Friday, the music world lost another legend when Prince Be died from complications with renal kidney disease. As one half of the rap duo P.M. Dawn, Prince Be helped define the sound of the genre in the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially on their debut release, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience.
In the wake of the stunning news, the following statement was shared on P.M. Dawn's official Facebook page.
Following that, a number of major music luminaries took to social media to express their grief over Prince Be's far-too-early passing.
Roots drummer Questlove went deep, writing that he, "coulda been hip hop's Brian Wilson. Eccentric. Rich. Textured. Talented. A Sad Beauty. Melancholy....Genius? 3 Dimensional?"
Chris Rock paid tribute in his own irreverent style saying that, "I'm not gonna be crazy and compare him to prince or Bowie. But the guy made some pretty good music. "I'd die without you " is a great song."
While Justin Timberlake jumped in to add, "Gone too soon. RIP, good sir. You are a huge influence on me and so many."
Wow, Prince Be??? This year is crazy.
Gone too soon. RIP, good sir. You are a huge influence on me and so many.#RIPPrinceBe
Here are some more tributes to the Prince Be that really reveal the cross-genre impact of his art.
"Is it my turn to wish you were lying here?" -one of the best opening lyrics ever.
RIP Prince Be.
Thx for expanding the sound of hip-hop.