For better or worse there are certain styles of music that are associated with 'white' and 'black' You all need to cut Bob a little bit of slack.

Definitely my taste is a little bit toward Prince's rock/pop side, and I think his sales figures as a whole support that lots of people agree. And unfortunately some of his Hip Hop/ Rap songs have been sub par, w/ an occasional gem.

However, Parade was a Funk Album (a musical style strongly associated as black music), and I think almost everyone agrees that Parade is a brilliant album, so it all depends.

BobPaisleyPark said:

Why are you taking 50 feet backwards?

the very thing he didn't want 2 be marketed as in the beginning he became in the 90's 'a black artist

He was Prince before that, like Michael transended race

Purple Music was neither black nor white

I prefer his Rock-Funk with some Pop Classic and a touch of Jazz Fusion

BobPaisleyPark said:[quote]Rightly or wrongly there are genres of music associated with being black (jazz, blues, R+B, funk, soul, reggae, gospel) and music associated with being white (rock, pop, pyschedelia, indie, punk, the various forms of metal, opera/classical)

You may disagree with my analysis but if you see some truth in what I'm saying do you think he produces music that would be considered "black" or "white" better?

Personally I think his best ever period musically was from !980's Dirty Mind (a fusion of rock and punk) right up to 1988's Lovesexy (ethereal music very influenced by The Cocteau Twins an exceptional indie band from Scotland).
Albums 1999 and Purple rain are very pop/rock orientated. ATWIAD is pure 1960's Beatlesesque pyschedelia as is Parade but that is laced more with stringed instruments.
The song Sign of the times is very indie sounding and appeared in the Indie set's bible The N.M.E top 20 songs of the 1980s and featured in John Peel's festive 50 for the year 1987.
All these songs and albums from this period would contain music from the genres that are considered white.

I think when P's music starts to suffer is when he created the N.P.G and started incorporating more black styles into his music, most disastrously his forays into rap and hip hop.
Trying to be a "serious" black artist caused his work to suffer (IMHO).
P does rock and pop better than rap or hip hop.
His endless R+B efforts pale compared to his few attempts at punk or psychedelia.

Wow! The fact that you want to divide his music into these categorizations is really sad. It speaks to the hyper-genre-division that is going on with music today. Some artists can't be categorized... There was a time when radio played music of basic "genres" all on one station...

Black!!! Soft and Wet, I wanna be your lover, Little Red Corvette, When Doves Cry, Adore, Diamonds and Pearls, Somebody's Somebody, Call My Name, Future baby mama.....just to name a few.

I'm black so maybe I relate to these songs better. I do know when he started to rock the long hair and acting goofy (and playing "white" music) he never did well. In 1991 when he got back to his roots with the NPG it was is biggest album since Purple Rain.

prime said:

prime said:

Little Red Corvette is not considered a "black" song. That song was all over rock radio and Top 40 radio. It's about as pop as it gets. It was his 1st crossover hit single.

prime said:

I love the NPG work and also so many others--I think P is someone who crosses these so-called divisions... "Black" or "White" music! The labels are what hold people back! The corporate music industry promotes this and as a result we don't have the diversity of music...and the multi-talented artists we had before these nasty corporations and shows like American Idol changed it! I certainly hope to God that the internet can promote better than Kei$sha's Animal album. Suck-ville!

that's racist . he does prince music best

purplepolitician said:

poetcorner61 said:

Paris9748430 said:

What the fuck is black music? and white music???? And besides, rock was made by black people, some of you black folks need to recognized.

yankem said:

yah, i see what the person is tryna say. like, pop/rock or r&b type stuff, but that's the lamest way to put it, imo . to answer the question better though, i dig it all cuz that's what makes princey princey . as long as it's good...

NastradumasKid said:

I know that. I was trying to straighten out the poster I replied to.

Paris9748430 said:

shayde said:

this question is stupid.

I Like his Negro & Honky Music the best!!
Peace.
[Edited 4/2/10 21:01pm]

White folks been stealing black folks music for decades.

ernestsewell said:

That's a no brainer. And yet people still think Elvis is the King? Pathetic I say!

prime said:

huh?

Wendy Melvoin was turned out by Sexy Dancer when she first heard it, does it make her black?
Tina Marie.. she must be black too

those songs most of which you mentioned aren't black or white. When Doves Cry is almost futuristic

Do you really believe Prince's earlier shows were prodominately a black audience
1/2 of his band was white starting out and..

started playing white music?? you mean Bambi, the more rocking songs, the discoish songs, the New Wave vibe of Dirty Mind & Controversy?

NPG is seriously NOT his roots

NastradumasKid said:

Prince said himself that people compare his guitar playing to Hendrix (because of their race) he said he has always styled his playing after Santana

yeah there is Rock music which has a black foundation but 70's 'classic' rock which Prince started playing was very much defined by white musicians + Jimi

metallicjigolo said:

NastradumasKid said:

You have to look at the bigger pictures. It's not that Elvis invented rock and roll, it's that he was tops in performing it at the time. It's like saying Aretha is the Queen of Soul. Girlfriend didn't invent soul, she just damn near perfected it for her time. MJ didn't invent Pop music, but he was on top of it as king.

ernestsewell said:

I guess, good point.

ernestsewell said:

The bigger picture is not that music is "black or white!" The fact is that labeled music is called "black or white" by being labeled "R&B or Rock & Roll." That was the beginning of the "genre-fication" of music. My son talks about all these sub-genres now that I've never heard of... Rock music, just like R & B
was based on Black music--so I don't get the "White/Black" division. Sounds like a throw-back to the 50s--before my time! There is a division in music, all right, but that started going on decades ago...by music corporations like Sony and company! I grew up listening to radio stations which played both so-called "Black and White" music. This whole construction just sucks!

poetcorner61 said:

Thank you!

NastradumasKid said:

You're Welcome! All music, just like all people--proven by science--come from the original continent now known as Africa. Music is a fluid, changeable, physical, and spiritual experience--true MUSIC--that transcends all the borders and boundaries that people try (as they might!) put upon it!

poetcorner61 said:

Exactly!!!!