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I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon
Celebrated journalist, TV personality, and award-winning author Touré investigates one of the most enigmatic and fascinating figures in contemporary American culture: PRINCE
Drawing on new research and enlivened by Touré’s unique pop-cultural fluency, I Would Die 4 U relies on surprising and in-depth interviews with Prince’s band members, former girlfriends, musicologists, and even Bible scholars to deconstruct the artist’s life and work.
Prince’s baby boomer status allowed him to play a wise older brother to the latchkey kids of generation X. Defying traditional categories of race, gender, and sexuality, he nonetheless presents a very traditional conception of religion and God in his music. He was an MTV megastar and a religious evangelist, using images of sex and profanity to invite us into a musical conversation about the healing power of God. By demystifying the man and his music, I Would Die 4 U shows us how Prince defined a generation.
Drawing on new research and enlivened by Touré’s unique pop-cultural fluency, I Would Die 4 U relies on surprising and in-depth interviews with Prince’s band members, former girlfriends, musicologists, and even Bible scholars to deconstruct the artist’s life and work.
Prince’s baby boomer status allowed him to play a wise older brother to the latchkey kids of generation X. Defying traditional categories of race, gender, and sexuality, he nonetheless presents a very traditional conception of religion and God in his music. He was an MTV megastar and a religious evangelist, using images of sex and profanity to invite us into a musical conversation about the healing power of God. By demystifying the man and his music, I Would Die 4 U shows us how Prince defined a generation.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
72 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Touré
22 books97 followersTouré Neblett is an American novelist, essayist, music journalist, cultural critic, and television personality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
June 22, 2013
There’s something very inauthentic about unauthorized autobiographies. Journalist turned author, Toure, compiles this lightweight ode to the Purple one largely through quoting several books, newspaper and magazine articles written about the artist by others. Deciding to dedicate a book on the subject of how Prince became a musical icon is a tad lame. Does it really matter? As Prince fans, we like him for his music; preferably his early catalogue in my case. How he became the famous figure he is today seems better suited for a documentary than a gimmicky concept autobiography.
Reading an over intellectualized idea can be mentally painful to endure. Toure’s constant need to draw parallels between Prince and generation-X is beyond tiresome. His attempts at providing context, insight and depth are nothing short of trite. This book reads like a 150-page magazine article written by a Prince groupie.
February 14, 2013
Initial reaction: That actually made for a more sluggish read than I expected. That had nothing to do with Prince or his life - what little bits there were in this narrative, I really appreciated hearing. My problems were with the overarching presentation of this "biography", which it really wasn't a biography as much as it was a perspective piece and how certain parts/dimensions of Prince's life had an impact on contemporary pop culture as well as the culture that grew up with his music. Which for me, that would've been fine given some of the interesting details and conversations that marked its jumping points. But the presentation here is really jagged and - dare I say - mediocre in some turns. I don't know, I really expected more from it and at the same time, was rather put off by the transitions. I will say there were interesting tidbits here, just that the execution left much to be desired.
Full review:
I'm actually quite familiar with Touré considering I've seen and heard his commentary on pop culture figures and media measures for quite some time. Yet when reading "I Would Die 4 U" - I don't think some of the sharp, humored commentary that usually defines him came across. Particularly for a opinion piece that's supposed to showcase why Prince is such a dominant figure, I found the narrative rather choppy, disorganized despite its respective sectioning, and difficult to really capture the essence of what Prince has meant not only in the music realm but in entertainment across multiple mediums (film, etc.)
I don't necessarily want to take away from the author's overall perspective point and intentions, particularly considering the aim of the narrative and its proposed thesis. It actually made some very interesting points about Generation X, Prince's past and how certain events in his life came to shape him, among other factors. Yet, I knew by the presentation of the introduction and the narrative jumps that it takes from the get-go that this was going to be a rough read. It seems to talk about everything else in the spectrum of media other than Prince himself. You would think for a book about Prince that he would be the prime focal point with some added commentary shaping the argument and insights, but it's more that I think the author chose to do the reverse and shape certain arguments and then bring in certain pieces of Prince's past, present, and influence as the supporting arguments. It's my belief that such was why this narrative wasn't as intimate, connected, or structured as well as it could've been. I actually expected more to be offered than what it provided (though I appreciated some of the personal narratives offered by Prince himself, sourced from interviews.)
I'm going to make an amendment to one of my initial notes because for all intents and purposes, I don't think this was as much a biography (though parts of it qualify) or showcase of Prince's life as it was a commentary, which is what I think Touré was going for from the get-go. It makes suggestions into Prince's respective character and shaping from people who knew/worked/interacted with him, based on his childhood and coming to terms in life as a boy into the man and icon he is today. There were many places I wanted to ask why it jumped from one time frame to the next. It wasn't smooth in either the time dimension or topic dimension, though it made good points (though arguably in that this was a perspective piece, there were many drawn juxtapositions I didn't agree with). I felt the references to Prince's work didn't touch with as much intimacy as it could've been, though there were points where the analysis of the themes and backdrop those films were released within were sound.
If thinking over the narrative as a whole, I would say that there are references to Prince's talents here, but it is not comprehensive, nor does it really support its argument on how Prince is an icon, which is what the title of this purports. I think if you're a die-hard Prince fan, you'll be likely underwhelmed with this effort because it really doesn't tell you all that much. However, I did take from this some interesting insights on Prince's early years, some constructs on why his work "worked" to an extent in the time it was released, and I appreciated the read. I just wish it'd amounted to more than what it was.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Atria Books.
