Here is a nice black-and-white video for the song "Wichita" by the young rapper XV, who is from Wichita, Kansas. The song is good, though I wish XV had done a little more with the chorus. The star producer Just Blaze, who is most famous for his work with Jay-Z, constructed the beat for XV's song using samples of the classic pop standard "Wichita Lineman" as recorded by Johnny Harris and the Dells. READ MORE

And here is Beyoncé covering Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" (and Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire" (whatever)) this weekend. She's been doing this on tour for a bit (and covering Prince for a couple of years, and of course she performed "Purple Rain" with him in 2004) but this is the first really stellar recording of this; I would describe this as LIFE-CHANGING. Stop work, put your headphones on, etc. I do wish she hadn't switched the genders in the lyrics though. (via, previously)

This is about a month old, but today happens to be Friday so I am not gonna worry too much about issues of novelty. Anyway, here is Mr. Costello performing the Prince classic "Purple Rain." Enjoy! [Via]

"Happy 53rd Birthday, Prince Rogers Nelson. You are definitely one of the world’s 'Favorite Blacks.' We know this not because of all the joy your music has brought your millions of fans. But because in 1985 you and your band, the Revolution, were presented the honor 'Favorite Black Album' at the American Music Awards (by Huey Lewis and Madonna, no less). The irony of this is that you didn’t even win that award for your raw-as-hell The Black Album (which didn’t come out till a few years later and scared all your pop fans who never heard Dirty Mind; we had to buy that shit on a bootleg cassette behind the counter at an 8th Street head shop like it was contraband). You won it for Purple Rain." READ MORE

Oh, excellent! The beloved golden-era rap duo Nice & Smooth have filmed a video for their 1989 classic, "No Delayin'," which samples Prince's "Starfish and Coffee," and Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'." Big Daddy shows up in the new clip. Prince, surprisingly, does not. No matter, though, this song is so great, there's no way it could ever be anything but right on time.

Today's reason to hate myself: for missing Prince play "Crazy" with his opening act Cee-Lo at Madison Square Garden last night. God, that guitar! (This video will disappear soon too, because Prince, copyright, etc. Which is funny, since this isn't even his song!)

● ?uestlove
● Dr. Cornel West
● Naomi Campbell
● Tavis Smiley
● Jamie Foxx
● Whoopi Goldberg
● Spike Lee
● Sherri Shepherd
● Alicia Keys
● John Leguizamo
● Guy in Steelers jersey who was quite possibly a Steeler READ MORE

Man, what a storm! The howling wind woke me up at 5 o'clock this morning, and then I couldn't go back to sleep. So, maybe because I still had Merry Clayton's gale of a voice in mind, I made a list of songs that fit the scene. Nothing else to do today but watch the videos. Certainly, no one should go outside. READ MORE

What is the most challenging song to cover in the history pop music? Prince's "When Doves Cry" might get my vote. READ MORE

Did you know you needed to hear a mashup of "Running Up That Hill" and "Sign o' the Times"? (Historians of the 80s will know, of course, that Kate Bush is Prince's "favorite woman," and will already have both their collaborations, "My Computer" and "Why Should I Love You?") (via, via)