I love Prince's use of a punk rock vibe to reflect on rap music's expression of Black/African American angst. Musically suggesting that black folks aren't the first people on the face of the earth to deal with injustice and discrimination, and the more we learn from history, the better we will all be.

Prince easily could have used one of his songs to chime in the #Trayvon/#Ferguson tragedies/black male pity parties perpetuated by the media and small minded activists playing into steryotypes and piling on the Popo, but, thankfully, he didn't. Instead, by assuming the role of a hooligan, he rails against the stupid behavior as he did in Lovesexy's "Dance On." As his friend Chris Rock* jocosely and famously articulated years ago, there are dignified black people and "others" and "theOthers" need to be called out.

"theOthers" (not to be confused with the classic Kidman flick), as Prince narrates, are a scary bunch and pretty dumb:

1) They give away (cheap) food that they're supposed to selling at MickeyD's because they somehow think MickeyD's small business franchisers should suffer a financial loss because some black children's parents don't care or bother to feed the children they brought into the world. And theOthers subsequently lose their jobs (ironically their best means to feed themselves).

2) The unlucky 7 then take to the streets descending further on a downward spiral.

2) They compete with each other by seein' how often they can stay out of jail.

3) They're ever (loitering) on the streets they kept defending (drug/gang territory)

3) Yet they spend all their money (instead of saving some) and don't even lend it to their so called "friends."

4) They're never really happy.

5) But they apparently don't have what it takes to be a star (or find the happy oneness between themselves and the rest of the universe prince glorifies in other songs on Plectrumelectrum) and want to achieve happiness or fame in some cheap way. "If a rocket ships didn't cost more than a car, a brother might move to Marz."

In Lovesexy's Dance On Prince railed against similar stupid violent gang behavior which only reaps money with blood on it:

A bass guitar in spider webs, longing 4 the funk

Uzi gun takes his place in a wagon trunk

(get off me, punk, U ain't sexy)

Stealin' ladies purses then settin' them a'flame

M&M killers playin' Mickey Mouse games

Lord have mercy

Dance on, dance on (Dance on)

Dance on, dance on (Dance on)

It's time 4 new education

The former rules don't apply

We need a power structure that breeds production

Instead of jacks who vandalize

Detroit - what's happenin'?

What color is your money today? [this is sung in a round]

Get your money straight

Everybody dance on

* Chris Rock: http://youtu.be/f3PJF0YE-x4

I love Mars, I think its one of the best punk tracks he's ever done.

appleseed said:

I love Prince's use of a punk rock vibe to reflect on rap music's expression of Black/African American angst. Musically suggesting that black folks aren't the first people on the face of the earth to deal with injustice and discrimination, and the more we learn from history, the better we will all be.

Prince easily could have used one of his songs to chime in the #Trayvon/#Ferguson tragedies/black male pity parties perpetuated by the media and small minded activists playing into steryotypes and piling on the Popo, but, thankfully, he didn't. Instead, by assuming the role of a hooligan, he rails against the stupid behavior as he did in Lovesexy's "Dance On." As his friend Chris Rock* jocosely and famously articulated years ago, there are dignified black people and "others" and "theOthers" need to be called out.

"theOthers" (not to be confused with the classic Kidman flick), as Prince narrates, are a scary bunch and pretty dumb:

1) They give away (cheap) food that they're supposed to selling at MickeyD's because they somehow think MickeyD's small business franchisers should suffer a financial loss because some black children's parents don't care or bother to feed the children they brought into the world. And theOthers subsequently lose their jobs (ironically their best means to feed themselves).

2) The unlucky 7 then take to the streets descending further on a downward spiral.

2) They compete with each other by seein' how often they can stay out of jail.

3) They're ever (loitering) on the streets they kept defending (drug/gang territory)

3) Yet they spend all their money (instead of saving some) and don't even lend it to their so called "friends."

4) They're never really happy.

5) But they apparently don't have what it takes to be a star (or find the happy oneness between themselves and the rest of the universe prince glorifies in other songs on Plectrumelectrum) and want to achieve happiness or fame in some cheap way. "If a rocket ships didn't cost more than a car, a brother might move to Marz."

In Lovesexy's Dance On Prince railed against similar stupid violent gang behavior which only reaps money with blood on it:

A bass guitar in spider webs, longing 4 the funk

Uzi gun takes his place in a wagon trunk

(get off me, punk, U ain't sexy)

Stealin' ladies purses then settin' them a'flame

M&M killers playin' Mickey Mouse games

Lord have mercy

Dance on, dance on (Dance on)

Dance on, dance on (Dance on)

It's time 4 new education

The former rules don't apply

We need a power structure that breeds production

Instead of jacks who vandalize

Detroit - what's happenin'?

What color is your money today? [this is sung in a round]

Get your money straight

Everybody dance on

* Chris Rock: http://youtu.be/f3PJF0YE-x4

This is one of the most ignorant and racist posts I've ever seen. If you have fucked up views against African Americans, that's on you. Don't attribute them to Prince or Chris Rock. Prince didn't say ANY of that racist shit you concluded. Prince has written a number of songs about the same issues raised in Mars. He's given interviews about it. Poverty, poverty, poverty. That's what the song is about. People wanting to escape poverty. On a side note, McDonalds has computers, Prince. You can't give away food for free, anymore. Other than that, great song!