Full review:
I'm actually quite familiar with Touré considering I've seen and heard his commentary on pop culture figures and media measures for quite some time. Yet when reading "I Would Die 4 U" - I don't think some of the sharp, humored commentary that usually defines him came across. Particularly for a opinion piece that's supposed to showcase why Prince is such a dominant figure, I found the narrative rather choppy, disorganized despite its respective sectioning, and difficult to really capture the essence of what Prince has meant not only in the music realm but in entertainment across multiple mediums (film, etc.)
I don't necessarily want to take away from the author's overall perspective point and intentions, particularly considering the aim of the narrative and its proposed thesis. It actually made some very interesting points about Generation X, Prince's past and how certain events in his life came to shape him, among other factors. Yet, I knew by the presentation of the introduction and the narrative jumps that it takes from the get-go that this was going to be a rough read. It seems to talk about everything else in the spectrum of media other than Prince himself. You would think for a book about Prince that he would be the prime focal point with some added commentary shaping the argument and insights, but it's more that I think the author chose to do the reverse and shape certain arguments and then bring in certain pieces of Prince's past, present, and influence as the supporting arguments. It's my belief that such was why this narrative wasn't as intimate, connected, or structured as well as it could've been. I actually expected more to be offered than what it provided (though I appreciated some of the personal narratives offered by Prince himself, sourced from interviews.)
I'm going to make an amendment to one of my initial notes because for all intents and purposes, I don't think this was as much a biography (though parts of it qualify) or showcase of Prince's life as it was a commentary, which is what I think Touré was going for from the get-go. It makes suggestions into Prince's respective character and shaping from people who knew/worked/interacted with him, based on his childhood and coming to terms in life as a boy into the man and icon he is today. There were many places I wanted to ask why it jumped from one time frame to the next. It wasn't smooth in either the time dimension or topic dimension, though it made good points (though arguably in that this was a perspective piece, there were many drawn juxtapositions I didn't agree with). I felt the references to Prince's work didn't touch with as much intimacy as it could've been, though there were points where the analysis of the themes and backdrop those films were released within were sound.
If thinking over the narrative as a whole, I would say that there are references to Prince's talents here, but it is not comprehensive, nor does it really support its argument on how Prince is an icon, which is what the title of this purports. I think if you're a die-hard Prince fan, you'll be likely underwhelmed with this effort because it really doesn't tell you all that much. However, I did take from this some interesting insights on Prince's early years, some constructs on why his work "worked" to an extent in the time it was released, and I appreciated the read. I just wish it'd amounted to more than what it was.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Atria Books.
March 21, 2013
This fascinating little book is but a truffle of an appetizer of the treasure trove of analysis it could be, which is mostly frustrating but also kind of a refreshing conversation starter for those who feel like they've exhausted everything they could possibly discuss regarding the ubiquitous purple haze forever known as Prince.
Clocking in at under 180 pages, the author merely nicks the surface of this most prolific of veteran recording artists, though the points of entry chosen for this book dig deeper than most quickie bios and muck-raking tell-alls that dare to parade Prince's pomaded puss on the cover.
This is less a biography than a cultural analysis of Prince's persona, and it's a breath of fresh air not only because the book takes less traveled roads in telling the story of Mr. Nelson, but also because Touré's research masterfully weaves the testimony of erudite scholars and tell-it-like-it-is folks in the know like self-defined Princeologist ?uestlove and the legendary Leeds brothers - Alan and Eric - who, as Prince's former manager and sax player, respectively, know more than a little bit about what they're talking about.
Touré also picks from past books and magazine articles to feather his nest, including a 1998 Icon Magazine article in which the author himself interviewed Prince.
There's obviously a lot of meat at this buffet, which makes the relative lightness of this meal all the more frustrating. But the author is a man on a mission. He's not interested in giving us a full overview of the man's life, career and output. There are books and web sites and all kinds of other resources for that. Touré is more interested in focusing on the motors that have driven Prince as a creative force for the past 3 or 4 decades: Sexuality, keen marketing skills, and perhaps most importantly, the man's spirituality and religion.
The author strays from his subject more than a few times in order to drive his point home, but it's in an effort to break it down for the reader. We're treated to mini-lectures on generational shifts, Seventh Day Adventist history and the influence of VCRs on pornography in the 80s (among other topics), but it all comes back to how we view Prince and how Prince has viewed the world. It's some fascinating stuff, and not necessarily your typical rock lit fare.
The book stumbles at times when the author tries too hard to make a point, such as when he deconstructs lyrics to their bare atoms when the words speak plainly for themselves. At other times his deconstruction is interesting if not surprising and insightful, but there are times when I as a reader found myself shouting to the text, "okay, fine, I get it, move on already."
Also, there are some fairly glaring factual goofs peppered throughout the book - "A Place in Heaven" is not a song from the Black Album, songs from "Dirty Mind" are erroneously credited to "Controversy", there's no such song as "Reflection of Musicology" - though given most of Touré's pinpoint accuracy in this book, I have to assume this is the result of slipshod proofreading moreso than the author's lack of knowledge. Hopefully these kinks will be worked out in future editions.
For those hungry to go deeper into Prince's songwriting, this is a good starting point. It's nowhere near as comprehensive and all-knowing as to be the answers to every question you may have, but as the man himself once said: "Don't you like surprises?"
