It's kinda ironic really. I truly love the song "Redbone" by Childish Gambino. It reminds me of Prince in all the good ways but there lies the rub. It's a Prince rip-off.

OK fine.

But tell me this; Had Prince released this song would it be a Top Ten smash with major Grammy recognition?

The answer is no. And for these reasons I can't stop bitching about "Redbone".

Add to the fact that if Prince were singing this song it would be ten times better than the imitation Donald Glover is struggling to pull off here.

Am I off base for hating on it?

I think this is more Bootsy Collins than Prince.

Anyway lots of songs sound alike, or like someone else's style. The Stray Cats were popular in the 1980s, but if Elvis had still been alive and put out the same songs they wouldn't have been a hit. Because the Top 40 is mainly for younger acts and audience, not older ones.

MickyDolenz said:

I think this is more Bootsy Collins than Prince.

Anyway lots of songs sound alike, or like someone else's style. The Stray Cats were popular in the 1980s, but if Elvis had still been alive and put out the same songs they wouldn't have been a hit. Because the Top 40 is mainly for younger acts and audience, not older ones.

exactly.
But the Redbone tune is really great also.
Not sure why it is being compared to Prince.

SoulAlive said:

I’m tired of artists who don’t really have any great ideas of their own so they just kinda “borrow” what’s been done before.

Don't Jam & Lewis do that? Since they sometimes sample or replay old hits (Daisy Jane = Let's Wait Awhile). 2 or 3 of the songs they produced for Ralph Tresvant has a Marvin Gaye vibe to them. Phil Collins has said he got the "Ha! Ha! Ha!" on Genesis' Mama from Melle Mel on The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5. Several Led Zeppelin songs were copied for old blues songs. Honey Pie by The Beatles sounds like a 1930s crooner record. So people have always got ideas from stuff before them.

"Redbone" is mostly Bootsy/P-Funk, rather than Prince. It's an okay tune, but that album is like Tarantino films- a hodge-podge of tried-and-true directorial stylings put into one movie to encourage twenty-somethings into thinking they too, can make movies.

Song doesn't remind me of Prince but I damn sure thought it was Macy Gray when I first heard it on the radio.

MotownSubdivision said:

Srsly how old are you?

The song is a masterpiece, if it's a Prince rip-off then show me the exact Prince song Gambino ripped off, otherwise, this "connection" will remain an influence, which is common in music. It borrows more from "I'd Rather Be With You" which made Bootsy VERY VERY happy y'all are delusional, artists today are bringing these sounds back to mainstream radio and y'all still complainin who ripped off who, just enjoy the damn song, the vibes of it.

Don't know about ya'll but it made me think of Summer Breeze first

alphastreet said:

Don't know about ya'll but it made me think of Summer Breeze first

This is exactly why Redbone ain't a rip-off.

A rip-off is when a song borrows the exact some chord progression or vocal progression or melody without it being an obvious sample, for example, Blurred Lines is a certified rip-off of Marvin Gaye.

But when a song reminds you of SO MANY other songs that likely belong to one era of music, in this case, 70's psychedelic soul, it's not a rip-off, it's a song that's just influenced by that sort of swing. And we as an audience have to appreciate that.

Plus Prince ain't all that lol Y'all talk like he's the God of music or something.

kitbradley said:

Song doesn't remind me of Prince but I damn sure thought it was Macy Gray when I first heard it on the radio.

yep,that's what his vocals sound like.....Macy Gray

I love the song.

It's a rip of Bootsy but I get your point about Prince.

The song would have died in it's tracks if he released it.

That says more about the nature of the record business than it does Prince.

People R going gugu over funk FRAUDS like Bruno Mars.

That pretty much says it all about the music business in 2017.

I think the Gambino CD is the album of year.......rip or no rip.

Shawy89 said:

Shawy89 said:

alphastreet said:

Don't know about ya'll but it made me think of Summer Breeze first

This is exactly why Redbone ain't a rip-off.

A rip-off is when a song borrows the exact some chord progression or vocal progression or melody without it being an obvious sample, for example, Blurred Lines is a certified rip-off of Marvin Gaye.

