Say Prince debuted in 2010 or so. Do you think he'd last with the way his career went in the beginning?

If we translate the sales of his first album to the download era, would he even be around
to make a second? His first 4 albums were biggest on the "black" charts. Would that
be enough to carry him in this era?

He would probably be an indie darling, though.

He most likely wouldn't be able to get his label to put up money for a major motion picture,
so no Purple Rain.

Then again, he might change his whole approach in this era.

As talented as he is, in this era where talent doesn't matter at all, how would he fare?

These are just my discussion starters. I'm interested in hearing what. Yall think.

he'd be Van Hunt status, probably lucky to get session/ghost work

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Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

>he'd be Van Hunt status, probably lucky to get session/ghost
>work

i dont know if that's a bad thing though? I wouldn't say that van hunt is lucky to get "session/ghost work" but van hunt's got a pretty loyal following from what i understand. i think those that need to know, know, and those that don't are really missing out. so it works for him and against him.

van hunt is like the prince of now except toned down in overt sexuality.

without a doubt he's criminally slept on. but those who are fans, truly appreciate his body of work (atleast the songs i've heard) and will always be fans in comparison to the more "marketable" acts that might have a more mainstream appeal.

but he wouldn't be some legendary talent in the eyes of the public
Prince in his 5o's would be able to handle that, I think, but Prince in his 2o's wouldn't have it

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Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

>he'd be Van Hunt status, probably lucky to get session/ghost
>work


wow!!! AS i WAS READING THE QUESTION i WAS THINKING THE SAME THING!!!!

You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

"They used to call me Baby Luke....but now? The whole damn 2 Liiiive Crew."

if you can't rap or sing on beat or in pitch, programs will fix that for you, and by the time you do shows and shit, nobody cares that you can't sing or rap because they're caught up in your presentation or story
actually being good gets in the way of all of that

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Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

>

If someone was really talented back in the day, a label would take chances on flopped albums
before they delivered hits. Now, you have to come out the gate with hits or you're dropped.

It's why a cat like J.Cole has to make "Work Out" instead of doing his thing. Many artists
today take forever to drop their debuts because the labels don't "hear hits" on them. The era
I'm talking about, is the download era. People might "care" about talent, but if they aren't
paying for it, they might as well not care, because their favorite artists can't survive on
their feelings for them.

If we look at Earth Wind & Fire, Maurice White's hairline looked like he was in his 50s when he was
in his 20s. I'm not sure the label would find them marketable today. Aside from that though, they
had very large band, so they wouldn't even be fundable today without an initial monstrous hit or
non-stop touring, that would even be enough for a band that large. Faith in what they could do
allowed them to rock, though.

I would say he would still be Prince. His talent is undeniable and he would still body all other performers. That would go for Mike, R Kelly and several others who have a good given talent that is seminal. Th era would't matter

the industry wouldn't go for it
you take Prince out of the era he came up in and all of his inluence away, there's no way he comes out and becomes a legend in this climate

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Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

i don't know how a man walking around in panties
would be received today, but i doubt he would be embraced.

he'd be lucky if he got a cult following.

>i don't know how a man walking around in panties
>would be received today, but i doubt he would be embraced.
>
>he'd be lucky if he got a cult following.

lies because if you never knew what he looked like, never saw him, and you heard "erotic city" or "doves cry" and you didn't move. you'd have to check your pulse. because either you have no soul, or are without a pulse.

the dirty mind album also underperformed, but got critical acclaim.
same with controversy.

1999 became a hit (eventually).

but it didn't start off that way.
"little red corvette" was released, and it flopped.
his first certified smash was the 1999 single.

after 1999 hit, then little red corvette was rereleased, and it blew up.
then, we had purple rain.


you tell me...
what label would keep an artist signed
after 4 albums that weren't hits?

we never would've heard the classic stuff.




and while we are on the subject...
stevie wonder and MJ would've met the same fate.

stevie dried up commercially after fingertips.
he scored big with uptight several years later.
today, he'd be dropped after his follow up to fingertips flopped.


the Jackson 5 dried up commercially in the mid-70s.
then they had mediocre sales as the Jacksons on another label.


no way a label these days would take a chance on promoting off the wall.
especially not with Quincy Jones doing it.


wouldn't have happened.







>>i don't know how a man walking around in panties
>>would be received today, but i doubt he would be embraced.
>>
>>he'd be lucky if he got a cult following.
>
>lies because if you never knew what he looked like, never saw
>him, and you heard "erotic city" or "doves cry" and you didn't
>move. you'd have to check your pulse. because either you have
>no soul, or are without a pulse.
>
>

Yes, I'm mad. Let's move on.

