:

Look, you have to get real here. Music, and the associated music business is NOT A ARTISTIC HOBBY to Prince. It's his job! It's always been a business and he's always wanted to be in charge from the start. Setting up Paisley Park at the time, opening shops (and then closing them) setting up the NPG web site and all these things are all the same as making deals with Verizon or whatever - it's just the business of how to best and most proftiably shift your records. I think Prince came to a realisation at some point during the NPGMC that perhaps it's better to reach one million people and make $1 of each, rather than 20,000 people making $50 of each. Both make him $1M but somewhere his music is not reaching the public. How many people on the street have ANY IDEA that P had even been making music recently?

He has to make shrewd business moves, he's always tried to. He's been close to bankruptcy as well over the years and I'm sure that's not something he'd want again. In his favour, I'd say he still calls the shots in terms of music ownership, length and obligations of contracts and so forth.

Now if you're saying he's music is suffering, or that he's no longer a musician, nor making good music in order to reach a lowest common denominator audience and thus maximise sales that way, then that's another argument. I've been a fan for 23 yrs, and Guitar, along with video I actually like more than everything released during his NPGMC indie project (besides The Truth). He look's good, I like the song, and the twinz are just another version of Diamond and Pearl, nothing selling out there, all as has been done before.

I agree with mirrorbestfreind!! Prince seems 2 b getting more and more involved with the Corporate World, that a few years ago he was so dead against!!!!

Whats next?? Car commercials, QVC, teleshopping programmes on cable, tours sponsored by BenGay?????

By the way, lets hope he doesnt become like Santana, whose last 3 albums were nothing but mediocre duets albums!!!

you forgot American Idol.


and i see it as selling out too...but what's wrong with that?

LETS give fella credit for the 31 quid tics in london -now is that sellin out?

Desire2006 said:

I admit I have't heard Santana's latest album, and I thought Shaman was an inferior repeat of Supernatural, but Supernatural itself I'd say was a damn good crossover album that deserved the success it brought him, I'd been a fan of his, going to every local concert since 85 (when he was not at all popular) and his albums prior to Supernatural were really directionless and sounded incredibly dated. Stuff like Brothers, Milagro, Freedom, beyond appearances and the like were not taking him anywhere and his fanbase was dwindling. Supernatural just came out of nowhere and made a connection with a lot of people.

Prince isn't selling out. He's doing business his way.

Desire2006 said:

He was never dead against it. All of his major albums since leaving WB (Emancipation, NPS, Rave, TRC, Musicology, 3121) have been distributed by corporations.

adorable2 said:

and if people don't like it, fine
off

bjt57 said:

Besides the fact he NEVER had any real 'beef' with rocord companies or 'corporates'just issues about ownership. That had nothing to do with the thing they are the best at, and that's world-wide exposure. He's done away with managers, because he makes his own choices, and is learning new methods to get his music out there. It's not about selling himself to the phone company, they didn't call him up and ask him if he wanted to appear in their commercial for a fee. He's promoting his new music and they picking up the bill. Saved him millions! Just the same as Pop Idiol, who was using who??

He aint stupid, give him credit.

[b]WELL I WENT TO GO SEE THE MAN HIMSELF IN VEGAS AND HIS SHOWS WAS NOTHING BUT THE BOMB AND THEN SOME ,AND SECONDLY AND FOREMOST YOU MUST NOT BE A PRINCE FAN AND MOST OF ALL HIS FANS DON'T DOWN HIS WORK OR ANYTHING ESLE HE DOES ,YOU NEED TO SHAKE THEM HATERS OFF AND SHOW PRINCE SOME LOVE PEACE.

mirrorbestfriend said:

PRINCE IS NO SELLOUT ,NOT BY A LONG SHOT OK ,HE IS DOING WHAT HE HAS TO TO PROMOTE HIS MUSIC AND HE IS DOING A HELL OF A JOB BY DOING IT .DON'T HATE PRINCE IS NO SELLOUT PEACE.

luv4u said:

And as far back as I remember many of Prince's tours have been sponsored by corporations. He'd be bankrupt by now if there wasn't some corporate sponsorship. Some of ya'll are negative beyond belief.

Also, comparing him to Jimi is unfair, because Jimi didn't have a 30-year career.

mirrorbestfriend said:

Take that bullshit somewhere else. Oh and don't forget your viagra while you're at it.

