What makes an artist? Is it the practice, demonstration, and creation of art as we perceive it? Or is it the expression of the inner self through painting, music, dance, fashion, and any other form of artistic medium? In entertainment, an artist can be loosely defined as a performer who can sing, play music, act, and entertain our senses. While normal people consider tasks as mere tasks, artists consider a speciality in a particular task, knowledge, and skill as forms of artistic expression. Hence, while many are called cooks, few are considered chefs. While some practice Martial Arts, others define themselves as Martial Artists. And while the music industry has pop icons, only a handful are destined for legendary status. The artist formerly and currently known as Prince happens to be one of those living legends who still resides among us. It’s hard to imagine that after over three decades in the music industry, while many so-called musical talents have come and gone, he continues to create music as he sees fit, answering only to his own insatiable desire for artistic expression. Yet, one doesn’t have to be from his generation to appreciate his contributions to music and American culture in general. With an open mind, it’s easy to grasp a hint of his greatness, even without fully understanding his unpredictable style and non-mainstream approach to music. Certainly, both his persona and music has been considered controversial by popular standards. Sparking criticism from the prevailing mainstream culture which, from the get-go, was far from ready to accept his sideshow acts on or off stage, even being boo’ed in the opening act of a Rolling Stones concert back in the days. Prince personifies individuality without compromise, coupled with artistic passion that dictates how his music is created, regardless of how the public perceives him to be. Nowadays, he continues to cement his artistic presence by giving us his unique take on life, sensuality, love, joy, and the higher power.
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