Clocking in at under 180 pages, the author merely nicks the surface of this most prolific of veteran recording artists, though the points of entry chosen for this book dig deeper than most quickie bios and muck-raking tell-alls that dare to parade Prince's pomaded puss on the cover.
This is less a biography than a cultural analysis of Prince's persona, and it's a breath of fresh air not only because the book takes less traveled roads in telling the story of Mr. Nelson, but also because Touré's research masterfully weaves the testimony of erudite scholars and tell-it-like-it-is folks in the know like self-defined Princeologist ?uestlove and the legendary Leeds brothers - Alan and Eric - who, as Prince's former manager and sax player, respectively, know more than a little bit about what they're talking about.
Touré also picks from past books and magazine articles to feather his nest, including a 1998 Icon Magazine article in which the author himself interviewed Prince.
There's obviously a lot of meat at this buffet, which makes the relative lightness of this meal all the more frustrating. But the author is a man on a mission. He's not interested in giving us a full overview of the man's life, career and output. There are books and web sites and all kinds of other resources for that. Touré is more interested in focusing on the motors that have driven Prince as a creative force for the past 3 or 4 decades: Sexuality, keen marketing skills, and perhaps most importantly, the man's spirituality and religion.
The author strays from his subject more than a few times in order to drive his point home, but it's in an effort to break it down for the reader. We're treated to mini-lectures on generational shifts, Seventh Day Adventist history and the influence of VCRs on pornography in the 80s (among other topics), but it all comes back to how we view Prince and how Prince has viewed the world. It's some fascinating stuff, and not necessarily your typical rock lit fare.
The book stumbles at times when the author tries too hard to make a point, such as when he deconstructs lyrics to their bare atoms when the words speak plainly for themselves. At other times his deconstruction is interesting if not surprising and insightful, but there are times when I as a reader found myself shouting to the text, "okay, fine, I get it, move on already."
Also, there are some fairly glaring factual goofs peppered throughout the book - "A Place in Heaven" is not a song from the Black Album, songs from "Dirty Mind" are erroneously credited to "Controversy", there's no such song as "Reflection of Musicology" - though given most of Touré's pinpoint accuracy in this book, I have to assume this is the result of slipshod proofreading moreso than the author's lack of knowledge. Hopefully these kinks will be worked out in future editions.
For those hungry to go deeper into Prince's songwriting, this is a good starting point. It's nowhere near as comprehensive and all-knowing as to be the answers to every question you may have, but as the man himself once said: "Don't you like surprises?"
May 26, 2018
I liked this book, pretty much in spite of itself. Skimpily researched, relying on second hand sources for much of its information, and full of those generalizations and leaps of logic which are Toure's stock in trade, it is more of an extended essay than any kind of proper biography. Which was OK. I pretty much knew that going in. The effusive descriptions, bordering on bathos, were a little harder to take. To mimic Toure's use of metaphor, if Prince's music was a meal, rather than hitting you with the specific smells and tastes, the ingredients in the recipes, et al, Toure would probably say something along the lines of: Prince served delicious hors d'oeuvres, a tasty salad plate, an exquisite main course, and a positively scrumptious dessert, crafting what must be considered one of the greatest meals in the history of America.
Yet I bought into Toure's main theses, and was unexpectedly moved by his final paragraph: Prince knocked on America's door, flirted his way inside, told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, let me also tell you about my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.... Which might be as good an epitaph for the man as any.
Yet I bought into Toure's main theses, and was unexpectedly moved by his final paragraph: Prince knocked on America's door, flirted his way inside, told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, let me also tell you about my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.... Which might be as good an epitaph for the man as any.
April 6, 2013
There's a lot of really great, interesting stuff in this book, but it felt like one that could have used a few more drafts. It starts by making an argument that I don't totally agree with, that Prince is the preeminent Generation X icon. The reason I disagree is simply that for post-1993, Prince basically fell off the radar screen, at least in my peer group (early Gen X, white, west coast.) Between changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol, his fights with Warner Brothers (when they wisely told him that releasing a triple CD was perhaps not the smartest move, given that he had basically been releasing an album a year for the past decade and a half, he responded by painting the word “slave” on his face) and much more importantly, releasing music that simply wasn't as compelling as his twelve year run from 1980 to 1992, one of the greatest and most fruitful runs in popular music, Prince didn’t really connect with me and my friends post-1993 (his high-water mark in my personal awareness, when his double-CD greatest hits was in constant rotation at most house parties I attended.) And I don’t think this was just for white folks, I listened to a lot of KMEL 106.1 in the mid/late 90s and don’t recall hearing much, if any, Prince on there, except during the “old school” mix show on Saturday nights—but that was his older stuff, of course.
However, while I may not totally agree with Touré’s thesis, the real problem with the book is that it then, about two thirds of the way through, gets on more fruitful ground when it discusses the religious imagery in Prince’s music, particularly Prince’s background as someone who grew up with Seventh Day Adventist. So, by the end of the book, the Gen X thing is forgotten about. It does feel like Touré started writing one book, discovered another, better one partway through, but didn’t go back and revise (for obvious reasons, perhaps, if you’ve sold a book on one premise, it isn’t really a good idea to deliver a different one.) The book ends up feeling like what it is, an early work by someone who is an accomplished journalist, but not as experienced in crafting a book-length piece.
All that being said, if you’re at all interested in Prince, this book is very worth reading. It’s a fast read, and may even benefit from the subject’s legendary dislike of, well, all human interaction, but especially interviews, in that there’s not so much of a focus on the minutiae of primary material, but instead a reading and understanding of Prince’s extraordinary canon. Make no mistake, Touré knows Prince inside and out. If nothing else, the book made me curious to check out some of Prince’s post-1992 output, so I think the book does achieve at least one of what I guess it’s goal to be, to trigger a re-examination of Prince as a serious artist.
