Fusing lyricism with a smooth funk, Prince describes the United States as “land of the free / home of the slave”.
The artist, who died at the age of 57 on April 21, 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, was unaware that in the years after his death, his beloved hometown of Minneapolis would erupt in a fury of protests following the murder of the black citizen George Floyd at the hands of a white cop.
But Prince was a career activist advocating for the empowerment of African Americans, not just in the recording industry.
“You go to school just to learn / about what never existed” (You go to school only to learn / about what never existed), Prince sings in the closing theme “One Day We Will All B Free.” We’ll be free).
On the album, Prince launches “a laser-focused attack on America’s condition,” said Morris Hayes, Prince’s longtime keyboardist and music director.
“The thing about social media, social justice and social awareness … this is a joint effort to really talk about these things,” said Hayes, who co-produced the album.
The artist, who died at the age of 57 on April 21, 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, was unaware that in the years after his death, his beloved hometown of Minneapolis would erupt in a fury of protests following the murder of the black citizen George Floyd at the hands of a white cop.
But Prince was a career activist advocating for the empowerment of African Americans, not just in the recording industry.
“You go to school just to learn / about what never existed” (You go to school only to learn / about what never existed), Prince sings in the closing theme “One Day We Will All B Free.” We’ll be free).
On the album, Prince launches “a laser-focused attack on America’s condition,” said Morris Hayes, Prince’s longtime keyboardist and music director.
“The thing about social media, social justice and social awareness … this is a joint effort to really talk about these things,” said Hayes, who co-produced the album.
“I really liked the raw material, and as far as my production goes, I just wanted to keep it raw and not get in the way of what he’s trying to say.”