It sounds like Prince really DID drive by Jimmy Jam’s house and yell, “Can you make it funkier than this?!?”
In a recent EBONY article, an old friend and fellow stage performer of Prince came out about old memories and future music from the recently passed star.
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Prince has long been known as a one of the most famous music icons since the 1970’s. But a member of his old band, The Time, has been as close with Prince as the music itself. Jimmy Jam was a high school classmate and old friend that both toured with Prince and helped him produce many of his top hit albums between the seventies and nineties.
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Together with Prince and friend and producer Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam is known and respected as a top music producer and songwriter. Jimmy Jam reflects that none of this would have been possible if it were not for Prince’s hard work ethic, competitive spirit, and striving for excellence. While remembering some of the times shared together, Jimmy Jam said, “Our wings were the knowledge we learned from him. It was very pivotal, our working with him.”
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In fact, both Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were once fired by Prince during their careers with the pop star, only to rejoin him later. One time it is said that Prince drove himself over to Jimmy Jam’s house and yelled out from his car about a song or album, “can you make it funkier than this?!” Jimmy Jam just laughed about this in the interview while reminiscing. He continued to praise Prince’s work ethic by saying “the one thing I took from Prince was really his work ethic. He outworked everybody. He could also see it in you and instill it in you and make you a better performer. Oh, he was the boss.”
For more, check out Ebony.com
Watch TheGrio’s tribute to Prince:
