Salon.com has something to say about it:

http://www.salon.com/2015..._devalued/

Interesting article.

As much as I critisize a lot of Prince's new music, I have always been cognizant how valuable his unique talent is. I have always agreed and supported him when it came to his rights as an artist, his fight against Youtube, and the financial and cultural marginilizing of art when it came to the artist hilmself. A shame that we as a society value the "art of the deal", whether as a consumer or bussiness, more than the artist or work itself.

[Edited 2/11/15 14:11pm]

Important article. It's great that Prince is the catalyst who restarted the dialog.

I dont get it. He wasnt saything that Black artists are being devalued but that ALL art (music and movies) are being devalued.

And lets get real here. He's not saying this because he's all that concerned about the "art" but rather how its effecting his wallet.

3rdeyedude said:

Interesting article.

Not as interesting as the comments on Prince after it though.

babynoz said:

Important article. It's great that Prince is the catalyst who restarted the dialog.

He's not the catalyst, come on, but his comments are helpful and relevant. Ferguson and the continuing problem of racist policing, the lack of Black Oscar nominees this year, the realization that Black lives are still far more at risk and subjected to racism, despite all the Black heroes we've had, all of this spills into a discussion of the cultural sphere. What have we been recognizing?

Keep in mind I'm not of the Kanye school and think Beck deserved his award. It's still very interesting to see what "crosses over" and what stays mostly a "black thing".

This is agreat read, thanks for posting!

Very good piece, thank you for posting! Side note, I honestly cannot believe people around here are bitching because Prince said "black lives matter." I guess he is still socially relevant and able to stir up a little controversy - although the truth of that phrase shouldn't even be up for debate.

Aerogram said:

babynoz said:

Important article. It's great that Prince is the catalyst who restarted the dialog.

He's not the catalyst, come on, but his comments are helpful and relevant. Ferguson and the continuing problem of racist policing, the lack of Black Oscar nominees this year, the realization that Black lives are still far more at risk and subjected to racism, despite all the Black heroes we've had, all of this spills into a discussion of the cultural sphere. What have we been recognizing?

Keep in mind I'm not of the Kanye school and think Beck deserved his award. It's still very interesting to see what "crosses over" and what stays mostly a "black thing".

So you believe that the issue hadn't dropped out of the news cycle before he mentioned it? I'm a news junkie and I can tell you that the discussion had died down significantly what with the horrific beheadings, burnings and other madness taking place.

D'Angelo's whole band wore black lives matter and I can't breathe shirts on SNL last weekend but I don't recall this kind of response. Everybody is still taking about Prince's statement. Surprisingly, I have heard several commentators imply that him saying it makes it somehow more noteworthy, which is weird, but that's todays pop culture for ya.

Conservative news outlets are tearing him a new one...

You mention Kanye, oddly enough, if he had said it I doubt it would have had the same impact.

I wasn't implying that Prince is a catalyst for any movement as far as being some kind of activist...just for bringing the issue back to the forefront with his words. I think you misunderstood what I'm saying...his comments are the only thing I'm talking about.

As far as black Oscar nominees, like I said in the P&R thread....it's a tempest in a teapot. Perhaps there were not any candidates who turned in Oscar worthy performances or screenplays.

Beck most certainly deserved his award.

Beck's record company probably paid for all the awards he got, in my opinion. If what's played on the radio, determines what wins Grammy's, I'm perplexed because I didn't hear a single Beck song on the radio all year and haven't heard Beck played on the radio in years!

D'angelo's performance and stance on Black issues in the performance on Saturday Night Live, recently, was more striking than what Prince said.

All that said, Prince is still cool for mentioning it. I wish he would do more, as far as black issues/social commentary/songs. I do remember Annie Christian, though, so P does have a history of mentioning black causes.

williamb610 said:

Beck's record company probably paid for all the awards he got, in my opinion. If what's played on the radio, determines what wins Grammy's, I'm perplexed because I didn't hear a single Beck song on the radio all year and haven't heard Beck played on the radio in years!

D'angelo's performance and stance on Black issues in the performance on Saturday Night Live, recently, was more striking than what Prince said.

All that said, Prince is still cool for mentioning it. I wish he would do more, as far as black issues/social commentary/songs. I do remember Annie Christian, though, so P does have a history of mentioning black causes.

I should clarify that I don't think it should be a contest. I was only mentioning the reactions that I have observed in the media.

I am thankful to whomever steps up.