However, while I may not totally agree with Touré’s thesis, the real problem with the book is that it then, about two thirds of the way through, gets on more fruitful ground when it discusses the religious imagery in Prince’s music, particularly Prince’s background as someone who grew up with Seventh Day Adventist. So, by the end of the book, the Gen X thing is forgotten about. It does feel like Touré started writing one book, discovered another, better one partway through, but didn’t go back and revise (for obvious reasons, perhaps, if you’ve sold a book on one premise, it isn’t really a good idea to deliver a different one.) The book ends up feeling like what it is, an early work by someone who is an accomplished journalist, but not as experienced in crafting a book-length piece.
All that being said, if you’re at all interested in Prince, this book is very worth reading. It’s a fast read, and may even benefit from the subject’s legendary dislike of, well, all human interaction, but especially interviews, in that there’s not so much of a focus on the minutiae of primary material, but instead a reading and understanding of Prince’s extraordinary canon. Make no mistake, Touré knows Prince inside and out. If nothing else, the book made me curious to check out some of Prince’s post-1992 output, so I think the book does achieve at least one of what I guess it’s goal to be, to trigger a re-examination of Prince as a serious artist.
June 1, 2014
This book was disappointing. I'm a diehard Prince fan from way back, but even so I think Toure goes a little overboard on the analysis of Prince's songs and his place/role in American culture. I Would Die 4 U puts several of Prince's songs--"1999," "Let's Go Crazy," "Controversy," "Purple Rain"--under a microscope over and over again. The dissection of the lyrics and their meaning becomes repetitious and monotonous. The book is based on Toure's DuBois Lectures at Harvard, and that's kind of what it reads like: an over-analytical lecture; or maybe a thesis. I mention the latter because Toure draws on many, many footnoted sources for information. (Toure's last actual interview with Prince was way back in 1998.)
I was also surprised at the number of typos and instances of missing words I encountered in this book. Did anyone proofread this thing? I would only recommend this book to the most diehard of Prince fans. And even then, it's just "meh."
I was also surprised at the number of typos and instances of missing words I encountered in this book. Did anyone proofread this thing? I would only recommend this book to the most diehard of Prince fans. And even then, it's just "meh."
May 14, 2017
This is definitely not a biography. This is a long essay on how and why Prince is an icon, divided in three section: 1- how divorce effected Gen X and Prince. 2- How Prince used sex persona to market his music. 3- How his music is religiously rooted. The author even claimed that Prince used the sex persona to reach to people (sex sells) and then after he got their attention; he sold them religion.
I Would Die 4 U isn't bad but it isn't great, either. However, it is a bit interesting but I felt like it is, sometimes, all over the place and not deep/logical enough. Be aware that this is strictly for those who are into or familiar with Prince's music.
---
There's this one quotation at the end of the book that frustrated me. "If we look at Michael Jackson and Madonna and other people, they either didn’t have the talent that he did, in the case of Madonna, or they didn’t have the sanity that he did, in the case of Michael Jackson."
How come we refer to Prince as the sane one while Michael Jackson is treated the 'not sane'? They both had almost the same mindset. Both preached spirituality. Both portrayed themselves to be God-like or Jesus-like. Both were great musicians and artists. Both were woke and fought the system. And I can go on forever. To approve of Prince with all his contradictions and consider him sane yet disapprove and question Michael's sanity is hypocrisy and double standards at their worst.
Why do we still believe what the media is trying to feed us; that Michael was not 'sane'?
He was the sane-est artist. He went through hell and still managed to stand strong. He fought back the system that was trying oppress him. He wasn't not sane. He was enlightened. He outsmarted them so they went after him with their false portray of his personality to assassinate his character and integrity, and drive the public away from his (woke)message. Wake up. Go listen to his music in which you'll find why they killed his character and integrity in the mind of the misinformed masses. (key words: HIStory album)
I Would Die 4 U isn't bad but it isn't great, either. However, it is a bit interesting but I felt like it is, sometimes, all over the place and not deep/logical enough. Be aware that this is strictly for those who are into or familiar with Prince's music.
---
There's this one quotation at the end of the book that frustrated me. "If we look at Michael Jackson and Madonna and other people, they either didn’t have the talent that he did, in the case of Madonna, or they didn’t have the sanity that he did, in the case of Michael Jackson."
How come we refer to Prince as the sane one while Michael Jackson is treated the 'not sane'? They both had almost the same mindset. Both preached spirituality. Both portrayed themselves to be God-like or Jesus-like. Both were great musicians and artists. Both were woke and fought the system. And I can go on forever. To approve of Prince with all his contradictions and consider him sane yet disapprove and question Michael's sanity is hypocrisy and double standards at their worst.
Why do we still believe what the media is trying to feed us; that Michael was not 'sane'?
