Prince and Dr. Cornel West address the Man

[Contributor Casey Dolan knows a truly funky thing when he hears it:]

Following Buzz Bands' exclusive on his Purple Majesty, here is "Dear Mr. Man," an ingenious mix of soul and polemic from Prince and Dr. Cornel West that harks back to the days of Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets. There's more than a healthy dollop of simmering funk. Dig those delicious, understated horn charts and Prince's slinky vocals. West, a Princeton professor of Religion and African American Studies, has brought together a hodge-podge of talent -- Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest and Jill Scott among others -- to address the issues facing a black person in America today. The forum is the CD, "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations," to be released Aug. 14 in partnership with West's Black Men Who Mean Business (BMWMB). The link is only streamable at present.

||| Listen to "The Man."

Photo from Dr. Cornel West