Prince’s estate blessed fans on Thursday with the previously unreleased single “Born 2 Die.”
Despite becoming a cultural icon, Prince was still subjected to critiques and criticism before his death. During a speech, Dr. Cornel West stated that Prince was “no Curtis Mayfield,” which prompted the singer to create a soul-infused track that tells the story of people trying to survive through poverty.
“We got to ‘Born 2 Die,’ and Prince said, ‘I’ll tell you how that came about,’” one of the song’s producers, Morris Hayes, revealed. “He had been watching videos of his friend Dr. Cornel West on YouTube, and during one speech Dr. West said, ‘I love my brother Prince, but he’s no Curtis Mayfield.’ So Prince said, ‘Oh really? We will see.’”
“Born 2 Die” will appear on Prince’s Welcome 2 America album. Like the majority of the project, the single was recorded in 2010. The song and album are cultural looks at a country experiencing the first year with its first Black president. Welcome 2 America is Prince’s first complete studio album since his passing in 2016. “Born 2 Die” follows the title track, which was released in April. Welcome 2 America will be released from the singer's vault on July 30.
Listen to Prince’s new single “Born 2 Die” above.