He was the sane-est artist. He went through hell and still managed to stand strong. He fought back the system that was trying oppress him. He wasn't not sane. He was enlightened. He outsmarted them so they went after him with their false portray of his personality to assassinate his character and integrity, and drive the public away from his (woke)message. Wake up. Go listen to his music in which you'll find why they killed his character and integrity in the mind of the misinformed masses. (key words: HIStory album)
February 10, 2016
Questlove says this is the ultimate Prince book... Is that because Questlove is quoted every other page? (Not that that's a problem. Guy is a music encyclopedia and he's got a lot of fun things to say.) "I Would Die 4 U" is not, NOT, a comprehensive look at the man. The concerns here are rarely musical, in fact (Toure pays lip service to Prince's incredible facility with instruments, but most of his analysis focuses on close-reads of lyrics), and the spotlight is primarily on just eight or ten years of Prince's long and zany journey. (Besides, what ultimate Prince book would contain ZERO references to "Forever In My Life"??? GAHHH!) It is, however (as promised by the subtitle), a fairly astute summary of why Prince achieved iconic status. Toure zooms in on three aspects of Prince's career-- his ability to speak to Generation X, his use of "porn chic" to market himself, and his Christianity (the author intriguingly calls him the most significant religious artist of the 20th century). Each of these aspects is fascinating, but each demands a little more insight than Toure provides. Many of these pages feel like sketches for a bigger, better book, one with a greater variety of sources and argumentative threads that don't just end once they're getting good. Still, it's Prince, and Toure's a smart guy, so it's not a total loss.
October 28, 2023
3.5 stars
Some good info, a lot of personal opinions and thoughts- especially on his music. Glad I read it, but will be on the lookout for something else “meatier” about Prince.
Some good info, a lot of personal opinions and thoughts- especially on his music. Glad I read it, but will be on the lookout for something else “meatier” about Prince.
December 23, 2017
My love affair with Prince began the very moment Purple Rain danced across movie screens. I was 12 at the time, much too young to fully understand the underlying sexual message of the music. And perhaps that was the draw. Prince's music at the time was taboo. He presented as someone who was to be secretly enjoyed. You had to be open in order to see past Prince's posturing and facade to understand that really, all he ever wanted to say through his music is that it is okay. It is okay to believe in God. It is okay to be a sexually open individual. Mostly, it is okay to be completely who you are.
This book does a very good job of moving past the music to scratch at the surface of who Prince the man is. Toure's writing at times is annoyingly excited; the book slid into moments of ecstatic fandom which at times was distracting and exhaustive.
My favorite line from the book came on the last page:
"Years before he became a Jehovah’s Witness, Prince knocked on America's door through his music. He came to the door holding a guitar and an umbrella while concealing a Bible. He flirted his way inside the door and told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And, when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, let me also tell you about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
That sums up Prince (both man and musician) perfectly.
This book does a very good job of moving past the music to scratch at the surface of who Prince the man is. Toure's writing at times is annoyingly excited; the book slid into moments of ecstatic fandom which at times was distracting and exhaustive.
My favorite line from the book came on the last page:
"Years before he became a Jehovah’s Witness, Prince knocked on America's door through his music. He came to the door holding a guitar and an umbrella while concealing a Bible. He flirted his way inside the door and told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And, when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, let me also tell you about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
That sums up Prince (both man and musician) perfectly.
November 8, 2016
This is easy enough to flip through one day when you don't have shit else better to do, but it's decidedly half-assed, and it's a wasted opportunity, now that Prince is no longer with us. Granted, Touré didn't have any way of knowing that Price would be dead not too long after this was released. Or did he? LOL
There's some trivia stuff in the first few chapters that's probably not news to any Prince fanatics, but I somehow managed to make it well into my 30s without reading any Prince books. Er, I take that back. I did read that book on Purple Rain not long before I read this. But it seems like I should have read way more of them, given how many books I read.
The later chapters veer off into asinine theorizing about how Gen Xers could relate to Prince because so many of their parents got divorced (I don't blame them!) and this somehow had to do with John Hughes movies? Really, it's not any worse than the million and one thinkpieces that proliferated after his death, about how his true legacy was that he made it ok for black guys to be effeminate, but the thing is you would never pay to read any of those. You wouldn't even read them all the way through for free.
There's some trivia stuff in the first few chapters that's probably not news to any Prince fanatics, but I somehow managed to make it well into my 30s without reading any Prince books. Er, I take that back. I did read that book on Purple Rain not long before I read this. But it seems like I should have read way more of them, given how many books I read.
The later chapters veer off into asinine theorizing about how Gen Xers could relate to Prince because so many of their parents got divorced (I don't blame them!) and this somehow had to do with John Hughes movies? Really, it's not any worse than the million and one thinkpieces that proliferated after his death, about how his true legacy was that he made it ok for black guys to be effeminate, but the thing is you would never pay to read any of those. You wouldn't even read them all the way through for free.
February 27, 2013
I really enjoyed this. The book takes on the conflicting (and conflicted) reports of Prince’s life and tries to decipher just how (and why) he became, and remains, an icon for Generation X.
This wider, social approach to the biography was very appealing. There are a plethora of biographies out there about Prince, so to look at why society decided to embrace him as they did, is a clever move and Touré does it very well.
The book also takes on Prince’s seemingly odd juxtaposing of religion and sex in a lot of his music. Sex and religion on a par in Prince’s world and Touré does a great job examining both.
All in all an interesting, knowledgable, look at not only Prince, but Generation X as a whole.
Review here
This wider, social approach to the biography was very appealing. There are a plethora of biographies out there about Prince, so to look at why society decided to embrace him as they did, is a clever move and Touré does it very well.
The book also takes on Prince’s seemingly odd juxtaposing of religion and sex in a lot of his music. Sex and religion on a par in Prince’s world and Touré does a great job examining both.
All in all an interesting, knowledgable, look at not only Prince, but Generation X as a whole.
