Prince and Warner Brothers Records

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the various ways that Prince was made subservient to contractual demands by the major recording company, Warner Brothers. It discusses the extent of Prince's contractual obligations and examines how they virtually entrapped him into an epic decade long contract. The paper then looks at how this contract limited his ability to make profits off of his albums sales.

From the Paper:

"In conclusion, the record industry hegemony of Warner Brothers acted as an agent of corporate greed, which disallowed Prince to make the money he surely deserved. This type of corporate hegemony also forced Prince to sign long term record deals, which virtually enslaved the artist under restrictive and non-profitable conditions. This study also briefly shows the independent business side of Prince that provides the reasons why prince had chosen to reject the terms provided in his contracts. Furthermore, Prince would often be categorized as "black music", which was a part of the racist hegemony of the record companies to pigeonhole artists into narrow categories. Prince decided to resist and deny this type of limited identity, defining his rebellious role as a subservient artist beneath the corporate hegemony of Warner Brothers records."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cohen, Warren. "Prince on the Web like It's 1999." 2006. Warren Cohen.com. 10 July. 2006. <http://wjcohen.home.mindspring.com/insideclips/prince.htm>
• Hahn, Alex. Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2003.

More papers on Prince and Warner Brothers Records:

• Analytical Essay # 130630 : "Prince and the Oppressive Hegemony of Warner Brothers Records"
• Book Review # 136820 : "'The Prince' and Governance"
• Analytical Essay # 123708 : "'The Little Prince' and Messages"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: