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.
Sexme?sexmenot
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sex me not
Sex me baby
Sex me not
Come 2 the afterparty
Let's make it hot
Leave your sister & your underwear at home
Mmmm
Front row center
With the out-stretched hands
More chill around your wrist
Than the ice-cream man
Speaking of which
U say u like it
U say u like it when I SCREAM
I like it when u do 2
Ooohhhh, uh huh
Looky here now
Looky here now
Ungh
Look at my hips
(look at my hips)
I'm about 2 do something
2 make your backbone slip
Ungh, ungh, ungh
And when I get through
U will be confused
Should u take another pill after morning?
Or play the fool?
Sex me baby
Sex me not
Come 2 the afterparty
(Come on)
Let's make it hot
(hot hot hot)
Leave your sister & your underwear at home
Ain't gonna stop until everybody gone
Come & get happy
When I know u are here
Make you go down in the back of the bus
It's got a big ol' rear
Everybody that came 2 see me dance
Jump back, watch me, I'm about to wet your pants
Chorus
Made a lot of money
Give it all 2 u
(sex me)
If u choose right
U can do what you're supposed 2 do
Fly, black pepper
Grind u, grind u please
Make a brother happy
On your knees
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(sex me)
Hold me tight
Check the burn
And when the needle drop
The groove u gonna hear
Will never want 2 make u stop ya heard?
Chorus
Everybody
Hot Hot Hot
' Til everybody gone
What ' cha gonna do?
SEX ME BABY SEX ME NOT
In "Sexme?sexmenot," Prince juxtaposes the desire for sexual intimacy with the possibility of rejection, playing with the boundary between consent and refusal. The lyrics contrast the desire for physical pleasure ("sex me baby") with the fear of being rejected ("sex me not"). The song has a strong focus on the body, with references to hips and chill bracelets, emphasizing the physicality of the sexual experience. The chorus, "Come to the afterparty/Let's make it hot/Leave your sister & your underwear at home/Ain't gonna stop until everybody gone," reinforces the idea of an all-night gathering where sexual exploration is the main attraction.
Prince's message in "Sexme?sexmenot" is complex, as he both invites and denies sexual advances. He also plays with power dynamics, with lines like "Make a brother happy/On your knees" suggesting a controlling attitude towards his partner. The song challenges traditional sexual roles and expectations, as Prince subverts the idea that men are the main initiators of sexual advances, and instead welcomes women in that role. Ultimately, Prince's lyrics and the song's musical energy celebrate individuality and sensual pleasure, while also being mindful of the importance of respect and consent in sexual encounters.
Line by Line Meaning
Sex me baby
I want you to have sex with me
Sex me not
I don't want you to have sex with me
Come 2 the afterparty
Join me after the party
Let's make it hot
Let's make it exciting and passionate
Leave your sister & your underwear at home
Don't bring your sister or your underwear with you
Ain't gonna stop until everybody gone
I won't stop until everyone else has left
Front row center
The best seat in the house
With the out-stretched hands
Hands out as if reaching for something
More chill around your wrist
Expensive jewelry on your wrist
Than the ice-cream man
More expensive than ice cream
Speaking of which
Changing the subject
U say u like it
You have expressed that you enjoy it
U say u like it when I SCREAM
You have expressed that you like it when I scream
I like it when u do 2
I also enjoy it when you do that
Looky here now
Take a look at this
Ungh
An expression of pleasure or excitement
Look at my hips
Pay attention to my hips
I'm about 2 do something
I am going to do something
2 make your backbone slip
To make you feel weak or overwhelmed with pleasure
And when I get through
After I'm finished
U will be confused
You will be unsure what to do
Should u take another pill after morning?
Should you take another pill after the morning?
Or play the fool?
Or act foolish?
Come & get happy
Come and have a good time
When I know u are here
When I know you have arrived
Make you go down in the back of the bus
Make you feel weak or overwhelmed with pleasure
It's got a big ol' rear
The back of the bus is big
Everybody that came 2 see me dance
Everyone who came to see me dance
Jump back, watch me, I'm about to wet your pants
Watch me closely, I'm about to make you feel overwhelmed with pleasure
Made a lot of money
I have earned a lot of money
Give it all 2 u
I will give it all to you
(sex me)
A plea to have sex with me
If u choose right
If you make the right decision
U can do what you're supposed 2 do
You can fulfill your obligation
Fly, black pepper
A reference to drugs
Grind u, grind u please
Bring you to a state of pleasure
Make a brother happy
Make me happy
On your knees
A request for oral sex
Hold me tight
Embrace me tightly
Check the burn
A reference to checking a drug's quality
And when the needle drop
And when the record begins to play
The groove u gonna hear
You will hear a great song
Will never want 2 make u stop ya heard?
You will want to keep dancing
Everybody
Everyone
Hot Hot Hot
Very hot
' Til everybody gone
Until everyone else has left
What ' cha gonna do?
What are you going to do?
SEX ME BABY SEX ME NOT
A back-and-forth plea for sex
Contributed by Alexandra W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.