(Featured Image: Cover for “The War” CD Promo, © NPG Records.)
This episode, it’s 2 Zacks United 4 Prince Conference (sorry) as your usual host, Zach Hoskins, talks to Zack Stiegler, Associate Professor in Communications Media Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As in my last episode with Jane Clare Jones, we’re here to talk about Zack’s time at the University of Salford’s interdisciplinary Prince conference back in May; but we also touch upon a lot of other interesting subjects, including Prince’s ever-shifting attitudes toward the Internet, his racial consciousness, and the subtle (/sometimes not-so-subtle) current of Afrofuturism in his work.
Again, I’ll be posting more of these conversations in the weeks to come–already have another one in the can, in fact!–and would love to speak to anyone else who attended the conference and wants to chat. If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, remember to subscribe and (if you want!) review the podcast on any of the major services: iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. I’ll also be adding the episode to Mixcloud, but frankly I’m not always as good at doing that in a timely fashion. See you again soon!
00:00:00 “The War” (New Power Generation single, 1998)
00:02:26 My Previous Podcast with Jane Clare Jones
00:05:44 If You Want to Hear How Zach Got Into Prince, Listen to This
00:07:58 “My Computer” (from Emancipation
00:14:58 “Face Down” (from Emancipation)
00:22:01 “Uh Huh” (1991 Recording)
00:25:00 “The War”
00:27:26 Zaheer Ali’s Paper, “Slave 2 the System: Prince & the Black Radical Tradition”
00:39:07 Hopefully You Can Still Listen to “The War” on YouTube
00:39:43 “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron (from Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
00:40:55 James Byrd’s 1998 Lynching Murder Partly Inspired “The War”
00:40:58 “The War”
00:48:44 One of Prince’s Earlier Excursions into Science Fiction
00:49:07 Allen Beaulieu’s Softcore Porn Blade Runner Aesthetic, circa 1982
00:49:50 “The War”
00:52:46 The Artist’s Acceptance Speech for the Yahoo Internet Life Award, 1999
00:55:09 The Message on the Back Cover of “The War” Promo CDs
00:57:03 “The War”
00:58:55 Anil Dash on Prince’s “Secret Life as a Computer Nerd”
01:03:06 “A Warning 2 Music Lovers”: The Artist on Napster, 2001
01:09:36 Follow Zack (Stiegler) on Twitter
01:09:44 “Emale” (from Emancipation)
Cliche to say but Prince evolved as a person especially because of his intelligence and innate spirituality. As a poor Black kid he wanted to escape poverty and “make it’ financially and artistically. This was all combined with his perceived rejection by his parents and his journey of personal acceptance. As the “new and improved” commercialized artist in the 80’s, he found personal, professional, artistic acceptance and financial success. He then was under pressure to continue that “success,” i.e., self worth, with record sales. I think during his “slave” period and through his life he was not focused on “politics” but rather accepting himself as a good and valuable person. He eventually realized, as self actualized people do, that you are not what you own, or what you have accomplished. Who you are is “enough” and you are valuable as a good and compassionate person. How you treat and help others is really your legacy. The utterly unique thing about Prince is that he lived his life like an opera, he told his story and personal journey out loud through his music. Of course the inconceivable savant talent is also undeniable. Many people didn’t have a clue what he was talking about because commercial music must appeal to the masses and most listeners don’t want to work too hard mentally. Prince shared his life journey with us through his music with lessons to learn if you listen.. I enjoyed your discussion, Zach your good and open heart always shines through. Peace and love.
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Thank you…really interesting points, too! I definitely agree that politically and intellectually he was always evolving (as most of us are!)
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Check out Diffuser post they r covering same song
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Nice! I always forget to seek those out until they come across my feed.
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Link, if anyone reading this is interested: http://diffuser.fm/prince-the-war/
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“Uh-Huh” was an utterly masterful segue, Zach!
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