{"title":"November Rain, Purple Reign, and Paisley Park","authors":"Shannon M. Cochran","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.10","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121698549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:In the 1980s, Prince was ubiquitous in the US. Not only did he dominate the airwaves, MTV, and movie theaters, he presented an ever-evolving visual and sonic persona. But one theme tied all his work together: love. This article traces Prince's depiction and beliefs of love from Purple Rain (1984) to Graffiti Bridge (1990), focusing on key moments in his films, videos, and music. Throughout this period, Prince explored love in many different forms, including the love of self, others, revolution, and God. Through dialogue and lyrics from his films, videos, and music, Prince's many different versions of love are woven together to create a greater narrative that celebrates Prince's grand vision of love for all.
{"title":"The Evolution of Love in Prince's Films and Their Concurrent Albums","authors":"Tom Zlabinger","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.07","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:In the 1980s, Prince was ubiquitous in the US. Not only did he dominate the airwaves, MTV, and movie theaters, he presented an ever-evolving visual and sonic persona. But one theme tied all his work together: love. This article traces Prince's depiction and beliefs of love from Purple Rain (1984) to Graffiti Bridge (1990), focusing on key moments in his films, videos, and music. Throughout this period, Prince explored love in many different forms, including the love of self, others, revolution, and God. Through dialogue and lyrics from his films, videos, and music, Prince's many different versions of love are woven together to create a greater narrative that celebrates Prince's grand vision of love for all.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121346478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Free Yourself","authors":"Kimberly D. Nettles‐Barcelón","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.09","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"227 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115600343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:Prince is arguably one of popular music's most prolific songwriters. His music, artistry, and style define the decade of the 1980s, however his lyrics did more than inspire "Dance, Music, Sex, and Romance." As early as his 1980 Dirty Mind album, Prince expressed his views of social and political conditions. Throughout his career he continued to pen songs that voiced his views of domestic and global issues. Most recently, on his album HITtnRUN: Phase Two Prince pleas for peace on the track "Baltimore," titled for the city where Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man, died from injuries sustained while in police custody. The purpose of this study is to examine the lyrics of Prince's political songs using systemic functional linguistics, which is Halliday's theory of language that is centered on its social and contextual factors, as a way to explore Prince's political consciousness. Findings show the evolution of Prince's political consciousness over the course of his career.
{"title":"(A)Political Prince: An Analysis of Prince's Political Consciousness","authors":"Crystal N. Wise","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.02","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:Prince is arguably one of popular music's most prolific songwriters. His music, artistry, and style define the decade of the 1980s, however his lyrics did more than inspire \"Dance, Music, Sex, and Romance.\" As early as his 1980 Dirty Mind album, Prince expressed his views of social and political conditions. Throughout his career he continued to pen songs that voiced his views of domestic and global issues. Most recently, on his album HITtnRUN: Phase Two Prince pleas for peace on the track \"Baltimore,\" titled for the city where Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man, died from injuries sustained while in police custody. The purpose of this study is to examine the lyrics of Prince's political songs using systemic functional linguistics, which is Halliday's theory of language that is centered on its social and contextual factors, as a way to explore Prince's political consciousness. Findings show the evolution of Prince's political consciousness over the course of his career.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129666439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:By 1986, the Prince-pioneered Minneapolis sound had become increasingly coopted by copycat musicians and was a familiar presence on US radio. Yet Prince had already shifted focus, relocating the sonic home of his eighth release to Continental Europe; arguably creating his most diverse album in the process. This paper explores how Parade was the first Prince record to consciously embrace a more international fan base. I discuss how the use of French language and ambience throughout the album draw on the "prestige" associated with the Gallic lifestyle, adding a cosmopolitan flavor that helped Parade connect with European audiences. I argue that Prince capitalized on the cultural currency of France and its language to create a more elevated style of music and purposely distance himself from the Minneapolis sound. The paper contextualizes Parade against the musical backdrop of 1986 and considers the subsequent critical responses of the music press and biographers. I contend that the album was part of a strategic move to reach beyond traditional US notions of "rock and roll" stardom and establish himself as a truly global performer. In achieving this goal, Prince willingly sacrificed some of his American fan base, yet secured his credentials as a bona fide international artist in return. Parade marks a pivotal point in Prince's career, ultimately shaping his future output and forever altering how the world viewed him and his music.
