Prince Be Of P.M. Dawn Has Died
If you were wearing a karma beads bracelet yesterday and at one point during the day, it broke and the beads went everywhere, this is why. Prince Be (born name: Attrell Cordes), one half of the beyond chill 90s hip hop duo P.M. Dawn, is now setting adrift on a memory bliss. People confirms that Prince Be died yesterday from renal kidney disease at a hospital in his home state of New Jersey. He was only 46 years old. One-time P.M. Dawn member Doc G, who was also Prince Be’s cousin, released this statement about his death on Facebook:
Prince Be Rest In Peace Forever More,
Pain from diabetes can’t harm you anymore,
My Heart is at Peace B-Cuz U suffered so long,
Tell Grandma I said Hi & Stay Blisstatic & Strong. -Love Doc.G
Wikipedia tells me that Prince Be (he’s the one working that purple hoodie and that skipping stone brow) started P.M. Dawn with his brother DJ Minutemix (born name: Jarrett Cordes) in the late 80s and he used money he saved from his job as a security guard at a homeless shelter to make their demos. They were turned down by several major record labels, but were eventually picked up by an indie label. Their first single “Ode to a Forgetful Mind” really didn’t go anywhere in the US, but it did better in the UK and the label who released it there brought them to London to make their debut album.
“Set Adrift On A Memory Bliss” was off of their first album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience, and it was a worldwide hit in 1991. My tween self used to listen to the cassette single on a Walkman while lying on the grass in the front yard with round hologram sunglasses on my face. I thought I was so spiritual and deep and shit. I didn’t know what weed was back then, but if I knew that something called “weed” could make your spirit slow dance with the clouds, I’d probably try to smoke actually weeds while listening to P.M. Dawn so that I could bliss all the way out.
Before they put out their second album, they did the song “I’d Die Without You” for the Boomerang soundtrack in 1992 and that also became a worldwide hit. I’m sure every trick danced to that on their wedding day. P.M. Dawn released a few more albums, but eventually stopped when Prince Be suffered a stroke that left half of his body paralyzed.
Prince Be is survived by his wife Mary and their three children: Christian, Mia and Brandon.
Rest in bliss, Prince Be.
Pic: Getty