sosgemini said:

The PR machine was doing everything possible to hype Van Hunt as the next Prince. How can VH be indie when he is biting "mainstream" Prince. Meshell was one of the first artists on the WB vanity label of the most lucrative female artist ever. Is Madonna indie? You're missing my point completely. Especially when it comes to black artists. They don't have the luxury of a built in grungy, punky underground machine complete with psuedo-indie labels, radio stations and media.

Of course Meshell and Prince are indie but it has nothing to do with they're record label. When SOTT was released, REM called it the most left field, strange and unclassifiable record on the market. He walked away from a huge comfortable contract at a time when most artists are cashing in. He has defyed expectations, stunned our consciousness and taken more chances than any living artist.

jdcxc said:

"indie" has nothing to do with sound and everything to do with their business plan. van is now indie because he has been dropped by all the major labels and instead of relying on them he has downsized his business model and is going witha smaller label. meshell is now indie because she is doing the same. indie has nothing to do with sound...you are confusing nonconformist or experimenting with indie...two totally different things.

and wait, are you saying prince is the most daring artist? i call bullsh*t. he has been playing it safe for years...his only attempt at walking away from it all and playing a true indie artist was Rainbow Children...and he has been running away from that model ever since...working with major studios to distribute luckwarm mainstream pop ever since.

you wanna give credit to a real indie artist then look at someone like ttd who has walked away from all the big business crutches...and ain't crying like a baby over all of it..."slave" anyone?

indie? prince is so commercial is not even funny.

It really trips me out that a lot of people don't think that Prince was a full fledged "star" until "Little Red Corvette" or "Purple Rain" just because he wasn't known on pop/rock radio. Since "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and even moreso beginning with the "Dirty Mind" album, Prince was a huge star in the R&B world. You couldn't listen to R&B radio from 1979 to 1984 and not know who Prince was. His music was all over R&B radio and so was music by The Time and Vanity 6. He even had groups like Ebonee Webb and Bobby Nunn copying his style and voice. Hell, he even had a feud going on with Rick James with fans of both artists taking sides.

Prince couldn't help it if pop/rock radio was late. He had already made his mark years earlier and was already a star.
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[Edited 9/25/07 7:50am]

Militant said:

youre right we would say "coloured, but seriously i dont think she was being offensive such one of them words thats not accepted these days

oh and the only time prince was "indie" was the "emancipation to new power soul" period when he released his album indepedantly

sosgemini said:

That's your definition of independence. In the today's entertainment market it is virtually impossible to be totally independent from large multinational distribution, media or venue channels. Of course, VH and TTD are going the small label, sell out of the trunk business model - they have no choice. Prince walked away from a huge contract and could easily sign another. They were dropped by labels because no one was buying or interested in their music. P's business model is all about independence. He has his own label, recording studio, in-house PR and marketing, unaffiliated website and a history of cutting edges. He uses labels for distribution.

And to criticize his music is ridiculous. It's unfair to compare past with present. I would much rather listen to any of his new music versus Prince-lite wannabes. You must not have a musical ear if you compare any Prince music to mainstream pop. It is not in his DNA. Fans have become too used to his brilliance. He is the true "punk."

If VH and TTD would've released 3121 or Planet Earth you would be wetting your pants.

jdcxc said:

funny you.

but yeah...your free to your own opinion...and im free to listen to what is in my opinion much better music then the shlock prince has been releasing...

btw: yes you can be totally free. See Ani Difranco and Aimee Mann...and TTD.

now, TTD's last two albums have left cold...the fact that I admit this will hopefully prove to you that I am not some silly lapdog who will blindly worship an artist....even when they release crap like 3121 and Musicology....

oh hi there, how are ya?

sosgemini said:

Aimee Mann - MTV Darling to Warner Bros to Hollywood Movie Soundtrack

She became "indie" as a necessity because unfortunately in this country there is not a premium for a literate middle age female acoustic singer-songwriter. It's not dangerous, risky or cutting edge when only a handful of people are consuming your music.

Prince divorced himself from Warner Bros. at a time when he was still selling millions of albums.

Alright, you got me on Ani. She is a great "indie" artist. By the way, I agree with you on MeShell but you greatly underestimate the indie cred P has among all the artists we have been talking about. Remember, it was only a few years ago when people thought he was mentally ill and crazy due to his "reckless" business moves.