I Wonder U: How Prince Went beyond Race and Back

Nama, Adilifu

ISBN 10: 1978805179 / ISBN 13: 9781978805170

Published by Rutgers University Press, 2019

ATTN: EX-LIBRARY COPY>>> Former Library book. hardcover The item is fairly worn but still readable. Signs of wear include aesthetic issues such as scratches, worn covers, damaged binding. The item may have identifying markings on it or show other signs of previous use. May have page creases, creased spine, bent cover or markings inside. Packed with care, shipped promptly. Seller Inventory # W-004-2385

Synopsis:

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In 1993, Prince infamously changed his name to a unique, unpronounceable symbol. Yet this was only one of a long string of self-reinventions orchestrated by Prince as he refused to be typecast by the music industry's limiting definitions of masculinity and femininity, of straightness and queerness, of authenticity and artifice, or of black music and white music.
 
Revealing how he continually subverted cultural expectations, I Wonder U examines the entirety of Prince's diverse career as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, record label mogul, movie star, and director. It shows how, by blending elements of R&B, rock, and new wave into an extremely videogenic package, Prince was able to overcome the color barrier that kept black artists off of MTV. Yet even at his greatest crossover success, he still worked hard to retain his credibility among black music fans. In this way, Adilifu Nama suggests, Prince was able to assert a distinctly black political sensibility while still being perceived as a unique musical genius whose appeal transcended racial boundaries.

About the Author: ADILIFU NAMA is a professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He has written numerous books about the intersection between African American Studies and pop culture, including Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes and Race on the QT: Blackness and the Films of Quentin Tarantino.

Bibliographic Details

Title: I Wonder U: How Prince Went beyond Race and ...
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Publication Date: 2019
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Acceptable