2. p control (from the gold experience lp, 1995)
one could probably get away with saying that, after the name change, prince suffered from a judgement problem (or, that, indeed, the name change itself was an outgrowth of a latent judgement problem.) namely, he no longer seems to know what makes a great pop single -- and, arguably, that continues to this day with "musicology." to wit: the three singles he selected from the gold experience, his best album of the last 15 years, needed to be edited, the first two because they were long one, the last because it contained a chorus of "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... pussy control... ah" (repeat).

which is not to say that "p control" isn't a great song. given his troubled relationship with rap -- along with reggae, one of two genres he has yet to really assimilate -- "p control" represents an incredible step forward. perhaps this is due to the fact that he's being himself, rather than trying to claim compton roots, and rapping about his kind of girl, a woman who uses what she's got to get just what she wants. as an album opener ("good morning, ladies & gentlemen, boys & motherfuckin' girls, this is your captain with no name speaking and i'm hear to rock your world"), it's ideal; as a single, it was a non-starter.