Jays | Cavs | Eagles | Sabres | Tarheels

PSN: Dr_Claw_77 | XBL: Dr Claw 077 | FB: drclaw077 | T: @drclaw77 | http://thepeoplesvault.wordpress.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

and the irony is that it was MJ and Prince
that made the suits at companies like Warner Bros. and CBS
start paying attention to their record divisions.

now, those suits wouldn't push anything that's not an immediate cash cow.

>and the irony is that it was MJ and Prince
>that made the suits at companies like Warner Bros. and CBS
>start paying attention to their record divisions.
>
>now, those suits wouldn't push anything that's not an
>immediate cash cow.
>
>

and thats always been the problem with the suits. and that's why they hardly ever seem to get it right. if it were up to the suits we would have never had a "billie jean" because the suits weren't too keen on black music. all of "thriller" almost got shelved because they weren't going to play it.

Walter Yetnikoff, the president of Jackson's record label CBS, threatened MTV that he'd go public with their stance on race:

I said to MTV, 'I'm pulling everything we have off the air, all our product. I’m not going to give you any more videos. And I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy.'

so the suits that know a cash cow when they see one, woulda got it all messed up.

...after one or two albums. But his 180 Dirty Mind album would possibly garner him some Pitchfork love and the opportunity to perform at some alt festivals/venues. The Afro Punk crowd would love him!

Looking back, The I Wanna Be Your Lover video shows Prince playing multiple instruments and Van Hunt's Dust vid is a similar, damn near identical showcase. And who can forget the studio wizardry displayed in those early Ryan Leslie YouTube videos!!

http://vimeo.com/21234810

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2lj79_dust-van-hunt_music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuDFbV15DM&list=UUHvewxUNJi6vmIz3y0vPr4w

To be fair, if you take Prince out of the equation and have him in this era, would this era be this era without his influence in the previous era's. Same with Mike et al...Without them, this era would be vastly different.

>...after one or two albums. But his 180 Dirty Mind album
>would possibly garner him some Pitchfork love and the
>opportunity to perform at some alt festivals/venues. The Afro
>Punk crowd would love him!
>
>Looking back, The I Wanna Be Your Lover video shows Prince
>playing multiple instruments and Van Hunt's Dust vid is a
>similar, damn near identical showcase. And who can forget the
>studio wizardry displayed in those early Ryan Leslie YouTube
>videos!!
>
>http://vimeo.com/21234810
>
>http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2lj79_dust-van-hunt_music
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuDFbV15DM&list=UUHvewxUNJi6vmIz3y0vPr4w


He would still be Prince. You can't take Prince's vision or work ethic away. He would have found a way, dude is and still would be a star.

lets remember something it took prince a few years to really get his thing together.

his talent would be there, however his track record with colabs and hip hop would cancel him out.

if you go by 1990 to now,ain't no way he is considered a legend at all.

aND HIS ANTICS would have him somewhere between lady gaga and frank ocean because lyrical content and blurring the lines would be interesting.

Prince came up in a tougher era as far as musicianship, playing goes, because you were expected, however you a chance to put out a few albums until something hit.

nowadays you better hit with your 3rd song or it coyld be a wrap.

and the most important thing with prince is creative control and the wigs of now wouldn't green light him being self contained or producing the bulk of his stuff especially with how hit and alot of miss the cat has been for 2 sraight decades

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

Stop posting bullshit about the man...lol

Like seriously...U done lost your rabbit ass mind...

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

now to be real right now as we speak Prince has stunk for years

and logically speaking the Prince since 88 at best would be a 2nd to high 3rd tier act, but he wouldn't be no legend if we were going by his stuff from 1990 til now.


Prince been a touring jukebox of yesteryear for 20 plus years now.

screwdriver and that corny breakfast song ain't exactly burning up the charts or rock and roll affair. nobody but fellow purple kool aid drinkers sip out that straw and its been that way for years

your boy been washed up and relic for many a year just still trying to comeback and making more wack music.

if Prince put out his vault stuff from 82-85 up against his stuff from 88-now which one would be passed over with the quickness?

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

No wacko...u don't get it...

I don't care if you dislike any artist...Don't care if you criticize their music...Do you see me posting at anyone else at the first sign that they are going after specific acts? No...

I say my piece and move on...That is if someone isn't selling bullshit....

But u? Some of the shit that comes from your mind is beyond trolling now...

I mean...Prince = Maxwell? Really dog?

The difference between u and me?

My criticism and thoughts, and ideas on certain artists comes from just being a good ol fashion music geek and someone who has invested his life into writing about the music I love...

