Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist.
After signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. top 10 charts. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. He also released songs under multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made popular after being covered by other musicians, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Released posthumously, his demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018) and Originals (2019) both received critical acclaim.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His awards included the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)
Studio albums
For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol (1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)
Crystal Ball (1998)
The Truth (1998)
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)
The Rainbow Children (2001)
One Nite Alone... (2002)
Xpectation (2003)
N·E·W·S (2003)
The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Musicology (2004)
3121 (2006)
Planet Earth (2007)
Lotusflow3r (2009)
MPLSound (2009)
20Ten (2010)
Plectrumelectrum (2014)
Art Official Age (2014)
HITnRUN Phase One (2015)
HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)
Posthumous releases:
Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018)
Originals (2019)
Welcome 2 America (2021)
Prince also released two albums credited to Madhouse, three albums credited to the New Power Generation, and one credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra:
Madhouse:
8 (1987)
16 (1987)
The New Power Generation:
Goldnigga (1993)
Exodus (1995)
Newpower Soul (1998)
The N.P.G. Orchestra:
Kamasutra (1997)
For Serbian singer Princ, please use Princ.
MPLS
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used 2 play the gig at Archie's Bunker
Then I up and joined the Jeffersons
I was in a band with Lenny Kravitz's mama (Your mother)
Friday night was good every now and then
Now I'm old and doin' so much better (So much better)
Sellin' the wax out the back o' my Subaru
In this here groove, they know just what 2 do, do
CHORUS:
MPLS funkin' house from east 2 west
MPLS funkin' (Shut up)
MPLS - Clinton listen, A on test
MPLS funkin' (Shut up)
(Funkin')
Other people's parties they be fightin'
They're pullin' the guns and actin' like a fool
The way I see it, the more good they be writin'
Makin' U wish that U stayed in a funky school (School)
First class - Guitar 101, James Brown - second hour
Horn part, U ain't got none unless U got Tower of Power
Bootsy will teach U all U need 2 know about the booty bass
(Y'all are crazy)
And if U can't play 7, 7 on the drums, U better not show your face
(U ain't funky)
CHORUS
Funkin'
Nobody buy my joint, it's cool cuz I got one (Hell yeah)
All the others cut 4 radio and cheat the fan
Good time - take us 2 the stage and watch us move your big butt
Cuz everybody, everybody's gettin' funky in this band
Who's in the band guys?
Sgt. Rock (Sonny T, yeah, that's..that's me) (M) (P)
Sittin' in from St. Paul (We're the S-t-e-e-l-e-s) (L) (S)
Cutie Pie on vocals (Jam) (M)
And by way of Queens (Master T) (P) (L) (S)
Hey, U ain't supposed 2 be on this record
MPLS funkin' house from east 2 west
MPLS funkin' (Shut up)
MPLS - Clinton listen, A on test
MPLS funkin'
We just keep funkin'
We just keep funkin'
Get funky
Party people steady pumpin'
Party people steady pumpin'
In the song MPLS, Prince reminisces about his early music career in Minneapolis. He highlights his beginnings playing gigs at Archie’s Bunker and then moving on to join the Jeffersons. He also mentions being in a band with Lenny Kravitz’s mother before finally finding success with a group called Minneapolis. The lyrics are full of references to the music scene in Minneapolis, with Prince declaring that MPLS is where the funk is. He describes the band as a group of talented musicians who know what to do on stage to keep the crowd moving.
The chorus of the song is a celebration of the funky music that comes out of Minneapolis. Prince sings about the funkin’ house that is present in the city from east to west. He also references Clinton and the A-test, which may be a nod to Bill Clinton and his love of funk music.
The verses of the song contain more references to musicians and music genres. Prince alludes to James Brown, Tower of Power, and Bootsy Collins, indicating that he has been influenced by many different styles of music. He also mentions the importance of learning the basics of guitar and the drums in order to be a truly funky musician.
Overall, MPLS is a love letter to Prince’s hometown and the musicians that helped shape his sound. The lyrics and music are a celebration of the funk that comes out of Minneapolis and a testament to the power of music to bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
I used 2 play the gig at Archie's Bunker
I used to play at a small venue called Archie's Bunker.
Then I up and joined the Jeffersons
I joined a different group of people (the Jeffersons).
