Germanegro said:

Prince would look pale ONLY from the use of makeup--really. He was a brown-skinned man who might look ashen if ill, but certainly never light-bright.

>

Prince's early-career comments about "family Whiteness" was myth-making crafted to propel a sensational exposure to the media to hype his act. I should say toward some earlier comments, that if European lineage in a Black person's life allows one to be construed as a European/White person, then the world has turned inside-out, or else somebody has a twisted perspective of our global history and sociology.

>

I think that Prince's employ of white female dancers was his equivalent response to the White rock band's employ of black female backup singers--stylists plus "exotic" props. Or perhaps he just enjoyed having a little physical contrast on his stage at the time.

>

I thought Prince's addition of rap to his act was a cool phase--nothing for me to criticize--but I'm also not a hip-hop purist nor of conservative taste!

Are you from out of the US? There was nothing cool about Tony M, and Prince always had rhapsodic elements in his music, but nobody wanted to see him try to keep up with music trends to sell records, they wanted Prince to be an original. Rhyming funky, only, town, around, sea, me, sound, down, strong, sing was...not ideal.

The idea he'd used white backup dancers for any reason otehr than he liked them, found them attractive, and it suited the vibe he wanted and had some intellectualized statement about race and rock..doesn't strike me as a very American mindset. It doesn't add up given he'd already had a mixed race band, and swapped out his Black guitarists. Also, he used Black back up singers...and White women too...the only time he used his band as props were with gender, to some extent, and then the Twins as a fetish idea.

Prince was wrongly rumored to be half Italian early in his career. He had an interesting look and at the time, mixed race people were having a moment. Nothing twisted about it. I don't remember any tension about thinking about Prince's race though. He was considered a Black artist, without question.

The other thing nobody is talking about, was he spent more time in that era traveling, being outdoors in rental villas, and what not, so maybe he was self conscious about getting sun and that contributed to his usual makeup routine.

lavendardrummachine said:

steakfinger said:

missingprn said:

He was a Gemini

Astrology isn't real. Those idiots thought the sun went around the Earth and they couldn't even predict solar eclipses to (literally) save their own lives. Complete fake nonsense made up by charlatans trying to make $$.

Yes, indeed.

rednblue said:

RJOrion said:

Nice thought on the mention of the possibity of Prince's use of makeup as a sunscreen, as Black folks do tan and burn.

Re. mixed-race people: I hope that they have more than just a moment, but have a movement--all politics aside, this is a natural thing for humanity. Prince brought this notion to the fore with his presentation of multi-culti men and women bandmembers. Wasn't this a commercial tactic, and also a philosophical view, though? See how Americans can express ourselves in mutiple ways beyond the superficial? He supported this ideal throughout his lifetime in his apporach to music, his business sense, and in his lyrics.

>

Further down the road (along with changing makeup--lol) he altered his stage presentation to support and elevate his Black community. I don't see a contradiction in his doing that and championing a unified humankind.

>

Whatever reasons were for Prince's choice of dancers, be it a thought-out appreciation of cultural juxtaposition, lovin' the ladies, or whatever, I'm sure he ultimately went with whomever he thought looked nice and could move well. His male dancing friends on the stage were another cool vibe to maybe move from stereotypical antics, offer more props for the ladies, or maybe bring up a masculine bros'-club environment that he could enjoy for a time.

>

1 indulgence here: I understand Prince's periodic inclusion of rap as grasping for more audience and also expressing an appreciation of this creative group doing their thing that he ultimately respected; and that the unappreciative masses influenced Prince's setting rapping aside.

I can chuckle at mentions of his "terrible MCs"--everybody's a critic so what else can you do? Prince wasn't a hip-hop guy at his root, even though he kept turntable scratching as an element in his act long after he ditched the rapping. Like you say, he always had something extra going on with his creativty, and this is where that element had fit; either you like it as it is or no.

IMO, were he to have embraced rap as the core of his presentation I could see justified critical roasting. That was never the case for Prince, though.

>

lavendardrummachine said:

Germanegro said:

Prince would look pale ONLY from the use of makeup--really. He was a brown-skinned man who might look ashen if ill, but certainly never light-bright.

>

Prince's early-career comments about "family Whiteness" was myth-making crafted to propel a sensational exposure to the media to hype his act. I should say toward some earlier comments, that if European lineage in a Black person's life allows one to be construed as a European/White person, then the world has turned inside-out, or else somebody has a twisted perspective of our global history and sociology.

>

I think that Prince's employ of white female dancers was his equivalent response to the White rock band's employ of black female backup singers--stylists plus "exotic" props. Or perhaps he just enjoyed having a little physical contrast on his stage at the time.

