Weezy, Beyonce or Kanye: 25 Years After Purple Rain—Whose Movie Would You Watch Today?

By admin
Jul 27, 2009
3:03 pm

Prince was a star before 1984’s Purple Rain. He had been burning up the funk/R&B charts since his 1978 debut, when he was heralded as the heir apparent to funk wild man Rick James. He experienced his first real album success with 1980’s Dirty Mind and broke through to pop audiences with 1982’s 1999. The musical genius and pop iconoclast had already garnered a number of hits, but the Purple Rain album and film of the same name vaulted him to the forefront of music’s elites. In the mid-80s only Michael Jackson and Madonna occupied the same rarified air as The Purple One. The film, a pseudo-biography directed by Albert Magnoli, only aided in the myth-making of the diminutive singer and songwriter from Minneapolis. Twenty-five years later, packed screenings all over the country prove that the people are still enthralled by the music and always entertaining (if somewhat campy) storyline.

Since Purple Rain’s phenomenal success, a handful of artists have tried to duplicate it. Though there have been a few successes (Eminem’s 8 Mile) most have failed miserably— as evidenced by the colossal failures of films like Mariah Carey’s Glitter. It could be argued that in this age of reality TV and 24-hour Twitter updates, it’s impossible for an artist to craft a phony biopic without the audience being able to see through the façade.

But, which of today’s chart-toppers could pull off telling a fictionalized version of their rise to fame?

The Story of Sasha Fierce
Starring: Beyonce

Bey has a leg up on the competition in that she has already crafted a fictionalized alter-ego. Throw in Zoe Saldana and Joy Bryant as Michelle and Kelly from Destiny’s Child, cast Laurence Fishburne as Matthew Knowles and we smell a box office hit.

Through the Wire
Starring: Kanye West

Kanye’s story is ready-made for film. Nerdy beat maker survives a life threatening car accident to become one of the biggest stars on his planet. His ego becomes overblown, experiences more personal tragedy before re-emerging with his ego still overblown.

Mr. Carter
Starring: Lil Wayne

The child of a broken home becomes a rap star before he can drive, develops an unhealthy father-son relationship with his label chief, starts popping pills and rapping about being an alien and becomes the biggest star in the industry. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Ving Rhames as Baby and Lauren London as — well Lauren.