Your obsessive critiques come out of you wanting boost certain artists up at the expense of others...

In your world we are not allowed to dig MJ, R. Kelly, R.James, Prince and the Beatles all at the same time...There's always a bullshit angle with you...

Like I said...This is some bullshit posting...

No one should take you seriously when you are posting about shit that has nothing to do with Mike or R. Kelly....And even then you go off the rails...

Slow down, homie...

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

i can talk and speak on what i like, you got a probleM?

Maxwell and what he does musically would be Prince of today or would you like I said that if Prince came out today he would be a more skilled Lenny Kravitz, however he would be called out on his jacking other acts.

actually somewhere between Maxwell and Lenny Kravitz is where you would find a new Prince of today.

like who you like period and I ain't tripping, i do the music geek thing and just ask questions and i don't get all bend out of shape about it.

you the one getting all Medea in here about ready to hit me with your earrings because the purple heels wouldn't hold up as well in this particular time and era

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

It's all one big angle with you Maxx...That's the problem...

When you say bullshit like Prince being no better than Maxwell if he were to come out as a new act today you are making yourself look bad...

I mean, comparing the Bee Gees and the Rolling Stones is bad enough...

But this shit?

Come one dog...I'm not even going to say you can do better....because at this point you are back on your troll mode...

This is part of your game here...Prince and whatever other artist who takes "perceived" shine away from your favorites gets shitted on in the most ridiculously ways....

Man...This shit is beyond frustrating...

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

speak for yourself murph only speak for you

the bee gees and rolling stones are pop rock acts who hit with R&B audiences and that is a fact.

the billy preston era rolling stones was done to get some groove in there glide. the bee gees flipped the script in the early 70's as well.

you the one hating on maxwell i mean his first 3 albums in sound and style wouldn't be out of the question for how a younger Prince might sound in 2013.

and fyi Urban Hang suite>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>than any prince album from 1989-now IMO

you see Prince from 80-85 was at his greatest and musical prime and peak IMO and he was good a bit there after however he lost that thing he had a long time ago to alot of folks.

i know its hard for purple stans to accept but Prince was just a 80's thing never to return or comeback

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

I didn't read any of that...

All I'm saying is cut down on the bullshit...

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

that the problem you only wanna hear what you want.

and maxwell has had a pretty good career, however you come with the built in haterade agenda. i ain't madd at you personally, just on the music tip we ain't never been on the same page and hey, thats cool.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

Prince had to be able to do certain things just to get on...just to get a chance.... he had to strive for a particular bar......

Today's music climate cannot make a Prince.

it's lowered the bar to a degree that would not allow for a Prince.

Prince was destined to be Prince. There are just some things in life that are to be. Like Madonna was destined to reign in her lane as she has. The Stones. etc

Folks like a Rhianna, or a Starland Vocal Band and the like...no stars aligned involved.

Spme folks are not built to work at 7-11 or JC Penny.

And no Im not high or pouring extra sugar in my kool-aid..some of yall will know what Im talking about and some of yall wont..so be it

hell Prince being Prince back then almost wasn't accepted off the dick, so there's no way he would be allowed in the industry today

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Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

I agree. He is a unique talent that regardless of era, his talent wouldn't be diminished. it may be different, but showbiz is in his dna.

From MSNBC yesterday..


Prince, in sunglasses, wins Grammys by just walking onstage.


He would be accepted in this era cuz its dying for a performer with edge.

Nowadays the people want neat little boxes.

Could there be a today as we know it if there wasn't a yesterday as we knew it? Changes the whole dynamic.

Prince came up in Stevie's wake. he was initially pushed as the next Stevie - a one man band - at a time when Stevie was on or very near the top of the music world (SITKOL was only a couple yrs old and had just won several Grammys (during SW's AOTY run) after having dominated sales charts for months). Stevie was a big crossover success (pre-MJ's Epic solo albums). record labels were looking for another like him.

if Prince came out now...like in 2013...i wonder who he'd be positioned as. the 'Next __' (<-- fill in that blank). and i think that would determine his chance at having a label give him the sort of help he might need to find his audience.

i think he'd best served if marketed as the Next R. Kelly. or the Next D'Angelo/Maxwell. or maybe the Anti-Chris Brown. he wouldn't do so well as the Next Michael Jackson. and a Next Stevie Wonder at this point is a bad idea b/c not enough ppl are looking for the Next Stevie right now.

of course, they could market him as a Whole New Thang, but who does that these days? LOL. i guess that angle could work too. especially if he came out the box w/that Dirty Mind era stuff.

fuck you.

i caught heat up there for saying that interesting?

yeah the next r.kelly,d'angelo,maxwell makes sense,talented artists with complexity and vibe.

i'd throw lenny kravitz in there if prince came out now for the retro vibe.

of course the MJ thing is always there, whenever a young dynamic black artist is considered a multi threat artist you gonna be compared to mj.

if you sing or play a certain way well the stevie tag as well.

if prince came out now in dirty mind circa then he would be called the male lady gaga.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

How are people going to deny the man's work ethic?