I was in a band with Lenny Kravitz's mama (Your mother)
I played in a band with the mother of Lenny Kravitz.
Friday night was good every now and then
Sometimes Friday nights were enjoyable.
Now I'm old and doin' so much better (So much better)
Now that I'm older, I'm in a better place in my life.
Sellin' the wax out the back o' my Subaru
I'm selling my music out of my car.
Now I cut this groove with a group called Minneapolis (Minneapolis)
I'm playing music with a group called Minneapolis.
In this here groove, they know just what 2 do, do
The musicians in this group know how to play this type of music well.
MPLS funkin' house from east 2 west
The funk house in Minneapolis is popular across the city.
MPLS funkin' (Shut up)
The funk house in Minneapolis is so popular that people should stop talking and start dancing.
MPLS - Clinton listen, A on test
Minneapolis has a great music scene, even President Bill Clinton should listen to it.
Other people's parties they be fightin'
People at other parties are often fighting.
They're pullin' the guns and actin' like a fool
People at these parties are using guns and are not behaving appropriately.
The way I see it, the more good they be writin'
I think people should be writing more positive things about the music scene.
Makin' U wish that U stayed in a funky school (School)
The music is so good that people may regret not pursuing music in school.
First class - Guitar 101, James Brown - second hour
In music school, you start with basic classes like guitar, then move onto more advanced classes like James Brown courses.
Horn part, U ain't got none unless U got Tower of Power
You can't play horns well without studying the band Tower of Power.
Bootsy will teach U all U need 2 know about the booty bass
Bootsy Collins is a great teacher when it comes to playing bass.
(Y'all are crazy)
(You all are crazy for thinking otherwise.)
And if U can't play 7, 7 on the drums, U better not show your face
You better not show up if you can't play a specific drum beat.
(U ain't funky)
(You're not cool enough to play this music.)
Nobody buy my joint, it's cool cuz I got one (Hell yeah)
Nobody buys my music, but that's okay because I'm happy with my own copy.
All the others cut 4 radio and cheat the fan
Other musicians are not true to their fans and create music designed for the radio.
Good time - take us 2 the stage and watch us move your big butt
If you come watch us perform live, we guarantee you'll have a good time and will dance.
Cuz everybody, everybody's gettin' funky in this band
Everyone in this band is really good at playing funk music.
Who's in the band guys?
Who are the musicians in this band?
Sgt. Rock (Sonny T, yeah, that's..that's me) (M) (P)
One of the band members is named Sgt. Rock, also known as Sonny T.
Sittin' in from St. Paul (We're the S-t-e-e-l-e-s) (L) (S)
Another band member is from St. Paul, and there are members in the group with the last name Steele.
Cutie Pie on vocals (Jam) (M)
One of the people singing in this band is named Cutie Pie, also known as Jam.
And by way of Queens (Master T) (P) (L) (S)
Another band member is from Queens and has specialties in certain instruments.
Hey, U ain't supposed 2 be on this record
Someone is on this record who was not supposed to be recorded.
Party people steady pumpin'
People at the party are dancing and having a good time.
Party people steady pumpin'
People at the party are dancing and having a good time.
Contributed by Colton T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
onesong2001
Whoever gave this video a thumbs down needs to go to funky school.
Kenya Swain aka south boy
E
Madlift
Thanks for the literal laugh out loud.
Maria Reding
Glad to find this. We did this video decades ago. (Philippine Animation Studio, Inc) Thanks for posting.
Lance Raymundo
OMG this makes me so proud!!!!! Prince x Philippine Animation Studio, Inc. <3
Lance Raymundo
WOW! U guys did this pala!!!!! <3 <3 <3
Rogie Ramilo
Epic! All Filipino production of animated scenes. Missing the days we do animations in Phil. animation studio, inc. 😊
Joey Paraiso
Wow! good to see this animated MTV, Thanks for uploading La route !!! I was one of the animators, I believe there's behind the scene and the making footage also, this was done around 1993 (fun days) there's another video of this MTV with credits if you want to see - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt-uvgqD83A
RaggTopp
Holy shit...I remember when this premiered on Realplayer back in the 90s....
Lance Raymundo
"Bawal Umihi" sign at 2:19 --- ok, my day's been made!