{"title":"Parade: A La Recherche De Nouveaux Sons","authors":"Sam Coley","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.04","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:By 1986, the Prince-pioneered Minneapolis sound had become increasingly coopted by copycat musicians and was a familiar presence on US radio. Yet Prince had already shifted focus, relocating the sonic home of his eighth release to Continental Europe; arguably creating his most diverse album in the process. This paper explores how Parade was the first Prince record to consciously embrace a more international fan base. I discuss how the use of French language and ambience throughout the album draw on the \"prestige\" associated with the Gallic lifestyle, adding a cosmopolitan flavor that helped Parade connect with European audiences. I argue that Prince capitalized on the cultural currency of France and its language to create a more elevated style of music and purposely distance himself from the Minneapolis sound. The paper contextualizes Parade against the musical backdrop of 1986 and considers the subsequent critical responses of the music press and biographers. I contend that the album was part of a strategic move to reach beyond traditional US notions of \"rock and roll\" stardom and establish himself as a truly global performer. In achieving this goal, Prince willingly sacrificed some of his American fan base, yet secured his credentials as a bona fide international artist in return. Parade marks a pivotal point in Prince's career, ultimately shaping his future output and forever altering how the world viewed him and his music.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"70 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130841331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:Asked by Warner Bros. to contribute supporting songs for the Tim Burton–directed film Batman (1989), Prince responded with his own Batman universe in the form of a nine-track album (Batman: Motion Picture Soundtrack), five singles (with remixes and b-sides), three music videos, and a loosely related comic book. Though the album was a popular success, many critics and media scholars denigrate the work as emblematic of 1980s media synergy run amok, while Prince scholars have largely neglected it altogether. Prince's Batman project is not merely work "inspired by" a film but a complex multimedia work that critically interfaces with the Batman myth as well as Prince's other audiovisual work. This article offers a close analysis of the materials that comprise Prince's Batman project and explores the ways the artist intervenes in the Batman discourse while revealing his ongoing concerns with the fluidity of race and gender. Prince inhabits the perspectives of several of the film's famous comic book characters: Batman, Bruce Wayne, Joker, and Vicki Vale. He also creates a new character, "Gemini," who appears on the album, in two music videos, and in the Alter Ego comic book. Through these works, Prince demonstrates his multimedia acumen by transforming an existing commercial property while remaining true to his larger oeuvre.
{"title":"The Prince of Gotham: Prince's Multifaceted Batman Project","authors":"Laurel Westrup, Paul N. Reinsch","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.06","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:Asked by Warner Bros. to contribute supporting songs for the Tim Burton–directed film Batman (1989), Prince responded with his own Batman universe in the form of a nine-track album (Batman: Motion Picture Soundtrack), five singles (with remixes and b-sides), three music videos, and a loosely related comic book. Though the album was a popular success, many critics and media scholars denigrate the work as emblematic of 1980s media synergy run amok, while Prince scholars have largely neglected it altogether. Prince's Batman project is not merely work \"inspired by\" a film but a complex multimedia work that critically interfaces with the Batman myth as well as Prince's other audiovisual work. This article offers a close analysis of the materials that comprise Prince's Batman project and explores the ways the artist intervenes in the Batman discourse while revealing his ongoing concerns with the fluidity of race and gender. Prince inhabits the perspectives of several of the film's famous comic book characters: Batman, Bruce Wayne, Joker, and Vicki Vale. He also creates a new character, \"Gemini,\" who appears on the album, in two music videos, and in the Alter Ego comic book. Through these works, Prince demonstrates his multimedia acumen by transforming an existing commercial property while remaining true to his larger oeuvre.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124507479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Notes from the Horn Section: A Conversation with NPG Saxophonist, Marcus Anderson","authors":"D. G. Peoples, Marcus Anderson","doi":"10.2979/spectrum.7.2.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.7.2.11","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124726592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:The research question analyzed is what positively contributes to the academic success of African American (AA) men at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in honors programs. This research denotes that AA men were successful through their behaviors, experiences, environments, interactions, and relationships. The significance of choosing the two HBCUs to study the positive contributions to the success of African American men was due to the institutions having AA men in honors programs. The stories and messages from the 20 AA men in this study were investigated to understand what specific behaviors, experiences, environments, interactions, and relationships contribute to their success while in college.
