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.
NPG Bum Rush the Ship
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Photelic drive stable at this time, ha ha
U havn't even seen tommy, have ya? (no)
A million 2 hundred million kilowatts per second captain
Yes, ensign elm
I will be taking a weekend furlough down in the..
What, that's not fast enough, we have 2 get up 2 4
It has 2 be!
I'm going 2 the intergalactic glam slam down there
(furlough, what do u mean? try it, it's fast)
What kind of piece of junk is this?
I'm going 2 the intergalactic carnival
This shipment's voodoo
I'm gonna send it.. 8 million before?
I'm goin' fishin' 'cause that's my style
(godamn it, I tried 2 fix this shit)
Wait, wait a minute, what is this?
(huh, I don't know)
Try a little more
I don't.. oh my, I better tell the captain
(f**k the captain)
Captain?
I'm getting some strange readings on my vanillascope
Maybe u should take a listen
Leave me alone!
I'm busy hookin' up the world 2 my lastest creation
The endorphin machine (yep, uh huh)
The only one of it's kind (the only one of it's kind, uh huh)
I don't know captain, u better come check this out
I have all the best minds in europe (every one, yep)
And soon I'll have all the minds of the world, ha ha ha ha (ha ha ha ha)
But it appears 2 be getting louder and closer
Huh
Oh my god, it's them!
What up muthaf**kas?
{screams}
Stay calm and no one will be hurt!
Watch out!
What he'd say?
What, what, what's that?
Get out of the way
Hey, come here u, get your ass over here
Get your ass on the floor, we takin' this shit over
Get your hand out of your pants
I see ya
Take your hands out of your pants right now
Get'em out of there
Come here, get on the floor
What? fellas?
Get over here now
I'll whip your ass
Who? what? where?
Ask him? what? who?
Get them 2 say'em
Leave me alone! what? what?
U don't have 2 ask us now
Come here, goddern it
Hey, I've had enough
I think we got control now
U will be moved when the npg come
And take a chunk of your ass!
The lyrics of Prince’s song, NPG Bum Rush the Ship, are spoken by multiple characters and are about an invasion on a spaceship by a group called the NPG (New Power Generation). The NPG characters seem to be forcefully taking over the ship and causing chaos. The first few lines indicate that the ship is in outer space and that the Photelic drive is stable. The dialogue between the characters throughout the song exposes their impatience and frustration, as they discuss fixing the ship and wanting to attend various galactic events.
The conversation abruptly changes as the characters notice the NPG’s approach. Chaos ensues, with the NPG characters taking over the ship and commanding the original crew to get on the floor. The song ends with a warning that the NPG will “take a chunk of your ass!”
The lyrics of this song are primarily focused on the fictional story of the NPG’s takeover, and it’s unclear if there is a real-world message or interpretation behind them. However, the chaos and tension built throughout the song suggest a theme of power struggles and inescapable consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Photelic drive stable at this time, ha ha
The engine is stable and functioning well currently
U havn't even seen tommy, have ya? (no)
You haven't seen anything yet
A million 2 hundred million kilowatts per second captain
The ship is running at an impressive speed
Yes, ensign elm
Acknowledging the crew member
I will be taking a weekend furlough down in the..
I'm taking a break
What, that's not fast enough, we have 2 get up 2 4
The ship needs to go faster
That's right, it's fast when we fix it
We can make it faster once we fix it
It has 2 be!
It must be faster
I'm going 2 the intergalactic glam slam down there
I'm going to party
(furlough, what do u mean? try it, it's fast)
(explaining what a furlough is)
What kind of piece of junk is this?
Commenting on the ship's condition
I'm going 2 the intergalactic carnival
Going to enjoy myself
This shipment's voodoo
This shipment is cursed
I'm gonna send it.. 8 million before?
Sending a message
I'm goin' fishin' 'cause that's my style
Going fishing, my preferred activity
(godamn it, I tried 2 fix this shit)
(frustrated with trying to fix something)
Wait, wait a minute, what is this?
Noticing something strange
(huh, I don't know)
(confused)
Try a little more
Investigating further
I don't.. oh my, I better tell the captain
Reporting back to the captain
(f**k the captain)
(disrespecting the captain)
Captain?
Addressing the captain
I'm getting some strange readings on my vanillascope
Detecting unusual readings
Maybe u should take a listen
Advising the captain to listen in
Leave me alone!
Trying to focus on something else
I'm busy hookin' up the world 2 my lastest creation
Working on a new invention
(yep, uh huh)
(confirming)
(the only one of it's kind, uh huh)
(emphasizing uniqueness)
I don't know captain, u better come check this out
Urging the captain to investigate
(every one, yep)
(stating that all of the best minds are present)
And soon I'll have all the minds of the world, ha ha ha ha (ha ha ha ha)
Boasting about having the best minds to build new inventions
But it appears 2 be getting louder and closer
Noticing a disturbance nearby
Huh
Expressing confusion
Oh my god, it's them!
Realizing the intruders have arrived
What up muthaf**kas?
Greeting the crew aggressively
{screams}
(panic)
Stay calm and no one will be hurt!
Attempting to calm everyone down
Watch out!
Warning others
What he'd say?
Asking for clarification
What, what, what's that?
Asking what's happening
Get out of the way
Telling someone to move
Hey, come here u, get your ass over here
Telling someone to approach
Get your ass on the floor, we takin' this shit over
Commandeering the ship
Get your hand out of your pants
Warning someone to stop doing something inappropriate
I see ya
Noticing someone
Take your hands out of your pants right now
Reiterating the warning
Get'em out of there
Commanding someone to remove their hands
Come here, get on the floor
Forcing someone to obey
What? fellas?
Asking questions
Get over here now
Forcing them to move
I'll whip your ass
Using intimidation tactics
Who? what? where?
Asking for information
Ask him? what? who?
Asking questions
Get them 2 say'em
Forcing someone to talk
Leave me alone! what? what?
Asking to be left alone
U don't have 2 ask us now
Telling them that they don't need to ask questions anymore
Come here, goddern it
Commanding someone to come closer
Hey, I've had enough
Exasperated and annoyed
I think we got control now
Thinking they are now in control of the ship
U will be moved when the npg come
The npg will take over
And take a chunk of your ass!
They will do what they want with the ship
Contributed by Eva K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nicola Huxter
No idea why this isn’t on Spotify- brilliant album.
Brachel Leon
It is Brilliant, U R right Nicola.
Cleon Gibson
Probably the most underrated album ever made.Welcome 2 The Dawn💜
Mark Williams
Outstanding Funk by Prince and NPG
Brachel Leon
It is Brilliant, U R right Nicola.
𝕸𝖞𝖘𝖙༺❸༻
~Thank You. Much Love to You and All ❤❤❤~
Adolph Martin
The Exodus has begun let's make it happen
Fabio Cavalchi
This is a FUNK Opera
LiveXSTV
Only 4.936 spins in 365 days? YES! "We Count The Days!" Let's triple THAT before dec 1st 2022.
William Blythe
if u get it this is the shit the playing on the bass is ooooohhh wee