http://www.nationalreview...mond-white

...Make no mistake: Hip-hop culture has produced some of the greatest, most adventurous pop art of the past quarter-century, from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse 91 to Prince’s The Black Album, from De La Soul Is Dead to Son of Bazerk, from Geto Boys’ The Resurrection to the compelling and poisonous threnodies of The Chronic, “California Love,” and even the new-millennial brilliance of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I’ve chronicled and extolled lots of it in my books The Resistance and Rebel for the Hell of It. But Straight Outta Compton disrespects the facts behind the art form. Public Enemy’s stature in hip-hop’s ideological history is, here, passed to N.W.A., a group that should rightly be understood as PE’s miscreant opposite: They’re punks in the bratty American sense, not in the sense of Britain’s politicized revolutionaries. (PE’s gun-sight logo can be briefly glimpsed when Ice Cube starts his solo career at Greene St. Recording, a studio in lower Manhattan.)

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview...mond-white

kenkamken said:

Hip Hop culture produced the Black Album?

I know,

Too much of a stretch.
The only Hip Hop connection is Prince dissing Hip Hop on Dead On It

Riding in my Thunderbird on the freeway
I turned on my radio 2 hear some music play
I got a silly rapper talking silly shit instead
And the only good rapper is one that's dead on it
See the rapper's problem usually stem from being tone deaf
Pack the house then try 2 sing,
there won't be no one left (ha ha) (on it)
Parking lot's on fire, brothers peelin' out of the town
They say in disgust, they singin' their guts
Rappin' done let us down (down down)
u got 2 be dead... on it

My bed's a coffin, Dracula ain't got shit on me
My nickname's Hell's-a-Poppin', I'm badder than the Wicked Witch
I got a gold tooth, costs more than your house
I got a diamond ring on four fingers, each one the size of a mouse

They dead, they dead on it, on it

I've always thought that in a certain sense "The Black Album" is Prince's version of the underlying themes and energy of hiphop culture. It seems like his response to it, as well as lashing back at the criticism that he was getting to "white pop".

Le Grind starts it off with a braggard lyrical content. You could convert those lyrics to a rap and see what I mean. They are about being the top dog.

You have the same thing happening in the second song "Cindy C" and then this actually quotes a classic rap at the end.

I think the only song the completely sheds the macho strong vibe is "When 2 R in Love".

So maybe it's not that it sounds like hiphop culture music and beats, but that it's got the same intention in the tone/attitude.

ufoclub said:

I've always thought that in a certain sense "The Black Album" is Prince's version of the underlying themes and energy of hiphop culture. It seems like his response to it, as well as lashing back at the criticism that he was getting to "white pop".

Le Grind starts it off with a braggard lyrical content. You could convert those lyrics to a rap and see what I mean. They are about being the top dog.

You have the same thing happening in the second song "Cindy C" and then this actually quotes a classic rap at the end.

I think the only song the completely sheds the macho strong vibe is "When 2 R in Love".

So maybe it's not that it sounds like hiphop culture music and beats, but that it's got the same intention in the tone/attitude.

I always felt that energy was still channelled thru New Wave ideology

OldFriends4Sale said:

kenkamken said:

Hip Hop culture produced the Black Album?

I know,

Too much of a stretch.
The only Hip Hop connection is Prince dissing Hip Hop on Dead On It

Riding in my Thunderbird on the freeway
I turned on my radio 2 hear some music play
I got a silly rapper talking silly shit instead
And the only good rapper is one that's dead on it
See the rapper's problem usually stem from being tone deaf
Pack the house then try 2 sing,
there won't be no one left (ha ha) (on it)
Parking lot's on fire, brothers peelin' out of the town
They say in disgust, they singin' their guts
Rappin' done let us down (down down)
u got 2 be dead... on it

My bed's a coffin, Dracula ain't got shit on me
My nickname's Hell's-a-Poppin', I'm badder than the Wicked Witch
I got a gold tooth, costs more than your house
I got a diamond ring on four fingers, each one the size of a mouse

They dead, they dead on it, on it

Not true... Bob George was a whole ode to the hip hop lifestyle... Pimping, hustling, police shoot outs... That's actually can be considered one of the most under rated songs to glorify hip hop lifestyle in the mid 80's... Accept for earlier songs like Rappers Delight etc... Run DMC weren't necessarily talking about hip hop lifestyle... Believe it or not in Bob George Prince actually portrayed the hip hop culture in that one song at least.