{"title":"Exploring the Messages of African American Men Enrolled in HBCU Honors Programs","authors":"Timothy Williams, Stephen Knights","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3748932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3748932","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:The research question analyzed is what positively contributes to the academic success of African American (AA) men at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in honors programs. This research denotes that AA men were successful through their behaviors, experiences, environments, interactions, and relationships. The significance of choosing the two HBCUs to study the positive contributions to the success of African American men was due to the institutions having AA men in honors programs. The stories and messages from the 20 AA men in this study were investigated to understand what specific behaviors, experiences, environments, interactions, and relationships contribute to their success while in college.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122069300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:The shooting of unarmed Black men has become commonplace in America. Unfortunately, these incidents have been viewed by the African American community and civil rights organizations as acts of malfeasance by the police that could be corrected by more rigorous training for law enforcement officers. However, status/whiplash politics lies at the heart of the matter. The social and political advancement of African Americans has sparked a new round of fear among Whites who mistakenly believe that these gains have come at their expense. Such reactions among Whites have occurred periodically throughout history when an outcast group—racial minorities and immigrants—is viewed as making advancements. The shootings constitute violations of human rights that need to be addressed by the United Nations, failure to do so only perpetuates the problem, allowing the racism in American society to remain invisible, politicians to be unaccountable, and the social climate in America to be unacceptable.
{"title":"Does a Black Man Have the Right to Leave His Home?","authors":"D. C. Tatum","doi":"10.2979/SPECTRUM.7.1.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/SPECTRUM.7.1.05","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:The shooting of unarmed Black men has become commonplace in America. Unfortunately, these incidents have been viewed by the African American community and civil rights organizations as acts of malfeasance by the police that could be corrected by more rigorous training for law enforcement officers. However, status/whiplash politics lies at the heart of the matter. The social and political advancement of African Americans has sparked a new round of fear among Whites who mistakenly believe that these gains have come at their expense. Such reactions among Whites have occurred periodically throughout history when an outcast group—racial minorities and immigrants—is viewed as making advancements. The shootings constitute violations of human rights that need to be addressed by the United Nations, failure to do so only perpetuates the problem, allowing the racism in American society to remain invisible, politicians to be unaccountable, and the social climate in America to be unacceptable.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"7 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120915481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT:There is a lack of research that explores the experiences of convicted African American fathers once they reenter society. Additionally, current research fails to examine the impact a criminal conviction has on the lives of the fathers and their relationship with their children. Using a comparative case study methodology, three fathers were interviewed multiple times to gain insight into their experiences since returning home from prison. Data from this study suggest more in-depth reentry programs are needed to create a better transition for fathers once they return home, along with more programs that encourage communication between fathers and their children while incarcerated. Implications for future research are discussed.
{"title":"A Qualitative Comparative Case Study of the Experiences of Convicted African American Fathers","authors":"Douglas Bates, Justin Adams, G. Henderson","doi":"10.2979/SPECTRUM.7.1.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2979/SPECTRUM.7.1.03","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT:There is a lack of research that explores the experiences of convicted African American fathers once they reenter society. Additionally, current research fails to examine the impact a criminal conviction has on the lives of the fathers and their relationship with their children. Using a comparative case study methodology, three fathers were interviewed multiple times to gain insight into their experiences since returning home from prison. Data from this study suggest more in-depth reentry programs are needed to create a better transition for fathers once they return home, along with more programs that encourage communication between fathers and their children while incarcerated. Implications for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":204420,"journal":{"name":"Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men","volume":"207 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121864815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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