Dig If You Will the Picture: Funk, Sex, God and Genius in the Music of Prince

Ben Greenman

April 11, 2017

Dig if You Will the Picture: Funk, Sex, God and Genius in the Music of Prince is an exploration of music’s most prolific and enigmatic artist, Prince. Written by Ben Greenman, an acclaimed music journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author, the book examines the life and music of Prince from the early days to his untimely death in 2016. Through a mix of interviews, illustrations and photographs, Greenman looks at how Prince defied trends, expectations and genre boundaries in order to create something powerfully unique. Starting in 2000, when Prince began to reassert his influence as a musical iconoclast, the book looks at the man behind the persona and explores his beliefs, his drive and his legacy. In addition to his musical contributions, the reader also learns more about his fight for creative control, including his disagreements with record companies, the decline of the industry, and his ultimate activism. The book also looks at how Prince employed fashion and lifestyle to create an image almost as powerful as his music. The book displays a respect and admiration for Prince’s tenacity, will to excel and openness to experiment. While this book does not shy away from the darker points in Prince’s life, it is also a celebration of a man who kept pressing boundaries and pushing himself to greater and greater heights. With Dig if You Will the Picture, Greenman has created an in-depth portrait of a true innovator in the music industry, and the lasting impact his creation has had.