Review here
May 15, 2013
When I visited my local library, to my delight and surprise, I came across this book in the new release section.
Being a Gen-X'er who was a rabid Prince fan as a teenager, I have to say that Toure did an awesome job with this analytical essay about Prince (the man, the maestro, the artist, and the public relations magician)..
Although it's not a "tell-all" bio, it does give you a closer look at the inner workings of "His Royal Badness..."
With more people coming out of the shadows to talk about Prince, one has to wonder if Prince has an autobiography in the works.. And if so, will he choose to tell the truth, not his version of the truth, but the whole truth'....
Makes you wonder...
Giving this book 3 1/2 stars...
Being a Gen-X'er who was a rabid Prince fan as a teenager, I have to say that Toure did an awesome job with this analytical essay about Prince (the man, the maestro, the artist, and the public relations magician)..
Although it's not a "tell-all" bio, it does give you a closer look at the inner workings of "His Royal Badness..."
With more people coming out of the shadows to talk about Prince, one has to wonder if Prince has an autobiography in the works.. And if so, will he choose to tell the truth, not his version of the truth, but the whole truth'....
Makes you wonder...
Giving this book 3 1/2 stars...
October 22, 2013
This is one of those books that make you feel like YOU, too, can write a book! From the cliched title to the weak thesis, this book could have been written for a senior assignment in college, i.e., choose one contemporary icon and explain how he or she reflects Generation X. For starters, no one is writing about Gen X, anymore, and secondly, who cares??? Apparently, Toure stopped caring about half-way through because he stopped discussing it. Prince deserves better.
June 16, 2013
Besides some interesting personal notes and song details, Toure's Prince study comes across way too dry and like he's trying way too hard for some insight. For a long stretch at the beginning I felt like I was reading Freakonomics. I feel like this book was like a college student's unruly thesis. I'm bummed that I didn't like this more because I love Prince and I also met Toure' a couple of years ago and he seemed like a cool guy.
May 27, 2016
Meh. I think the author could have done better. There was a lot of theorizing about why Prince became popular in the 80's, some were believable others not so much. He seemed to want to hear himself talk about pop culture history more than about the actual person of Prince. Most of the information on Prince's life could have been found in Wikipedia. Kinda disappointed in this one. Should have known, since it was an "Unauthorized" biography.
June 9, 2016
An informative book, just not written in a way that flowed well for my reading tastes.
May 14, 2019
gives Prince's lyrics and career the frog-in-a-biology-class treatment.
April 20, 2022
Prince is so deep guys
November 18, 2013
This is an insightful critique of Prince and his career. While author Toure, does not succeed in framing Prince as an icon for Generation X he does show how Prince, his music, message and image fit the Gen X zeitgeist.
The argument is developed in three parts. The first, cleverly called “Prince’s Rosebud”, shows how the "Outliers" theory applies to Prince and Gen X. Prince was born at the tail end of the baby boomers which positioned him to have shared experiences with Gen X, but with the “older brother” understanding. For all the events in the lifetime of Gen Xers, Toure poses that none is more formative as divorce. The words from “When the Dove’s Cry” “How can you leave me standing- alone in a world that’s so cold” defines divorce as experienced by kids. Children in intact families experience this too, as a threat to their own homes/security. While Toure defines his theory of Prince as an icon in “Rosebud”, the chapter is stronger as a biographical profile. Interesting to me was how his father, an entertainment professional, participated in his son’s rise.
The sexuality of Prince’s music and performance is discussed in the chapter “King of Porn Chic” as reflecting Gen X’s reduced gender restrictions and its easy to access porn. Here, Toure also discusses the changing role of race and how Prince’s artistic decisions were sometimes marketing decisions. On p. 101, Toure speaks of Prince “casting a band”. By having whites and females in his band he could be a cross-over artist and not plagued by the record companies' Black music ghetto.
While Gen X is not characterized by church going, it uses and responds to non-denominational religious iconography. In “I’m your Messiah” Toure shows why some think that Prince believes his music is a conduit for God’s word. The gospel sound has long been part of the popular culture, but Prince has taken it further by infusing pop, funk and sexually charged music/performance with biblical, and specifically Seventh Day Adventist references.
The book shows how Prince, on his own, from Minneapolis (not NY or LA) planned and executed his career through a strong work ethic, an understanding of his market and his own artistic drive. The book begins as an audience (presumably of boomers), as he opens for Mick Jagger, boos him off the stage. As with Prince not being accepted at first blush, it may be that Toure is correct and some day in the future we will come to think of Prince as an icon.
The argument is developed in three parts. The first, cleverly called “Prince’s Rosebud”, shows how the "Outliers" theory applies to Prince and Gen X. Prince was born at the tail end of the baby boomers which positioned him to have shared experiences with Gen X, but with the “older brother” understanding. For all the events in the lifetime of Gen Xers, Toure poses that none is more formative as divorce. The words from “When the Dove’s Cry” “How can you leave me standing- alone in a world that’s so cold” defines divorce as experienced by kids. Children in intact families experience this too, as a threat to their own homes/security. While Toure defines his theory of Prince as an icon in “Rosebud”, the chapter is stronger as a biographical profile. Interesting to me was how his father, an entertainment professional, participated in his son’s rise.
The sexuality of Prince’s music and performance is discussed in the chapter “King of Porn Chic” as reflecting Gen X’s reduced gender restrictions and its easy to access porn. Here, Toure also discusses the changing role of race and how Prince’s artistic decisions were sometimes marketing decisions. On p. 101, Toure speaks of Prince “casting a band”. By having whites and females in his band he could be a cross-over artist and not plagued by the record companies' Black music ghetto.