Let me see ya dance

New coat, huh?
That's nice
Did you buy it?
Yeah, right
You seeing that rich motherfucker again
You know who I'm talking about
That slicked back paddy with all the gold in his mouth
Don't try to play me for yesterday's fool
Cause I'll slap your ass into the middle of next week
I'm sorry baby, that's the rules

I pay the rent in this raggedy motherfucker
And all you do is suck up food and heat
Say what? Oh yeah?
For someone who can't stand them T.V. dinners
You sure eat enough of them motherfuckers
Who bought you that diamond ring?
Yeah, right.
Since when did you have a job?
You seeing that rich motherfucker again
What's his name? Bob?
Bob, ain't that a bitch?
What's he do for a living?
Manage rock stars?
Who?
Prince?
Ain't that a bitch?
That skinny motherfucker with the high voice?
Please, who do I look like baby?
Yesterday's fool?
Don't you know I will kill you now?
You're fuckin' right.
I gotta gun
You think I don't?
Then what's this?
Oh, you quiet now
Uh uh!
Little? Yeah, right. It might be little but it's loud

Yeah, right.
Uh uh!

Now put that suitcase down
And go in there
And put on that wig I bought you
No, no
No, no
The reddish-brown one
Bob, ain't that a bitch?
Oh
Gotcha
Got ya

Hey Bob, if you're out there, let me see you dance
You said you was funky
C'mon, c'mon

Ain't that a bitch?
Bob

(Come out with your hands up)
I'll kick your ass (This is your last warning)
Think I won't? (Oh no! The nigger's got a laser)
(Let's get the hell out of here)

Is Mr. George home?
Hello, Mr. George? {Note: The high pitched voice}
This is your conscience, motherfucker {that responds to his call, when}
Why don't you leave motherfuckers alone? {slowed down to about to rpm, says}
What's wrong with you? {"Operator, what city please?"}
Well, why can't we just dance?
Why can't we just dance?
No, fuck that, fuck that
I don't talk about you, I don't talk about you
Wit' yo' little almond-shaped head ass
Who the fuck do you think this is?
I'll kick your ass, twice

Bob, if you're out there
Let me see you dance
You said you were funky, c'mon

B-O-B, spell the shit backwards, what'd it say
Same motherfuckin' shit

Turn it out

Bob, ain't that a bitch?

OldFriends4Sale said:

ufoclub said:

I've always thought that in a certain sense "The Black Album" is Prince's version of the underlying themes and energy of hiphop culture. It seems like his response to it, as well as lashing back at the criticism that he was getting to "white pop".

Le Grind starts it off with a braggard lyrical content. You could convert those lyrics to a rap and see what I mean. They are about being the top dog.

You have the same thing happening in the second song "Cindy C" and then this actually quotes a classic rap at the end.

I think the only song the completely sheds the macho strong vibe is "When 2 R in Love".

So maybe it's not that it sounds like hiphop culture music and beats, but that it's got the same intention in the tone/attitude.

I always felt that energy was still channelled thru New Wave ideology

Really? Already with SOTT Prince had shed that New Wave vibe so much, he completely lost some of the biggest Prince fanatics I knew in high school. They had moved on to New Order and Depeche Mode. To me the music on The Black Album is completely removed from New Wave or even Pop. I think the closest it comes to mainstream is disco on something like the guitar/keyboard wah on Cindy C.

For me, New Wave was all about the androgyny and clean cut colorful vibe, that "british" formality interpeting rock pop through a computer.

ufoclub said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I always felt that energy was still channelled thru New Wave ideology

Really? Already with SOTT Prince had shed that New Wave vibe so much, he completely lost some of the biggest Prince fanatics I knew in high school. They had moved on to New Order and Depeche Mode. To me the music on The Black Album is completely removed from New Wave or even Pop. I think the closest it comes to mainstream is disco on something like the guitar/keyboard wah on Cindy C.

For me, New Wave was all about the androgyny and clean cut colorful vibe, that "british" formality interpeting rock pop through a computer.

I don't mean the actual sound. But the energy behind New Wave

a twitchy, agitated feel, choppy rhythm guitars and fast tempos.