The Purple One
The Purple One
Prince, Race, Gender, and Everything in Between
Contributions by Cassandra D. Chaney, Shannon M. Cochran, Samuel P. Fitzpatrick, Judson L. Jeffries, Zada Johnson, Tony Kiene, Aaron J. Kimble, Jerod Lockhart, Molly Reinhoudt, Paul N. Reinsch, Laurel Westrup, and Sherman M. White
Prince (1958–2016) looms large in contemporary music history. Despite universal acclaim for his artistry, few scholars and writers have thoroughly treated the underlying ideas expressed in his work or examined his profound impact on popular culture. The Purple One: Prince, Race, Gender, and Everything in Between positions Prince in his proper cultural, political, and social place in history.
Contributors employ a diverse range of approaches to explore the intricate facets of this cultural icon, illuminating the many dimensions of his creative output and legacy. The collection is organized around two central themes that shed light on Prince’s artistry and lasting influence. Moving beyond conventional discussions about Prince and masculinity, part I, “Black Masculinity and Gender Performativity,” delves into less-explored aspects of the artist’s gender-bending persona. Essays in this section cover a slew of fascinating subjects, including Prince’s re-scripting of Black masculinity in the cult classic Under the Cherry Moon and an autoethnographic study of African American father-son relationships in the film Purple Rain. Another essay examines the subversive gender performativity of Prince and frequent collaborator Sheila E.
Part II, “Beauty, Race, and Spirituality,” explores a range of topics present in Prince’s oeuvre, from the sociopolitical contours of his work to his overlooked but significant projects and protégés. Contributors in this section examine Prince’s representations of female beauty, his articulations of urban rage and protest, and his commercially successful but critically overlooked Batman soundtrack. This second installment of the ongoing scholarly project, PrincEnlighteNmenT: A Study of Society through Music, continues to center Prince as a focal point in music scholarship and enhance our understanding of his complex life and work.
One of the few silver linings in the wake of Prince’s tragic 2016 death has been the proliferation of fresh scholarship examining his life and work from a vast range of disciplines and perspectives. If this eclectic volume is any indication, the ‘Prince studies’ renaissance is far from over, with the enclosed essays covering everything from Prince’s oft-overlooked film career—including reevaluations of his 1984 screen debut Purple Rain, his 1986 follow-up Under the Cherry Moon, and his soundtrack for Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster Batman—to his work for protégé artists Sheila E and Denise Matthews (aka Vanity) to his brief but illustrious career as a high school basketball player! Most incredibly of all, as any fan will tell you, there’s still plenty left to explore; here’s hoping that we’ll continue to see this caliber of scholarship on Prince for many years to come.
Judson L. Jeffries is professor of African American and African studies at The Ohio State University-Columbus. He is editor or author of numerous books, including Huey P. Newton: The Radical Theorist and On the Ground: The Black Panther Party in Communities across America, both published by University Press of Mississippi. Shannon M. Cochran is professor in the Department of English and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and coordinator of the African American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies programs at Clayton State University. Molly Reinhoudt is managing editor of Research in African Literatures and Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men in the Department of African American and African Studies at The Ohio State University. Jeffries, Cochran, and Reinhoudt are also coeditors of Feel My Big Guitar: Prince and the Sound He Helped Create, published by University Press of Mississippi.
