How many of you all on this CD? I can't believe I missed this album? Prince is a straight out Beast with The Music!!!

I got it from his store - sadly it didn't stay open long.

it would be so much better with zero contributions from Tony M...i dig the musicianship, but Tony M's voice and delivery is "nails on a chalkboard" status.... no way around it

I bought this CD at one of the 1997 'Jam of the Year' concerts.Haven't listened to it in awhile but I recall there were a few really funky jams on it.

RJOrion said:

it would be so much better with zero contributions from Tony M...i dig the musicianship, but Tony M's voice and delivery is "nails on a chalkboard" status.... no way around it

You sound like someone who really loves Another Lonely Christmas.

Pentacle said:

I have the original cd case, but my CD has been missing for about 14 years. Would love to listen to this again, but I think it got lost in when travelling with GCS 2000 and my original Rave CD. This is the one I would like to find again, but the 2nd hand markets are looking for €100's.

Man, this album is FILTHY!!! LOVE it!

theartistirl said:

I have the original cd case, but my CD has been missing for about 14 years. Would love to listen to this again, but I think it got lost in when travelling with GCS 2000 and my original Rave CD. This is the one I would like to find again, but the 2nd hand markets are looking for €100's.

missing about 14 yrs, priceless. I know how you feel, Don't you hate when your CDs go missing or damaged beyond listening to again. heehee

Good record. Is Tony M that bad? If so Prince and the NPG's grooves on this album more than make up for it.

Sydney said:

Good record. Is Tony M that bad? If so Prince and the NPG's grooves on this album more than make up for it.

This is a great little record.

There's just a lot of girls on this site jealous of Tony because he got to

choreograph and execute the 'Hump Me Pump Me' dance with Prince on Daddy Pop.

I also don't think Prince actually plays on this record, why would he?

The NPG have all the instruments covered.

Pentacle said:

dodger said:

Pentacle said:

Agree, great album. Loved this NPG sound with the horns. I didn't mind Tony M on record, different story in concert.

Yes, live he had the subtlety of your favorite drill sergeant.

tongueinthecrease said:

Sydney said:

Good record. Is Tony M that bad? If so Prince and the NPG's grooves on this album more than make up for it.

No he's not - only among the Prince crowd. I've had non Prince fans actually enjoy that NPG reord.
It's all pretty relative.

Tony M isn't bad at all on this album, but I never had an issue with him while he was with the NPG to begin with. It was a moment in time. The first time I heard it, it sounded like they took the feel of "Sexy MF" and ran off an entire chain of grooves on the strength of it, with lyrics that weren't too overbearing when it came to some of the serious subjects they were talking about, not taking away from the fun, party vibe.

Bought it from the 1-800 New funk catalog. One of the few times they actually delivered on an order and I didn't get blatantly ripped-off.

Made a master copy for myself and sold the original several years ago for a killing.

Nice to read good things about that album and Tony. Tony was shouting on stage and that wasn't too cool but in the studio he was as good a rapper as most of what was out at that time.

Gold Nigga was an interesting album in the sense that it took part in a broader jazz/funk/hip-hop movement that was pretty hip in 92-94: Miles' Doo Bop, Ronny Jordan, Guru's Jazzmataz, the Red Hot + Cool compilation, Brooklyn Funk Essential, Buckshot LeFonque, Us3... There were a lot of interesting things happening. What makes Gold Nigga all the more interesting is that in most of the aforementioned examples, the strategy was to take hip-hop beats and to superpose, alongside rap vocals, jazzy and funk elements to them. Prince chose the exact opposite angle, by superposing rap vocals and certain elements of rap aesthetic over live drum beats and a general jazz-funk instrumentation, with a full horn section. It's easy to forget it more than 2 decades later but at the time this was a pretty groundbreaking approach.

.

Could Gold Nigga have been a commercial or success? Probably not because it lacked a strong lead single. Could it have been a critical success? Probably not either because being a Prince side-project when Prince was already an established superstar past his avant-garde phase made it lack the "freshness" of the new talents mentioned above (Doo Bop, though being a remarkable album, suffered from that as well: it was perceived as "old" Miles Davis trying to fit in regardless of its qualities as a record). However if it hadn't been such an obscure release in 1993 (probably about 500 or 1000 copies sold at a few concerts and thru a catalogue only the hardcore fans had), it could certainly have enjoyed some good recognition. And I'm pretty certain that if Prince had been able to hide his involvement in it the way he had done with his early side-projects, the album would have been praised.

.

Anyway it washed away the artistic humiliation that was Carmen Electra (another attempt at rap that was, artistically, much less succesful), and featured a NPG/Hornheads line-up at its best.

I have it. I should listen to it more often.

I ordered this from 1800newfunk back in the day. I love the cd. The packaging was cheap. A slimline case, photocopied cover on cheap paper and cdr? Really cheap but the album is a hidden gem!!

trax said:

I ordered this from 1800newfunk back in the day. I love the cd. The packaging was cheap. A slimline case, photocopied cover on cheap paper and cdr? Really cheap but the album is a hidden gem!!

The one I got from 1800NEWFUNK isnt cheap like that. Maybe then were running outof factory pressed copies when they filled your order. I also have the rare version with the track that had to be removed because of the Beatles sample. I loved this Prince era - despite the first obvious evidence of Prince following instead of leading (rap had started to infect his material).

FUNKYNESS said:

trax said:

I ordered this from 1800newfunk back in the day. I love the cd. The packaging was cheap. A slimline case, photocopied cover on cheap paper and cdr? Really cheap but the album is a hidden gem!!

The one I got from 1800NEWFUNK isnt cheap like that. Maybe then were running outof factory pressed copies when they filled your order. I also have the rare version with the track that had to be removed because of the Beatles sample. I loved this Prince era - despite the first obvious evidence of Prince following instead of leading (rap had started to infect his material).

We don't know for a fact whether it was removed because of the Paul McCartney & The Wings interpolation (it wasn't a sample and it wasn't the Beatles) or for another reason. Might be, might not. The version with it is better to have than the one without it anyway

FUNKYNESS said:

trax said:

I ordered this from 1800newfunk back in the day. I love the cd. The packaging was cheap. A slimline case, photocopied cover on cheap paper and cdr? Really cheap but the album is a hidden gem!!

The one I got from 1800NEWFUNK isnt cheap like that. Maybe then were running outof factory pressed copies when they filled your order. I also have the rare version with the track that had to be removed because of the Beatles sample. I loved this Prince era - despite the first obvious evidence of Prince following instead of leading (rap had started to infect his material).

Yeah, mine (also from 1800NEWFUNK) is a CD (not a CDR) in a regular jewelbox (not a slimline case) with a professionally printed insert (not a photocopy) and also is the original version with Guess Who's Knockin. Even the bootlegs were better done than what trax is describing. My condolonces.