Sadly, it appears that more people are talking about his appearance and gestures rather than what he said. And nobody is even talking about that anymore. It's mostly about Kanye. Kanye wins again. He managed to get press during an otherwise horrible awards show. Good for him. I bet there are more people talking about Prince's new fro then what he said.

3rdeyedude said:

Sadly, it appears that more people are talking about his appearance and gestures rather than what he said. And nobody is even talking about that anymore. It's mostly about Kanye. Kanye wins again. He managed to get press during an otherwise horrible awards show. Good for him. I bet there are more people talking about Prince's new fro then what he said.

So in your opinion, it's great that Kanye robbed Beck and Prince of their moment , "good for him"?

All I see is one giant attention whore absolutely inhaling his own self as a hard drug.

Aerogram said:

3rdeyedude said:

Sadly, it appears that more people are talking about his appearance and gestures rather than what he said. And nobody is even talking about that anymore. It's mostly about Kanye. Kanye wins again. He managed to get press during an otherwise horrible awards show. Good for him. I bet there are more people talking about Prince's new fro then what he said.

So in your opinion, it's great that Kanye robbed Beck and Prince of their moment , "good for him"?

All I see is one giant attention whore absolutely inhaling his own self as a hard drug.

Fuck the media and awards shows. They are fake. So yeah, good for him because he basically thinks the same thing.

emesem said:

I dont get it. He wasnt saything that Black artists are being devalued but that ALL art (music and movies) are being devalued.

And lets get real here. He's not saying this because he's all that concerned about the "art" but rather how its effecting his wallet.

As Prince is one of the few great musicians in the world who is still creating and supporting real art, I find that to be an inaccurate and unfair statement.

http://prince.org/msg/7/414211

great article indeed. (made me go listen to Radical Man 2045!) I like the way the professor EXPOUNDED on the INTENTIONAL "meaty" 10 words that P spoke. that's what a good prof does, use relatable moments and connect them to a larger cultural narrative.

keep in mind here, on a site ABOUT him, a huge percentage of his fans don't STILL don't GET him. like the awful and weird Pitchfork article ALSO posted here, "fans" prefer a certain "type" of Prince, one that supports THEIR sexuality, politics, musical genre preferences, and silence on cultural issues (the hatred of TRC as a case in point).

so this thread is a microcosm of America's race problem, and this site's Prince problem. I don't expect the larger culture to GET him, they're still stuck on his butt out jeans among other things, but for those who say they want "more lyrics like his statement", I hope that's sincere and such fans would list TRC and Lotusflower among their faves, cause dude IS talking. he never stopped. thing is, we can't HEAR truths about "chemtrails" from him (http://originalpeople.org/army-secret-chemical-testing-poor-black-st-louis-neighborhoods-1950s-60s/) not HIM, he wears eyeshadow. there's no DEPTH to what he's saying at an AWARDS show....

datdude said:

KingSausage said:

datdude said:

great article indeed. (made me go listen to Radical Man 2045!) I like the way the professor EXPOUNDED on the INTENTIONAL "meaty" 10 words that P spoke. that's what a good prof does, use relatable moments and connect them to a larger cultural narrative.

keep in mind here, on a site ABOUT him, a huge percentage of his fans don't STILL don't GET him. like the awful and weird Pitchfork article ALSO posted here, "fans" prefer a certain "type" of Prince, one that supports THEIR sexuality, politics, musical genre preferences, and silence on cultural issues (the hatred of TRC as a case in point).

so this thread is a microcosm of America's race problem, and this site's Prince problem. I don't expect the larger culture to GET him, they're still stuck on his butt out jeans among other things, but for those who say they want "more lyrics like his statement", I hope that's sincere and such fans would list TRC and Lotusflower among their faves, cause dude IS talking. he never stopped. thing is, we can't HEAR truths about "chemtrails" from him (http://originalpeople.org/army-secret-chemical-testing-poor-black-st-louis-neighborhoods-1950s-60s/) not HIM, he wears eyeshadow. there's no DEPTH to what he's saying at an AWARDS show....

That was me who said I would like more lyrics like he statement, and I was definitely sincere. I LOVE TRC, "Dreamer," The Sacrifice of Victor, etc. When Prince has some major motivation behind his lyrics, he kicks ass.

i hear u bro (i think ur male) but that's whassup. love in "all caps" says a lot. I think we're in store of more of that vein of Prince for the long haul, so folks need to stop expecting him to be sex crazed, spiritually ambivalent, and full of profanity. i mean he gives such fans the "hits" but i'm grateful for new(er) stuff