With the outcry about Prince's estate taking down unauthorized fan merch, commentary on what Prince should or shouldn’t have released, or even fiery opinions about “what he would have wanted”, there is important historical context that should be explored. With special guest Anjali Vats, we place Prince's crusade for the control of his own intellectual property in context with the historical struggle of Black people and their agency or lack thereof over their own bodies and bodies of work.
In this episode, we conclude this two part discussion this time examining three areas : "The Mandingo Factor", "The Cool Factor" and "The Tragic Figure". Guests : Kamillah Cummings, Erica Thompson and Tonya Pendleton.
Commentary around Prince often notes his “magical” quality as he seemed to be someone who defied definition or even understanding. In this 2-part episode, we thread the connotation of the word “magic” through the trope of the “magical Negro” to weave a nuanced conversation exploring Prince’s embodiment of Black exceptionalism. Guests : Kamillah Cummings, Erica Thompson, Tonya Pendleton
Muse 2 the Pharaoh returns with special guest Janelle Bellgrave of So Above. She is an astrologer, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, clairvoyant intuitive, and meditation instructor. In this episode, we discuss Prince’s Natal (Birth) chart to explore what the stars have to say about the story of Prince’s life.
It’s been about 4 years since we lost Prince and we’re still finding our way in how to navigate as a fandom without him. In this episode, we reach outside the purple bubble to connect with another fandom that has been dealing with this for over a decade now. With special guest MJFANGIRL, we discuss what it’s like to support the legacies of Prince and Michael Jackson.
What did you just feel? What is it about Prince that makes us so suspicious of the women in his life? Why are some ladies celebrated while others are disparaged? Why aren’t Prince’s later associates not also allowed to be multi-dimensional? We have a discussion about the prejudice against women in the purple world and explore the artistry of his later proteges, muses, and associates.
In this special #LessonsFromTheProfessor episode, the ladies give advice about how to woo women, citing lessons from a one Professor Nelson.
Racism is a system of advantage based on race and supported by institutions, policies and practices that benefit dominant groups and disadvantage subdominant groups. It is a social expression of power and privilege. Today on Muse, we discuss systemic racism, what that REALLY looks like, and how it is reflected in the purple fandom.
It’s the one year anniversary of Muse 2 the Pharaoh! The ladies get together to talk Celebration and revisiting where they are in processing the loss of Prince, 3 years later. Questions to think about as we move into year 3 as discussed in this episode : 1. We are 3 years post “duckout” now. Has your consumption of Prince changed since he first transitioned? If so, how? 2. How engaged are you with the Prince fandom these days? 3. How do you feel the estate is doing with promoting him/releasing music? 4. What is his impact as a MAN on you now vs when he first ducked out? 5. If you had to introduce Prince to a young person who had never heard of him before, how would you do it? 6. What have been some of the longer term effects of changes you have made in yourself that might have been kicked off by P passing away?
Darling Nisi chats with Dr. Margena Christian, former Senior Editor and Senior Writer for Ebony magazine and former features editor for Jet magazine. She shares stories about her time at these publications promoting Prince, The Original 7ven (Formerly Known as The Time), and other tidbits about working for these historical publications. Jet Magazine : Prince Royal Rocker Still Reigns After 25 Years of Music Jet Magazine : Prince Continues His Purple Reign at 50 Holding Court : The Gift Prince’s Mother Bestowed Upon Him Ebony Magazine : The Time : 30 Years Later
BATDANCE, a 2-day Prince Batman Soundtrack Symposium, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Prince’s 11th album, The Batman Soundtrack March 29 & 30th at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. We talk to De Angela Duff, organizer of the symposium about the event and how it came to be. Find out more about the event!
There’s a common trope that Prince “transcended race” which is a tricky concept, mostly due to the fact that “race” is not something that can be overcome. Today Darling Nisi and guest Erica Thompson focus on the context of Prince as a Black man in America and how that may have influenced his decisions as an artist as he moved in his career.
There has been an upswing of awareness about the purple one and his relationships with younger women due to recent developments in pop culture. The ladies consider cultural and personal bias in an honest, nuanced conversation in how they reconcile difficult discussions about their hero.
“My life changed when Prince died” that sounds…a little strange right? Why would that even the be case? Why does Prince have any sort of impact on the way I live my life? Are we fanatics? Obsessed? Is it hero worship? Is he our friend? What is this? The ladies discuss conscious and unconscious motivations in being a Prince fam.
In this special episode, the Muse ladies continue a series on Prince and race, Planting Flags in the Funk : The Aunties. The roundtable discusses post Purple Rain, Prince in Minneapolis, a special online encounter, and dealing with the loss of Prince.
In this special episode, the Muse ladies begin a series on Prince and race, Planting Flags in the Funk. They start with part one of a roundtable of “aunties” who were there from day 1, watching Prince grow as an artist through the lens of young Black girls, teens, and later women.
The 90’s were a contentious time for The Professor and his fams alike! The ladies get into favorite albums, songs and moments and discuss the controversy around the music of this time.
Darling Nisi chats it up with Marilynn McNair as she shares stories from her time as a secretary in WB’s Black Music department in the 80’s.
The ladies get into why they enjoy Prince and discuss particularly inspiring moments and experiences in watching him work. Note : May not be appropriate for younger ears.
Paisley regular Samantha M and new PodcastJuice contributor Chloe Calvin share lessons and insights gleaned from their mentor, Prince.