Can't believe this board continues to shit on an ICON.

artist, he would not be some ridiculous funk band nostalgia act, he would be dabbling in next next music shit so he might be a J Dilla/Kanye type producer, who sings, who raps, plays instruments, drops electronica, alternative R&B type twisted genre bending music.

I don't know, I can't describe or imagine it because I am not a music genius. I do know that he wouldn't drop in doing the status quo emulating the styles of folks who got their who style from him (Van Hunt, Maxwell, etc.). He would also have more progressive views on music sharing.


My point is that I doubt we can imagine what Prince would look like if he came out now because a genius takes the tools and inspirations available to them at the time and creates something totally transformative with it, and the tools and inspirations available now would be totally different then were available then.


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

Why I still fuzz with the Lesson
http://open.spotify.com/user/brothersport86/playlist/3DhEhilho77Z0UCPbJlEJf

...but did you just say that Prince would be a Kanye-type producer?

You realize that Kanye is effectively an outsourcer. Prince did EVERYTHING himself (musically).

That is the stupidest shit I've ever read in my life.

You wrote several paragraphs, and I couldn't even make it past the first sentence.

1.You realize that Kanye is effectively an outsourcer. Prince did EVERYTHING himself (musically) is not at all accurate.

2. Even if it were true, means of production may be one way to distinguish them but there could be other ways to compare them like output, style, etc.




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

Why I still fuzz with the Lesson
http://open.spotify.com/user/brothersport86/playlist/3DhEhilho77Z0UCPbJlEJf

And try to compare the style of Prince to the style of Kanye, I dare you.

I like Kanye, but there's a notable difference between one's style being well-defined by the time he becomes a celebrity and one's style being defined *by* their celebrity.

>artist, he would not be some ridiculous funk band nostalgia
>act, he would be dabbling in next next music shit so he might
>be a J Dilla/Kanye type producer, who sings, who raps, plays
>instruments, drops electronica, alternative R&B type twisted
>genre bending music.
>
>I don't know, I can't describe or imagine it because I am not
>a music genius. I do know that he wouldn't drop in doing the
>status quo emulating the styles of folks who got their who
>style from him (Van Hunt, Maxwell, etc.). He would also have
>more progressive views on music sharing.
>
>
>My point is that I doubt we can imagine what Prince would look
>like if he came out now because a genius takes the tools and
>inspirations available to them at the time and creates
>something totally transformative with it, and the tools and
>inspirations available now would be totally different then
>were available then.
>
>
>**********
>"naive as the dry leaves on the ground looking past the trees
>to the blue sky asking 'why me?'" -Blu
>
>Why I still fuzz with the Lesson
>http://open.spotify.com/user/brothersport86/playlist/3DhEhilho77Z0UCPbJlEJf

>I don't know, I can't describe or imagine it because I am not
>a music genius. I do know that he wouldn't drop in doing the
>status quo emulating the styles of folks who got their who
>style from him (Van Hunt, Maxwell, etc.). He would also have
>more progressive views on music sharing.
>
>
>My point is that I doubt we can imagine what Prince would look
>like if he came out now because a genius takes the tools and
>inspirations available to them at the time and creates
>something totally transformative with it, and the tools and
>inspirations available now would be totally different then
>were available then.

He would be the Prince of this era.....

of his era. If you know what I am saying.


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

Why I still fuzz with the Lesson
http://open.spotify.com/user/brothersport86/playlist/3DhEhilho77Z0UCPbJlEJf

and if this hypothetical is asking what would happen if he had a record deal and debuted today, i'd have to agree with what's been said already, he'd be dropped after his first album...

i do believe a record label would keep him around as a song writer or engineer. maybe.

http://pjwoods.tumblr.com/

>and if this hypothetical is asking what would happen if he
>had a record deal and debuted today, i'd have to agree with
>what's been said already, he'd be dropped after his first
>album...
>
>i do believe a record label would keep him around as a song
>writer or engineer. maybe.


mj said that songwriting is the lifeblood of the industry in his book "moonwalker." prince engineer's his records too?