Why is it that if everyone else uses TV or something like it to promote music, they are innovative but Prince does it and he's a sellout? People still don't know that Prince is making music so why can't he use something like Verizon to let people in on what he's doing? Why is he a sellout for doing this? This is a BUSINESS and Prince is FINALLY catching on to this by hooking up with companies who can get his music out to a broader audience. Thank goodness for this move. Prince is doing the right thing for once.

Maradona said:

Good point. Even a dressed up garage band like Nickelback is charging $225 for the best seats at their shows, not to mention the $350 that Madonna's tix cost last year. So, the fact that Prince's top seats are still less than $150 is nothing to sniff at. At least he's giving you a real, LIVE show for your money.

purplecam said:

like i said, when he did things the old way he was called a bad businessman and poor promoter. when he does something now that makes sense he's a sellout. damned if you do, damned...well you know the saying.

purplecam said:

First of all, P didn't just Finally catch on...Prince is a very wise, cautious business man. I will bet on this one...Prince has Verizon just where he wants them. Prince is doing things his way and only his way. People should quit comparing P to others...he is in a "class" unlike other artist. He doesn't make a move until he has dotted every I and crossed every T. He will never ever get in another situation like he did with WB. Can't folks see its companies like WB that enslave musicians ....they get all the money Not the musicians...and P is not having it anymore. Thank God for wisdom.

Basically, if he wants to remain a relevant artist he has to change a few things to become relevant with the times. Unfortunately these days, doing live shows isn't the ONLY thing that will get you attention - I'd say 98% of people have no idea of anything he's done in the last 10-15 years.

With all these promos and appearances, people are going to see him a lot more than usual which is what he's aiming for. There's nothing wrong with that, especially since it's on his terms.

Prince is a businessman as well as an artist, so who's pimping who? Verizon? I dont think so.

What u have to see is that prince is on a level playing field with all these huge companies now. Prince is far from a sell out - he has become something for artists to aspire to be in regard to control and managingyour own work, career and legacy.

I'll quote myself from another thread:

Funkmeimfamous said:

This sell-out talk is BS.

purplecam said:

For those people saying that "Prince is NOT a sellout", would you say the same thing if any other artist/musician/entertainer was doing it. I remember years ago when a certain megastar did a Pepsi commercial, he was torn to pieces by the ROCK community. Neil Young and others bitched about it like it was a terrorist act. The megastar who did these Pepsi commercials was the first big star to do a commercial and use it to promote his music. Now, basically every artist is doing it. Again, the music industry tore this megastar down, mostly the rock community, for doing the exact same thing that Prince is doing.
FTR, I don't think that it is a sell-out to do commercials to promote one's music. My question is:"Why do some or most of you feel that it is alright since it is Prince doing it and the same people will be the first to call other artists sell-outs or desperate. Double standards, anyone?

skyecute said:

great point
most people on here just drink the prince kool aid and dont care what he does

Prince could Kill somebody and folks on here would be defending his right to do it cuz its prince

^ That's complete BS. I don't even like the song. But I still challenege the idea that this is selling out. It's just very smart promotion.

skyecute said:

Who in this thread discredited other artists for working with a corporation while at the same time supporting Prince for working with corporations? I sure don't see anyone.
[Edited 6/3/07 19:29pm]

mirrorbestfriend said:

and its those same folks who were slaming that same Pepsi artist a few days ago for getting paid to appear at a b-day bash...and look who just did appeared at a private event for pay?

*****I am so sick about the bull sh@#$t comments about selling out when someone tries to make money. Money is what makes the world go around and the more money you have the more potential and the more power you have to do something postive (i dont what Prince's attentions are but hell its his money)
*****Its like when pro athelets negotiate to make more money, people say "your selling, what about the love of the game" give me a f@#king break anyone placed in the same position would do exactly the same thing.
*****If your blessed with the talent to market yourself and bring in as much cash and it doesn't go against your morals, than do what you gotta do man. Most people who have no talent or who have no way of making a lot of cash are usually the first people to call someone a sell out
*****reseve the term selling out for people who rat out their friends to skip out of prison time; sending young soldiers to die in Iraq and keeping them over there to cover up your own politial agenda;
*****making a little cash using the talents you were given, or marking products you probably arleady use does not qualify as SELLING OUT.
*****but maybe prince will read your comments and stop making comercials for money and stop charging for his performances so he can give a few guffy fans the impression that he is not selling out.
[Edited 6/3/07 19:59pm]