Yet dude made lame attempts at hip-hop which seems to me like an attempt to crowd please.

I always chucked it up to the idea that Prince is uncompromising in the notion that all music must come from him.

If dude wanted an album that could chart the tops today, he could invite Raphael Saadiq, Questlove, Jermaine Dupri or a couple of other producers/musician and let them guide him to some sounds that would attract modern audience. I just see no chance of Prince turning over control to someone else.


Madonna and Prince had no problems with seeking out the hottest producers of the moment and letting them craft the sound (Madonna more than MJJ but yeah).


**********
"naive as the dry leaves on the ground looking past the trees to the blue sky asking 'why me?'" -Blu