Prince Be

Born Attrell Cordes, Jr. on May 15, 1970 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the rapper and vocalist was better known as Prince Be – and sometimes Prince Be the Nocturnal – and was one of the founders of hip-hop outfit P.M. Dawn. As a solo artist, he is known for the single “Gotta Be… Movin’ On Up” (featuring Ky-Mani), taken from the soundtrack to the 1998 motion picture Senseless. Formed in 1988, P.M. Dawn was comprised of brothers Attrell and Jarrett Cordes (AKA DJ Minutemix). They are best known for their 1991 hit “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”, which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and entered the Top 10 in the UK, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and other countries. The song features a sample of Spandau Ballet’s “True”, originally a hit single in 1983. P.M. Dawn released their first single, “Ode To A Forgetful Mind”, in 1989. They didn’t achieve massive success until the release of their Gee Street Records debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience, in 1991. They became a crossover sensation, appealing to hip-hop and pop fans alike. The album reached Number 8 in the UK and Number 48 in the U.S. Their second album, The Bliss Album…? was released in 1993. The duo’s third album, Jesus Wept, was not as successful as the first two and only two singles were released from the album. In 1997, Prince Be collaborated with Ky-Mani on the single “Gotta Be… Movin’ On Up”, which used a sample from Imagination’s “Just An Illusion”. The song was recorded for the motion picture Senseless, which was released in 1998. P.M. Dawn’s fourth album, 1998’s Dearest Christian, I’m So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here, Love, Dad, failed to chart and the duo left Gee Street Records. In 2000, the duo released their fifth album, Fucked Music, independently. Prince Be then spent the next few years writing and producing other artists. Prince Be, who dealt with numerous health issues over the years including diabetes, suffered a stroke in 2005. Prince Be died of renal disease on June 17, 2016.

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