i think there are and will be creative geniuses but i don't think they will have the massive multi-genre success he's had.

Do those that think there will be another honestly think the pre-existing musical landscape of today can produce a FUNK based phenomenon like P.? I'm hardly convinced (w/ no evidence to the contrary)! Sly, Jimi, JB, etc. made music that was popular at that time. Funk (for instance) is not a popular genre anymore so it may prove a tough sell for this new found genius!

fenderbender said:

Really good point. Since Prince doesn't appear 2 have aged much, folks forget that he was about 10 years old when Hendrix blew up. He was there, and remembers the '60s and '70s quite well. If he was determined 2 be the best, he had a LOT of competition. He was a kid when Jimi, JB, Sly, and Funkadelic/Parliament were releasing some of their "peak" material.

When I started getting into R&B and Hip-Hop, it was when both genres were LOADED with talent. The production, the DJs, the singers, and MCs were extremely diverse, and anyone getting into that world was surrounded by SKILLs.

Today, unfortunately, there have now been 2 many years since Hip-Hop and R&B were on that level. So now U have the kids growing up 2 this mess.

Lyrically devoid, soul-less, and boring... and where did the real singers go?

What I write here, is simply a reply 2 the point "fenderbender" raises.

The reason I don't believe there will be another like Prince, is based on my previous post.

PEACE.

~G
[Edited 5/5/09 7:20am]

There are no Prince peers, currently.
He's unique.

Whether future generations will yield a new "Prince" or not remains to be seen. My hunch is that we'll see many other of his caliber. It's much easier to release shit-hot demos now than it was in his day. You only need a musical equipment, myspace (or the like) and a mac.


I still think the occurrences of musicians at his caliber, with the same amazing breath of skills at his arsenal, will be relatively rare.

Without a doubt.

...no...prince is well-rounded..and that alone is hard 2 be these days..
..mzsexybaby

Prince has no peers, but he does have plenty of offspring. There are many who like to borrow his Linn Drum sound or do a ballad in his style, but that's not being original. Prince is an original. Yes he borrowed heavily from several influences, but his ability to put them all together into his own unique thing is what sets him apart. Who else do you know that can reference James Brown, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, Jimi hendrix, Miles Davis, Chaka Khan and Sly and The Family Stone?
No there will never be another like Prince. The era he came up in played a major role in shaping him musically. The stars were aligned perfectly for someone like him to appear! Music was in it's most fertile period during his youth. There were so many great sounds to feed his hungry ears and inspire his creativity. The musical landscape today is barren. There's a lot of good music out there now, but nothing that will stand the test of time like the music from the 50's -70's.Plus like others have mentioned, the industry has changed dramatically since Prince was up and coming. The majors will never take the time and money to groom an artist over several albums and give them complete creative control of the music again. Sure there will be many future musicians to inspire others and get critical acclaim, but not the complete package that Prince is. Prince is a bonafide "rock star" in the old tradtion. He is an icon. He doesn't dress like the rest of us. He is "Prince" 24/7. He is kind of the "Wizard" in Oz. Untouchable. He is unique to the time that he exists and therefore he is the last of his kind.

ernestsewell said:

another PRINCE ? no way,..
think about

only one edith piaf... around the corner??? nope
only one miles davis... always be another???? nope

same with Prince..... only one Prince.
[Edited 5/5/09 12:20pm]

one of a kind, a loveable & sensual legend, but he won't be the last special. history shows us that from each generation somebody pops up & wows us all.
his music has & will continue 2 inspire people, so i'm looking 4ward 2 the next legend

lottielooloo1968 said:

Normally the GAP between "special" talents is relatively small. Prince will be 51 this year, is the next one even on the horizon?

Graycap23 said:

No, s/he's not. And that's just what I was thinking when I read the original post. All through the rock era the torch has passed openly from one genius to another. You can make a flow chart that begins with Little Richard and Chuck Berry and comes down through JB, Jimi, Sly and Stevie straight into Prince. The question nobody can answer is where the hell the graph goes next. Like you said, Prince is 50-freakin'-1 in a few weeks and we're still sitting here looking for the next standard bearer. Sad to say, but I've given up hope at this point.

I think that Prince is the last of his kind and it sucks. I would love for there to be someone new that would come and do the kind of damage that Prince did. Music is in suck a dark place right now, how can there be a new "Prince"? It's something isn't it?

purplecam said:

Not a good look 4 my favorite activity, music.

ernestsewell said:

Very well said, couldn't agree with you more...and I'm only 30!

Graycap23 said:

It's not a good look at all.

ernestsewell said:

Nice.....very nice.

