Don't forget about Outkast.

Prince is an embarrassment now.

2freaky4church1 said:

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Dude, shut the hell up already. Do you think there would be an Outkast if there was never a Prince? As far as black music is concerned Prince is the last icon. Outkast is just starting to approch icon status. They will have to turn out a couple of more LoveBelows before they are officially icons.

joelmarable said:

In many ways,rap killed real funk music.Just another reason why I love the 70s,an era where FUNK ruled.

laurarichardson said:

OutKast will never be icons.

Icon to who?

icon to fellow musicians? - both his peers and those up and coming since - yes

icon to the critics? - well yes to those were writing in the 80s, not those since - their icons are the grunge bands and brit pop bands

icon to the public? again possibly to those aged between 30 and 40, but notthose before or after that age group -

sadly through his PR disasters, lack of major record backing etc his contributions are slowly being whitewashed from history in terms of cultural impact and thus iconic status

those of us that still listen and care or were fans back in the 80s may well knowthat his impact has influenced many of todays stars, leading ones at that from Justin Timberlake to Outkast to Madonna to Basement Jaxx to Beck to Alica Keyes to Lenny Kravitz to TTD to Janet Jackson to Paula Abdul to too many electro bands than I care to recall.

but I bet my last dollar that the general public and some younger critis don't know or realise this or possibly even care


sad but true

Prince isn't the first, last or greatest in that regard. He's wonderful at what he does (most of the time), but far from the end-all, be-all talent.

A lot of posts have touched on the marketing machine that made him a household name. It's also worth noting that the business has changed in another respect: Record labels were still in the business of developing their acts, when Prince was young. So, artists were given space and time to grow and maximize their potential.

Yes, Prince played, recorded and wrote the majority of his hits and was responsible for creating a very catchy sound that was augmented by the MPLS camp he led. But, great as it was, Dirty Mind-era Prince (or earlier) wouldn't have been a huge star. Today. What culminated in Purple Rain/Parade-era popularity was a peak that had to be approached from his more obscure "Ecnirp" days.

That kind of evolution doesn't happen as frequently these days, because of the short attention span of (many) listeners and the impatience of the few, profit margin-minded media conglomerates that control the bulk of what's considered popular music today.

Some standouts who, in their own respects, exemplify the same qualities that helped make P a star: Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Terence/Sananda, Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera and Madonna. They have found their niches, and they exploit them expertly. As a result, they have tons of support from their labels/companies.

One exception (and she, ironically, is probably the closest to P in terms of talent and musical vision) is Meshell, whose love seems to be limited to critics and her appreciative fans.

But, no, I know a bunch of cats (most are my friends) who compose, arrange, sing and perform WONDERFULLY. They're just unknowns. But, they're still fierce.

BlaqueKnight said:[

There are thousands of black music teachers, studio musicians, etc. who can SMOKE Prince as a musician.


yeah right! ever heard the saying those that can - do, those that can't - teach.I am not down on teachers either - my wife is one - but to say something like that, come on!

I'd say he was. hopefully there'll be another along soon though.

It's kind of sad that they choose Rap and Hip Hop over it's founding father - FUNK! People need to wreckanize!

What's needed is more instruments and less posing.

What ICONS have emerged since 1980-84 besides MJ, Prince, Madonna and Springsteen?

rdhull said:

I think this thread's use of the word "icon" is pretty generous, if it's going to include Prince.

Icons: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Hendrix, etc.

Maybe I'll buy MJ & Madonna as (lesser) icons because their success has been sooo huge and extended, and they remain extremely visible (for various reasons, of course).

Madonna, in particular, has remained an interesting study with regard to feminism, class, trendspotting/opportunism, etc.

Bruce managed to develop a pretty huge following among MOR rock fans, not to mention the way he exploited the whole heartland market with Born in the USA.

But, what demographic/market would you say Prince resonated with the most, enough to call him an icon? Most folks seem to have a pretty dim view of his activities these days -- with the exception of us, his loyal following.

If there's a second tier for music icons, he's in it.

ThreadBare said:

He's an icon of the ribald sex