>

I thought Prince's addition of rap to his act was a cool phase--nothing for me to criticize--but I'm also not a hip-hop purist nor of conservative taste!

Are you from out of the US? There was nothing cool about Tony M, and Prince always had rhapsodic elements in his music, but nobody wanted to see him try to keep up with music trends to sell records, they wanted Prince to be an original. Rhyming funky, only, town, around, sea, me, sound, down, strong, sing was...not ideal.

The idea he'd used white backup dancers for any reason otehr than he liked them, found them attractive, and it suited the vibe he wanted and had some intellectualized statement about race and rock..doesn't strike me as a very American mindset. It doesn't add up given he'd already had a mixed race band, and swapped out his Black guitarists. Also, he used Black back up singers...and White women too...the only time he used his band as props were with gender, to some extent, and then the Twins as a fetish idea.

Prince was wrongly rumored to be half Italian early in his career. He had an interesting look and at the time, mixed race people were having a moment. Nothing twisted about it. I don't remember any tension about thinking about Prince's race though. He was considered a Black artist, without question.

The other thing nobody is talking about, was he spent more time in that era traveling, being outdoors in rental villas, and what not, so maybe he was self conscious about getting sun and that contributed to his usual makeup routine.

Edit note: deleted a leaked edit.

[Edited 4/6/20 19:42pm]

Germanegro said:

Nice thought on the mention of the possibity of Prince's use of makeup as a sunscreen, as Black folks do tan and burn.

Re. mixed-race people: I hope that they have more than just a moment, but have a movement--all politics aside, this is a natural thing for humanity. Prince brought this notion to the fore with his presentation of multi-culti men and women bandmembers. Wasn't this a commercial tactic, and also a philosophical view, though? See how Americans can express ourselves in mutiple ways beyond the superficial? He supported this ideal throughout his lifetime in his apporach to music, his business sense, and in his lyrics.

>

Further down the road (along with changing makeup--lol) he altered his stage presentation to support and elevate his Black community. I don't see a contradiction in his doing that and championing a unified humankind.

>

Whatever reasons were for Prince's choice of dancers, be it a thought-out appreciation of cultural juxtaposition, lovin' the ladies, or whatever, I'm sure he ultimately went with whomever he thought looked nice and could move well. His male dancing friends on the stage were another cool vibe to maybe move from stereotypical antics, offer more props for the ladies, or maybe bring up a masculine bros'-club environment that he could enjoy for a time.

>

1 indulgence here: I understand Prince's periodic inclusion of rap as grasping for more audience and also expressing an appreciation of this creative group doing their thing that he ultimately respected; and that the unappreciative masses influenced Prince's setting rapping aside.

I can chuckle at mentions of his "terrible MCs"--everybody's a critic so what else can you do? Prince wasn't a hip-hop guy at his root, even though he kept turntable scratching as an element in his act long after he ditched the rapping. Like you say, he always had something extra going on with his creativty, and this is where that element had fit; either you like it as it is or no.

IMO, were he to have embraced rap as the core of his presentation I could see justified critical roasting. That was never the case for Prince, though.

>

I just meant those of mixed-race (or just those who looked it) were featured heavily in pop culture, and were a trend.

Don't think having white people in his band was for commercial success....having white women in Frederick's of Hollywood on the other hand... It wasn't that deep though.

Prince seemed to connect with certain people and invite them along. They weren't often statements or the best talent out there. He wanted to spend time with them, or he could tolerate them. He liked the way Cat carried herself, don't think he picked her cause of some socio-economic, Detroit techno, mixed-race, grand statement. Even when he was recording Baltimore and playing with an all white female band, in that case, there's a statement there, the way being a-political is political, but I don't think he's worrying or motivated by it just like he wasn't thinkng about how Jack White has an all girl band for a tour.

[Edited 4/6/20 19:36pm]

I think it looks worse under certain lighting conditions. You'd see him on a TV performance and it didn't look as ghastly as it did in all the pap shots from the time for example.

Prince(r.i.p.) was found dead in his sprawling estate and ALL U people can talk about is his complexion in the early-mid 90's?

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Prince(r.i.p.) was found dead in his sprawling estate and ALL U people can talk about is his complexion in the early-mid 90's?

You're right. Close the forum except for a solitary thread where everyone should only cry and post 'thoughts and prayers' and throw dust over their heads. Nothing else to discuss.

TrivialPursuit said:

NouveauDance said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Prince(r.i.p.) was found dead in his sprawling estate and ALL U people can talk about is his complexion in the early-mid 90's?

You're right. Close the forum except for a solitary thread where everyone should only cry and post 'thoughts and prayers' and throw dust over their heads. Nothing else to discuss.

Finally, some one with reason.