How am I supposed to write about Prince after what I just watched? The President of the United States, when given multiple opportunities, refused to condemn white supremacy. Instead he gave them marching orders and a rallying cry. Does the rest of it matter? What fucking year is this?
Also, apparently Trump saved football?
I’ll do my best to stay focused… I don’t know about you guys, but I’m kind of shellshocked by the amount of unreleased Prince music I’ve been able to hear in the past four days. It’s been difficult to focus on writing about this Prince music from the 1990’s when there’s a pile of superior vault material that I’ve been glued to for five days.
So, tonight we get “Somebody’s Somebody,” the second single from 1996’s triple album Emancipation. I like this song, but it’s a generic 90’s R&B slow jam. If I want 90’s R&B slow jams I’m putting on some Jodeci. Prince was a genius, a virtuoso, a maestro…but nobody brought the slow jams like Devante Swing. It’s difficult for me to listen to “Somebody’s Somebody” and think that this was the same man who brought us something as brilliant as “The Beautiful Ones.” Should I punish a Prince song because I know what he’s capable of? Let’s say a lesser known 90’s R&B group like H-Town performed “Somebody’s Somebody.” Would I be like, “H-Town was the shit! They did ‘Knockin’ Da Boots’ and ‘Somebody’s Somebody?” I don’t think so. I think it’s an average, but forgettable song. “Knockin’ Da Boots” was a classic, though, and that cat singing lead could blow. His voice was soulful as hell. Underrated.
I’ve been harping on this a lot lately, but I’ll do it for the third consecutive day: At some point Prince was thrown off his game by hip hop. I don’t just mean rap music. When groups like Bell Biv DeVoe and Jodeci blended hip hop in to R&B I believe that was part of it, too. Man…Prince sang “Adore.” He’s better than this. I’m tired of saying it so I’ll shut up now.
Maybe I’m being unfairly critical of “Somebody’s Somebody” because my blood is still boiling from that debate. Did I mention that the President of the United States refused to denounce white supremacists tonight? He just wouldn’t. I know Trump is a racist piece of shit, yet somehow I still can’t believe it. Whatever, I’m through for the night. I need a better song to write about and a better mood tomorrow.
mookiefantana 