This is a great question/thread, but a loaded thread/question. If we understand that music, just like all forms of art, is a reflection of and a reaction to the socio-political landscape of the day, then it will be difficult to recognize the next Prince because that person will be working with a different socio-political landscape or matrix. For example, Hip Hop, of which I am not a great fan, exists as an example of African American genius because poor black kids had music programs taken from their classrooms, which meant no access to instruments. Yet, with necessity being the mother of invention, folk who still wanted to use music as a way to cry, rage, and escape were able to view the turn-table as an instrument. Also, much of Hip Hop, especially the Hip Hop that exists today, was a rebellion against the integrationist attitudes of Prince and Michael and Jackson. And even multi-talented white artists, such as Beck or John Mayer and many others will be working in a socio-political landscape that is based on blues, funk, and gospel, but not as directly influenced by it. Even gospel music is losing its blues root as Hip Hop beats and grooves have invaded the church, which is not surprising since the most famous gospel writer, Thomas Dorsey, was a blues man whose music, such as “Precious Lord,” was initially rejected by the African American church for being too much like café/juke joint music.

Now, I will add, as a blues baby from Clarksdale, Mississippi, (home of the blues) that Prince, in his desire and absolute right to be all that he could be, which meant escaping any cultural and ideological chains that the industry or society could place on him, is as much at fault for the break in the chain or legacy because of his failing to work with young talent as a mentor. But, in his defense, Prince's desire was to be a musician/artist, not an archivist or college teacher. Yet, "Dead on It" and his being perceived as not wanting to have anything to do with young African American talent, especially between 1988 -1996, when he was perceived as no longer belonging to the African American community, is a major reason why more African American musicians turned to Hip Hop because there were no definable “black” faces playing guitar or being on top of the music charts as a musician. So, many black kids that would have become musicians became djs, and I know that it is a small number, but six African American djs of whom I have asked this question all agree to one level or another. And though I laugh at that notion of Prince ever being considered a white act, it was a notion shared by many in the African American community for about ten years. Just recently B. B. King has publicly stated that he wants to play with Prince and make a record with Prince. In my mind, he has a responsibility to the legacy of the music to make that happen, but my desires and expectations are not his desires and expectations, as those of us who have been long-time followers of his work know and accept. So with no, so-called “black musician” at the top of the charts, there isn’t the motivation for black kids, in mass, to start picking up instruments and learning the history of black musicianship.

Accordingly, as odd as it may seem, many of my father's generation had a problem seeing the connection that Prince had to the legacy of James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, Parliament, and others because of Prince's sensationalism. One my mentors loses his mind every time I compare Prince to Stevie Wonder because he is unable to see that talent level of Prince because he is blinded by what he calls the "Peter Pan Fantasy" that Prince and Jackson, according to him, try to conjure.

And, finally, the question will become how can it be measured? This very site, Prince.org, proves everyday that one person's New Power Soul is other Person's Lovesexy. Some of us think that Prince hasn't written a great song or album since 2000 and others disagree. (Count me in the group that loves The Rainbow Children and Lotusflow3r/MPLSound) as much as I love Dirty Mind, Purple Rain, and Lovesexy.) So, with the understanding of subjective tastes and such a different socio-political landscape, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to recognize the next "Prince-type" because that next or new artist will be addressing the needs and tastes of his generation and not ours, and very few of us, me especially, will be intellectually and emotionally objective enough to recognize it.

fenderbender said:

I believe he is the last of his kind (an all around musician and entertainer).

If the next "Prince like" artist were going to emerge within the cultural landscape of "American Idol" type talent searches and overt schemes by record companies to sell an artist as genuine and the "real deal", wouldn't they be on the media radar by now (which, by the way, would not be a bad idea for a reality show - "In search of the next Prince" - I can see the ratings now!!! )!

"For example, Hip Hop, of which I am not a great fan, exists as an example of African American genius because poor black kids had music programs taken from their classrooms, which meant no access to instruments."

Not sure if I totally agree with this statement as a reason for the emergence of hip-hop since public school classrooms were seldom the foundation for learning instruments within many black communities. It can be said that this learning came about because someone simply invested the time to show someone else with a desire to learn. Friends, family, neighbors, local talent, etc. even in the lower income areas of the U.S. were resources for the attainment of these skills. How many of the greatest drummers for instance started out beating on pots, pans and empty paint cans (a whole new genre of music was started in this fashion - Go-Go)!

"Even gospel music is losing its blues root as Hip Hop beats and grooves have invaded the church, which is not surprising since the most famous gospel writer, Thomas Dorsey, was a blues man whose music, such as “Precious Lord,” was initially rejected by the African American church for being too much like café/juke joint music. "

This statement struck a particularly deep chord with me and speaks volumes since the black church has traditionally been a major anchor (and influence) for cultivating and nurturing black talent in many many forms (very insightful).