But when a song reminds you of SO MANY other songs that likely belong to one era of music, in this case, 70's psychedelic soul, it's not a rip-off, it's a song that's just influenced by that sort of swing. And we as an audience have to appreciate that.

Plus Prince ain't all that lol Y'all talk like he's the God of music or something.

Never said it wasn't a Prince knock-off however

Graycap23 said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

MickyDolenz said:

I think this is more Bootsy Collins than Prince.

Anyway lots of songs sound alike, or like someone else's style. The Stray Cats were popular in the 1980s, but if Elvis had still been alive and put out the same songs they wouldn't have been a hit. Because the Top 40 is mainly for younger acts and audience, not older ones.

YEP!!!!

kitbradley said:

Song doesn't remind me of Prince but I damn sure thought it was Macy Gray when I first heard it on the radio.

Exactly. She was the first person I thought of.

In what universe Redbone sounds anything even remotely like Prince is beyond me.

[Edited 12/17/17 13:28pm]

MotownSubdivision said:

Song sounds nothing like Prince. Some of you need to realize that music doesn't begin and end with Prince.

Amen. Most artists that get compared to Prince really don't sound all that much like him.

I'm scoping out talented younglings which is exactly what Prince was doing when he passed.

I like Redbone even though I don't care for most of Gambino's material.

If I never listen to it, there's a good chance it can't piss me off. Problem? Solved!

SoulAlive said:

I don’t like him at all and that “Redbone” song is horrible.I’m tired of artists who don’t really have any great ideas of their own so they just kinda “borrow” what’s been done before.

on the other hand you enjoy Mayer Hawthorne, Tuxedo and Jamiroquai?! elaborate

Well, Prince had his time jeez for a good twenty years on the charts. He made his live shows his money maker because he found out sales onle equal exposure...not bank flow.

No one can stay on the top of the charts, once you hit your 45s and on you are considered Adult Contemporary don't matter what music you play or how good it is. And actually, it sounds like something Maxwell or D'Angelo would sing.

Kids are not out here buying albums for anyone forty and up just the way it is, deal.

[Edited 12/18/17 8:24am]

Nah, that's not why it pisses me off

Dancelot said:

SoulAlive said:

I don’t like him at all and that “Redbone” song is horrible.I’m tired of artists who don’t really have any great ideas of their own so they just kinda “borrow” what’s been done before.

on the other hand you enjoy Mayer Hawthorne, Tuxedo and Jamiroquai?! elaborate

I wouild argue that Jamiroquai takes their 70s influences (Roy Ayers,Chic,etc) and still manage to come up with their own sound and style Same with Mayer Hawthorne.Childish Gambino sounds like Macy Gray singing an old P-Funk song,lol.

Stop being jealous and sour grapes - it was written and released when Prince was dead. It is brilliant and has enough non Prince touches to be unique. I doubt Prince would sing a line like "Don't stay woke, niggas creepin, they gon find you, catch you sleeping, don't clsoe your eyes". Music is all about borrowing, listen to Awaken my love and it has Parliament, Funkadelic, Al Green, Marvin, Prince, Bootsy and all these other influences on it, but it also has a lot of original stuff, the smokin la la la opening bit is very modern rap mixed with G funk harmonies. Plus there is no way Prince would use that much autotune and sampling in his music or have a long haired Swede as his producer.

.

In redbone the line "My peanut butter chocolate cake with Kool Aid" is just genius but would be the quirky type shit Prince would sing about, it's Gambino's take on "Bushy haired Mulatto breakdown"

.

This song and the album work because it is perfect musical gumbo. I actually think "Baby Boy" has a bigger Prince sound, as its a plaintive ballad with lots of falsetto, backing vocal tracks and some plaintive soul screams taken to extremes like Prince did.

.

seriously stop dissing and start listening. If you don't have "Awaken my love" buy it now! So what he borrows a bit, but bear in mind this is a rapper who has made a near perfect funk and soul album and he is doing all this oter shit like rapping and writing TV shows. Plus let's face it, the masters are gone now, and we have to deal with the next best thing. Redbone is a pleasant surprise, I only discovered the dude 3 weeks ago and can't get enough of it .

[Edited 12/18/17 14:43pm]