While Gen X is not characterized by church going, it uses and responds to non-denominational religious iconography. In “I’m your Messiah” Toure shows why some think that Prince believes his music is a conduit for God’s word. The gospel sound has long been part of the popular culture, but Prince has taken it further by infusing pop, funk and sexually charged music/performance with biblical, and specifically Seventh Day Adventist references.
The book shows how Prince, on his own, from Minneapolis (not NY or LA) planned and executed his career through a strong work ethic, an understanding of his market and his own artistic drive. The book begins as an audience (presumably of boomers), as he opens for Mick Jagger, boos him off the stage. As with Prince not being accepted at first blush, it may be that Toure is correct and some day in the future we will come to think of Prince as an icon.
March 24, 2013
I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon by Touré could have been a pretty straight forward and short book by simply stating that Prince is a musical genius, wore daring fashions, and had a sensuality that attracted both sexes. But, Touré chose to complete a much deeper investigation into what was happening in society during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that made it possible for Prince to make such an impact. It states in the introduction,” The rain is the Zeitgeist. And the person who had the umbrella open before the rain is an icon. That person knew what the generation was feeling before they really knew, before they were able to fully articulate their feelings. When the icon takes their place on the stage they don’t say, “Look at me!” They say, “When they look me, you’ll also be looking at you.” For generation X, one of these icons was Prince.”
I read some of the other reviews on this book and most seem to be disappointed that it was not a biography on Prince’s life. It clearly states in the description of I Would Die 4 U that this is an investigation and is based on research from people that were/are in Prince’s life and some that were in his innermost circle. Touré has done an excellent job of not only exposing Prince’s work ethic and personal demons but I Would Die 4 U goes much deeper in exploring why those of us that are Generation X’ers feel such a connection to Prince.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I read some of the other reviews on this book and most seem to be disappointed that it was not a biography on Prince’s life. It clearly states in the description of I Would Die 4 U that this is an investigation and is based on research from people that were/are in Prince’s life and some that were in his innermost circle. Touré has done an excellent job of not only exposing Prince’s work ethic and personal demons but I Would Die 4 U goes much deeper in exploring why those of us that are Generation X’ers feel such a connection to Prince.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 3, 2013
In exactly 150 pages, Touré posed an enormous thesis: Prince is a cultural icon for Generation X. He did a solid job in explaining who, what why and where defines Generation X and perfectly positions Prince as an odd and but appropriate hero for the generation born roughly between 1961 and 1983. He divides his thesis into three parts: Rosebud (Prince's childhood), Porn Chic (Prince and sex, and the Messiah (Prince and religion). Pretty standard categories to discuss when looking at the work and life of Prince.
As a hardcore and longtime fan who has read most of what is there out about him and has spent quite bit of time with his catalog, I can see that are there very few pieces of new information, but he did present the information that I knew in an interesting and compelling way. His use of the term, "functional orphan" is very tragic and haunting.
At times, the short analysis becomes too reliant on gossip. The section on sex was disappointing in relation to the parables because there are unnamed sources whereas he uses credible sources from the P-camp from years long gone-by in the other sections. And, he was just being shocking in his discussion of Prince's early incest song, "Sister."
Similarly, he stretched a little too much in the religious section, but really did a nice job with song analysis. But probably made the mistake of assuming too much of his work is autobiographical.
Overall, a strong argument and an engaging read. Read it from cover to cover in one sitting.
As a hardcore and longtime fan who has read most of what is there out about him and has spent quite bit of time with his catalog, I can see that are there very few pieces of new information, but he did present the information that I knew in an interesting and compelling way. His use of the term, "functional orphan" is very tragic and haunting.
At times, the short analysis becomes too reliant on gossip. The section on sex was disappointing in relation to the parables because there are unnamed sources whereas he uses credible sources from the P-camp from years long gone-by in the other sections. And, he was just being shocking in his discussion of Prince's early incest song, "Sister."
Similarly, he stretched a little too much in the religious section, but really did a nice job with song analysis. But probably made the mistake of assuming too much of his work is autobiographical.
Overall, a strong argument and an engaging read. Read it from cover to cover in one sitting.
July 10, 2013
Excellent reading for a Gen Xer. Toure weaves the narrative of Prince with that of Gen Xers growing up and coming of age during the time when Prince developed his iconic status.
This is also an important read for anyone involved in branding and identity. Prince in the beginning was an individual very aware of the power of brand/identity and narrative, and built his persona based off of his ability to read society. He could have very easily been the leader of a successful PR firm or thought leader in marketing, but thankfully, he became our Prince.
Lots here for Christians. I'm Catholic, so I'm not sure what offends, but I think that the importance of Christianity/Spirituality in Prince's music is well-developed in this book.
I'm eager to read more Toure.
This is also an important read for anyone involved in branding and identity. Prince in the beginning was an individual very aware of the power of brand/identity and narrative, and built his persona based off of his ability to read society. He could have very easily been the leader of a successful PR firm or thought leader in marketing, but thankfully, he became our Prince.
Lots here for Christians. I'm Catholic, so I'm not sure what offends, but I think that the importance of Christianity/Spirituality in Prince's music is well-developed in this book.
I'm eager to read more Toure.
