Spike Lee throws #PrincePartyBK in Bed Stuy

The Symbol Prince created to represent himself to show neutrality in gender. According to a Rolling Stone article, In 1993, Prince was fed up with his Warner Bros label. They wanted him to release fewer CDs as to not flood the market and they could promote him better. Warner Bros would not let Prince out of his contract, but he could change his name to an unpronounceable symbol, largely to mess with them. Journalists started calling him “the artist formerly known as Prince,” but went back to Prince when his Warner contract expired in 2000. During that time, his new music sales slowed down significantly, but he still managed to get his point across. Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-25-boldest-career-moves-in-rock-history-20110318/prince-changes-his-name-to-an-unpronounceable-symbol-

Filmmaker, Spike Lee, walking around among the crowd taking pictures of people at his Born Day Prince Party at the Bed Stuy Restoration Center on Fulton and Marcy Ave yesterday. Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut with She’s Gotta Have It (1986), and has since directed such films as Do the Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), The Original Kings of Comedy (2000), 25th Hour (2002), Inside Man (2006), and most recently Chi-Raq (2015). Lee has acted in ten of his own films. Lee’s movies have focused on such topcs as race relations, colorism in the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has received two Academy Award nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize-Wikipedia

A shot of Lees sneakers at the event yesterday.

Plenty of vendors, this one selling Spike Lee backpacks!

Princes Born Day will be Tues June 7th. Spike Lee had one party for Prince in the streets of Greenpoint BK in April which drew a large crowd. Yesterday drew hundreds of Prince fans to the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

A vendor on the Sidewalk of Fulton at Marcy Ave selling Prince T shirts outside the Bed Stuy Restoration Plaza

Lee giving the crowd an opportunity to do their best Prince voice while their image was projected on the screen on the stage. Prince music was the order of the day at the Bed Stuy restoration plaza in Brooklyn yesterday for Prince Born Day Party

Prince fan holding up picture of Prince wit the words ADORE next to the symbol Prince created at the Prince Born Day Party yesterday in Bed Stuy thrown by filmmaker Spike Lee.

PURPLE was the recommended attire for yesterdays Prince Born Day party which is Tues June 7th. People came dressed as their icon or wearing shirts with his image, purple hats, purple lipstick holding signs reading, Nothing Compares To You and Adore.

Even Security was Purple

Fan holding up tamborine with background of stage with hashtag #PrincePartyBK

“You all came to celebrate Prince today? Will you celebrate him tomorrow? Will you celebrate him next week? Will you celebrate him next year? Will you celebrate him the rest of your life?” TV host Sway Calloway asked the crowd and to sway their arms during one of Princes slower songs. .

Spike Lee and Sway Calloway

Sway Calloway and Spike Lee. Lee holding up tamborine with Prince symbol on it.

Side of Bed Stuy Restoration baring signs of Black Lives Matter and Banners of Eric Garner who was killed when NYPD police Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chock hold July 17th 2014.

Banner of Akai Gurley outside the Bed Stuy Restoration plaza yesterday during Price Born Day party.

The Reverend Al Sharpton seen exiting the event was heard to have said, “As one who knew him for many years, I told Spike maybe he left ’cause he heard there was a jam session. And Prince has heated up the band on the other side. And somewhere I see Ali waving his hands saying ‘Purple Rain, Purple Rain.” They’re having a big jam session.”

Spike Lee throws #PrincePartyBK in Bed Stuy

Author: Cat April Watters

Authors