"So with no, so-called “black musician” at the top of the charts, there isn’t the motivation for black kids, in mass, to start picking up instruments and learning the history of black musicianship."

I do feel that the generation that spawned hip-hop never (in mass) had (or maybe received) the musical torch passed to them by the previous generation in the manner mentioned above i.e. friends, family, etc.. Although, we shouldn't forget
Princes influence on the musical landscape of the 80's and early 90's, with many
groups copying his look and sound ("Ready for The world" being just 1 example) and those within the community that influenced a young Prince.

& No! Prince is the ONLY 1 of his kind.

"My name is Prince & am funky! My name is Prince, the 1 & only!"

"It really don't matter cuz it just ain't meant 2 b. There'll never b another, never b another like me!"

MajesticOne89 said:

And Jimi is no Prince. They are very different and there are things Prince has done that Jimi couldn't touch had he lived another 40 years.

Prince is TRULY UNIQUE and ONE OF A KIND. SO TALENTED a MUSICIAN. I so do believe NO ONE COMES CLOSE to HIM. I ADORE him...

Prince is a rare offspring of his upbringing and survival. Think of the obstacles Prince has endured and overcome. Many of us face these challenges every day, but Prince's story is unique...with his Dad teaching him the piano and then leaving him around age 7, his mom and dad in a band called the Prince Rogers Trio, leaving home so young when his mom remarried, living with Andre/competing in local bands, mastering multiple instruments before he graduated high school, and most of all: his unyielding determination.
There will never be another Prince. He is the first and last of his kind.

Fenderbender stated that "...public school classrooms were seldom the foundation for learning instruments within many black communities. It can be said that this learning came about because someone simply invested the time to show someone else with a desire to learn. Friends, family, neighbors, local talent, etc. even in the lower income areas of the U.S. were resources for the attainment of these skills. How many of the greatest drummers for instance started out beating on pots, pans and empty paint cans (a whole new genre of music was started in this fashion - Go-Go)!"

While I understand and agree with your general premise, let's not forget that most of the funk movement of the seventies and eighties came from two public high school music programs in Ohio. So, by the seventies, there was a trend of hiring former professional musicians at high schools across the country, especially in black neighborhoods that could not afford accredited or certified teachers but were able to hire former professional musicians for less, especially if they did not have a teacher's license. In fact, Prince was a product of this trend, being able to take music theory and the business of music from a teacher who was once a traveling musician. And this trend also includes band, whether it was marching band or jazz band. Many famous drummers of the sixties, seventies, and eighties played in the school marching or jazz band. But, when those schools were closed and merged with white schools or the kids were bussed to white schools, the African American teachers who worked with the students in school and at the clubs were reassigned or fired. And on a larger, and probably more important issue, cuts in government funding also made it more difficult for African Americans to even consider purchasing instruments to a point where instruments in the hood became about as rare as golf clubs so that even the mentoring of young musicians that once occurred in someone's living room or at the YMCA/Rec Room or at the actual juke joint became almost non-existent.

And to another good point that you make, yes, many artists copied Prince's style, but that style soon became associated with being weak, or gay, or desiring to be white. That is significant because the rigid nature of the dress is a symbol of the rigid nature of the artist's musical style. Prince wanted to be a hybrid, even a physical hybrid (race and gender), because he believed that if he belonged to no one then he could not be categorized. However, after the Reagan years re-polarized America, artists returned to the safety zones, molding themselves to fit the neat boxes so that they could be sold more easily. Thus, it will be more difficult today for an artist to indulge himself in as many different forms because the industry, after having watched or dealt with Prince over the past thirty years, does not want to deal with the risk of financial loss because the artist that just went gold on the R&B charts has decided he wants to change his name and cut a space opera cd. There seems to be an understood sign over the door of all record companies and radio stations for artists to choose their category and limitation before they walk through the door, which means the likelihood of someone as dimensional as Prince ever happening again is slim, but, again, I return to my last post and add that many from this generation will not be able to recognize him because of the socio-political changes.

it's a freaky question...when you really think about it.
i would say that in terms of 'legends,' yes, there are
not many left in Prince's category. with all due respect
to him, wyclef and a few others have talent, but they're
not family of the synonym 'genius,' as Prince is.

but many people would actually have Prince return to his
won musical roots. lately, his delving into jazz and
the james brown type funk is domineering his music, whereas
the man has his own original sound, which i think started
to fizzle around the time 'sexy mf' came out.

He's certainly not the last musician to be an eclectic, multi-instrument genius. Then again, even if someone is that talented, would they be such workaholics to produce so much material and lend their talent to numerous associated acts.

Given how the media landscape has changed, he may be the last of his kind. He got huge before MP3s and the internet took over, when we all listened to the radio and watched videos and in stood lines to buy full length albums.

Plus, would any artist be able to sustain themeselves long enough either through record companies and independent dealings to create such a massive catalog.

I mean, Prince's longevity is rather amazing at every turn. First, just the fact that Warner Brothers took the initial risk and released so many albums would be nearly impossible to come by today. Also, once Prince "emancipated" himself, would a similar artist be able to keep it going like Prince did and have the wherewithal to find record companies for one-off releases, utlilize major distributors while producing and paying for his own albums, in addition to all the other "creative" (or insane depending or your view) marketing strategies he's used. Then again, it might be easier for a new artist to find new marketing angles as there is now existing precedent.

dartluv5 said:

YES !....Wonderful post !!! Our very own Prince fans fall into this ADHD. I doubt many fully listen or give the music a chance before instantly deciding it's not good.

Wonderful points by 1725topp, I believe we are getting closer to the reasons for a perceived (or real) lack of a successor to the funk/genius throne (as we do, it seems less likely for a Prince like Phenomenon to occur within the hip-hop generation).

"And to another good point that you make, yes, many artists copied Prince's style, but that style soon became associated with being weak, or gay, or desiring to be white. That is significant because the rigid nature of the dress is a symbol of the rigid nature of the artist's musical style."

One name comes to mind after reading this statement though. Michael Jackson, who is still being copied to no end, was also eventually perceived to be weak in many respects.
but I agree it comes back to public perception and what we focus on, praise, and
respect.

"And, finally, the question will become how can it be measured? This very site, Prince.org, proves everyday that one person's New Power Soul is other Person's Lovesexy. Some of us think that Prince hasn't written a great song or album since 2000 and others disagree. (Count me in the group that loves The Rainbow Children and Lotusflow3r/MPLSound) as much as I love Dirty Mind, Purple Rain, and Lovesexy.) So, with the understanding of subjective tastes and such a different socio-political landscape, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to recognize the next "Prince-type" because that next or new artist will be addressing the needs and tastes of his generation and not ours, and very few of us, me especially, will be intellectually and emotionally objective enough to recognize it."

I feel that if this new artist were to emerge and be seen as the new standard bearer for some of the previous artist mentioned, he would reflect and be influenced by some of the qualities of those previous great artist that came before him and within the current musical landscape of today he/she would stick out like a sore thumb (alicia keys and D'Angelos debuts come to mind)!

Fenderbender said "I feel that if this new artist were to emerge and be seen as the new standard bearer for some of the previous artist mentioned, he would reflect and be influenced by some of the qualities of those previous great artist that came before him and within the current musical landscape of today he/she would stick out like a sore thumb (alicia keys and D'Angelos debuts come to mind)!"

I agree with you completely, but for him to be a true Prince-type would call for time needed to measure this new artist's first three to five albums to see how influential they are. So we really would not be able to identify this new Prince-type when he first hit the scene other than to measure how many different sounds or genres that he blends on his first record. And then, of course, we can start measuring how many different types of artists and listeners he is able to interest and influence due to the number of genres that are explored on his album.

As for the MJ influence, somehow or for some reason, though he was perceived as weird, he was never viewed as rejecting black media and fans. I don't know why since he had as much, if not more, of a crossover effort as Prince. Also, the advantage that MJ had over Prince, as far as remaining relevant to younger African Americans, especially hip hop heads and b-boys, is the aspect of dance. Most of MJ's work is about dance, especially choreographed dance, which is a major aspect in the African American community. So, having b-boys copy and expand on MJ's dancing has kept him closer to the musical aesthetic most celebrated in the African American community. Prince's work has often been to experimental, lacking definite or easily definable grooves and rhythms, to remain hot or popular in the clubs where high school and college kids frequent. Yet, most djs tell me that "Kiss" and "Housequake" still get people on the floor.
[Edited 5/6/09 13:08pm]

Another aspect of this current generation for a would be successor to overcome would be what the public tends to glorify and respect now as talent. We go crazy for someone on stage with a microphone (maybe a turntable but even that is passe)putting rhymes together while artist of color (and I don't mean to isolate a group but only to make a point) who plays an instrument like prince has a hard time putting butts in seats (women don't seem to care in mass). Many have chastised Prince because they feel he cannot rap and therefore he's limited in some way (all this, after crafting wildly romantic and ingenious lyrics for decades) as if rap is the barometer for measuring talent. This is what the public lauds and respects and this new artist would have all this as a backdrop. If they could overcome these issues and gain public acceptance it will truly be an achievement.
[Edited 5/7/09 5:50am]
[Edited 5/7/09 5:50am]