May 14, 2016
Prince is an artist I enjoyed listening to as a teen growing up in the late 80s. At the time his hyper sexual image both fascinated and intimidated me. While I lost touch w/ Prince's music as an adult, I was profoundly saddened by his sudden death @ age 57.
I Would Die for U left me in awe of his great talent and vision. It gave me an appreciation for what his music meant to my generation. It provides context and depth to an icon who always seemed remote and lonely to me. I pray the afterlife is everything he believed it was.
I Would Die for U left me in awe of his great talent and vision. It gave me an appreciation for what his music meant to my generation. It provides context and depth to an icon who always seemed remote and lonely to me. I pray the afterlife is everything he believed it was.
March 7, 2023
Of all the music bios I've read, this one gave a very balanced picture of the artist, equally calling out his flaws and lauding his wonder. The book ultimately fell short for me though by meandering thru so much talk about Boomers and Gen X and whatnot. Sometimes up to four pages with literally no mention of Prince. For such a short book it wasted a lot of space. Just my opinion...
November 16, 2022
It just...wasn't what I expected or wanted. Shouldn't have expected a full bio with it being only 150 pages. But, I didn't really learn a thing new and there were pages and pages when Prince wasn't even mentioned. When Toure WAS talking about Prince and his music, the words leapt off the page and I was much more interested. But, unfortunately, it really fell short in most ways. I think of this more as a really well written thesis on a theory that Toure has about why Prince is awesome. Shrugs
April 4, 2024
First section incredibly boring, gets better. Don’t personally love the author’s style
February 27, 2017
With only 3 chapters, it reads like a thesis on Prince's cultural impact more than a biography. Great intro ("Prince's Rosebud") and conclusion ("I'm Your Messiah"), but the "meat" ("King of Porn Chic") is a little tough to digest. I highly recommend it to any Prince scholar.
"Imagine America as one house on a suburban lane. Years before he became a Jehovah's Witness, Prince knocked on America's door through his music. He came to the door holding a guitar and an umbrella while concealing a Bible. He flirted his way inside the door and told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And, when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, "Let me also tell you about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
"Imagine America as one house on a suburban lane. Years before he became a Jehovah's Witness, Prince knocked on America's door through his music. He came to the door holding a guitar and an umbrella while concealing a Bible. He flirted his way inside the door and told us he had a dirty mind and was controversial, and then he sat down in the living room on the good couch. And, when America's guard was down, because we thought we were having a conversation about sex, Prince eased out his Bible and said, "Let me also tell you about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
April 27, 2013
Bit of a hard one to judge, this. Let's make it clear that this is not the book you should buy if you want an in-depth overview of Prince's career. Sure, there is some information sprinkled throughout the book, but it covers only a tiny fraction of what you'd expect.
This book is not a traditional biography. Instead it is a well-written analysis of what makes Prince tick, mainly how his relationships with his mother and father influenced him, and what his religious upbringing brings to the table.
If that sounds rather flimsy, you're not wrong. Quite frankly, the book reads as a compilation of expanded essays. That is especially true of the latter part on the impact of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Prince's lyrics, which seemed to repeat the same information over and over again.
That doesn't mean this is a bad book, far from it. Touré is a great writer, and the first part of the book -- which deals with Prince's status of an icon -- contains numerous lines and paragraphs that I highlighted on my Kindle. (Granted, this is less the case for the rest of the book.)
It is however disappointing that Touré has not really managed to unearth much new information. The only real revelation I recall is the section on Prince's sexual predilections (he seems to love bathing women). Certainly he goes far deeper into how Prince's relationships with his parents and his religion has influenced his lyrics, but in the end this is not exactly new information.
Most annoyingly is Touré's habit of referring to some people as experts on Prince (especially ?uestlove) when in reality their insights are often not particularly better informed than most hardcore fans' opinions. I have no doubt that ?uestlove has studied Prince and other artists, but that does not mean that his opinion is necessarily the only valuable viewpoint.
In the end this is a well-intended book that does shed light on several aspects of Prince's career which were lacking a decent write-up. If you seek insight into what drives Prince, you'll find plenty of clues here. Just don't treat everything as gospel and leave room for your own observations and judgments.
This book is not a traditional biography. Instead it is a well-written analysis of what makes Prince tick, mainly how his relationships with his mother and father influenced him, and what his religious upbringing brings to the table.
If that sounds rather flimsy, you're not wrong. Quite frankly, the book reads as a compilation of expanded essays. That is especially true of the latter part on the impact of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Prince's lyrics, which seemed to repeat the same information over and over again.
That doesn't mean this is a bad book, far from it. Touré is a great writer, and the first part of the book -- which deals with Prince's status of an icon -- contains numerous lines and paragraphs that I highlighted on my Kindle. (Granted, this is less the case for the rest of the book.)
It is however disappointing that Touré has not really managed to unearth much new information. The only real revelation I recall is the section on Prince's sexual predilections (he seems to love bathing women). Certainly he goes far deeper into how Prince's relationships with his parents and his religion has influenced his lyrics, but in the end this is not exactly new information.
Most annoyingly is Touré's habit of referring to some people as experts on Prince (especially ?uestlove) when in reality their insights are often not particularly better informed than most hardcore fans' opinions. I have no doubt that ?uestlove has studied Prince and other artists, but that does not mean that his opinion is necessarily the only valuable viewpoint.
In the end this is a well-intended book that does shed light on several aspects of Prince's career which were lacking a decent write-up. If you seek insight into what drives Prince, you'll find plenty of clues here. Just don't treat everything as gospel and leave room for your own observations and judgments.
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