Music for this blog entry: A couple of songs sharing the joy of music. The first by sister Esperanza Spaulding, the second my Mayer Hawthorne.

Losing Prince is to lose the person behind some of my most memorable moments while I was in my very early 20s. I remember hearing “Head” for the first time on the first day of my college life on the east coast. Or how many times we played Darling Nikki on the record player in a friends dorm room at Boston Univ. Or how “Erotic City” was the game changer at MIT’s Chocolate City parties back then

Prince and many others provided the sound track at important touch points throughout my life. Artists like Prince were able to produce more art because they were paid for their efforts. It’s something we need to remember in the “everything should be free on the internet era”. Try to imagine your life without the work of people like Prince and those in who produce other art forms. I am betting it would not be nearly as rich.

If you aren’t doing so already.Use Prince’s memory to motivate you in actually materially supporting  music and other art as opposed to acquiring them for free.

For those of us in communities of color maybe it’s time we lead by example and show the world how we commit  to enabling our incredible artists with material support .I’d rather that then a gazillion more average or even exceptional  “Software language or Framework du jour”  coders… Wouldn’t you ?

All 7 and we’ll watch them fall

They stand in the way of love

And we will smoke them all

With an intellect and a savoir-faire

No one in the whole universe

Will ever compare

I am yours now and u are mine

And together we’ll love through

All space and time, so don’t cry

One day all 7 will die

All 7 and we’ll watch them fall

They stand in the way of love

And we will smoke them all

With an intellect and a savoir-faire

No one in the whole universe

Will ever compare

I am yours now and u are mine

And together we’ll love through

All space and time, so don’t cry

One day all 7 will die

And I saw an angel come down unto me

In her hand she holds the very key

Words of compassion, words of peace

And in the distance an army’s marching feet (1,2,3,4 – 1,2,3,4)

But behold, we will watch them fall

And we lay down on the sand of the sea

And before us animosity will stand and decree

That we speak not of love only blasphemy

And in the distance, 6 others will curse me

But that’s alright, (that’s alright)

4 I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

All 7 and we’ll watch them fall

They stand in the way of love

And we will smoke them all

With an intellect and a savoir-faire

No one in the whole universe

Will ever compare

I am yours now and u are mine

And together we’ll love through

All space and time, so don’t cry

One day all 7 will die

[(Just how old)]

And we will see a plague and a river of blood

And every evil soul will surely die in spite of

Their 7 tears, but do not fear

4 in the distance, 12 souls from now

U and me will still be here – we will still be here

There will be a new city with streets of gold

The young so educated they never grow old

And a, there will be no death 4 with every breath

The voice of many colors sings a song

That’s so bold

Sing it while we watch them fall

All 7 and we’ll watch them fall

They stand in the way of love

And we will smoke them all

With an intellect and a savoir-faire

No one in the whole universe

Will ever compare

I am yours now and u are mine

And together we’ll love through

All space and time, so don’t cry

One day all 7 will die

(Just how old)

(Just how old)

(Just how