from fox news:

Thursday, September 26, 2002
By Roger Friedman

Mick Snubs Prince, but Not the British One

Prince -- yeah, yeah, the
Artist-formerly-known-as-the-same-person-he-always-was -- came to New York
Tuesday night to launch a new album.

Unfortunately, he didn't bother to show until almost 1 a.m. at Jimmy's
Uptown in Harlem, not the 11:30 p.m. mentioned in today's New York Post.

He kept everyone waiting, including media hounds from the New Yorker and
Vanity Fair. He even made the kids from American Idol stay up past their
bedtimes.

His long-delayed arrival was never explained. It couldn't be anyway. The
people who work for Prince told me during the interminable wait that the
Purple One doesn't even bother calling them.

"He text-messages when he wants something done," said one Princely source.
"There isn't a lot of communication."

Indeed, there was so little communication that Mick Jagger, who was promised
all night as the big guest star of the soirée, never showed.

Interestingly, Prince's party was for something no one wants or needs: a
three-CD live set. But get this: The thing isn't out yet -- and may not even
be finished.

So what was the point of going all the way up to Jimmy's Uptown? It seemed
to be just an excuse for masochists to be pushed around by ex-con- or
future-con-looking security guards who protected no one from anything.

Prince, who now releases his own records after having fought with everyone
in the business, had better get a grip. His last hit, "The Most Beautiful
Girl," was almost a decade ago. He has rapidly become a nostalgia act,
mixing fond hits of the past with incomprehensible new material. I used to
think he was a genius, but now...

Here's a better question: how is it that Elvis Costello and a number of
other acts are eligible for induction into the so-called Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame, but so far Prince's name has not come up? He released his first album
the same year (1977) as Costello and has matched him release for release. Or
has Suzan Evans Hochberg, who's paid $300,000 a year to figure out who's
worthy each year, forgotten him?

From http://www.okayplayer.com ?uestlove said:

"braggin wrongs"

how weird is it when receptionist calls the a room and says
"ahmir...ummm i think a prank call is being made (3am)...someone named prince is on the phone?"
me and rash look at each other like wha?

"hello?"
(gum chewing...) weird asking for me huh
"hello!?'
hey...you know we share the same name...ahmir means prince
"...wait...hello?"
laughs. who's down there?
"me...com...bilal"
okay i'm coming down...-click

5 mins later

recpetionist: um ah---mir? prince here to see you?

he told me that he chartered flight in from minnesota and traffic was hurting something rushing in to nyc. i believe him cause it took me at least a half hour to get there on westide highway from e lady.

you will never know the rush of adrenaline one gets when he plays his hero his work (e circus) and he praises you for good work.

although i was a little scared when he said "i want to be there when you play this for the mca execs"---guess he had flashbacks of around the world in a day's listening for the warner execs.

but it wasn't an ego thing. traffic. live cd was there for industry distributers to hear what they are about to sell.

question:

does ?uestlove put these okayplayer posts up himself?

or does he scrawl them on a piece of construction paper with a jumbo crayon and have some intern try to decipher it and put it up on the site?

I wonder why it wasn't possible for Prince's people to just announce that he would be late due to traffic problems getting in from the airport? Maybe the media would have been more positive if they had known the reason for the delay.

NikkiDarling said:

It wouldn't have mattered if and what he gave for an excuse. They still would have said the things they said.

I wonder if Quest was comparing the depature in sound of Common's Electric Circus to Around The World In A Day's departure from Purple Rain?

"Interestingly, Prince's party was for something no one wants or needs: a
three-CD live set. But get this: The thing isn't out yet -- and may not even
be finished. "


say what? NOT FINISHED? please tell me thats jibberish

what is he thinking anyway.. why release that 3rd cd to non members? it doesnt seem like a good selling method.. keep it to 2 cd's.. affordable for a set, and stuff people know.. maybe more greatest hits.. but eye have a feeling this isnt gonna sell much..

so what eye'm tryin 2 say, is just send me a copy, and scr*w everyone else:)

ahh, It is finished. We all heard it at the celebration. And as far as what people will want or need, speak for yourself. The sound quality is amazing, the overdubs minimal--as in uninstrusive and barely audible--and I've heard quite a few folks who said they liked what they heard at the listening party.
[This message was edited Sun Sep 29 23:28:01 PDT 2002 by NuPwrSoul]

See, sometimes there are other excuses for something than "Prince is an arrogant selfish asshole".

mmm so ONA live will B released by MCA records?

AaronForever said:

im going to finish my laundry now... last laugh of the nite.

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[This message was edited Mon Sep 30 4:50:58 PDT 2002 by Christopher]