Prince's Minneapolis

Name: Prince's Minneapolis
Brand: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
Price: 74.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

A Biography of Sound and Place

By: Rashad Shabazz

Write A Review

Paperback | 17 February 2026

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Paperback

$74.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $18.75 with

or

Available: 17th February 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

When nineteen-year-old Prince took the stage to perform "I Wanna Be Your Lover" on American Bandstand, those who watched couldn't reconcile how Prince's funky disco-pop sounds had hailed from a place like Minneapolis. But the Minneapolis Sound, Prince's signature pop-musical fusion of funk, R & B, rock, punk, and new wave, did not emerge from a vacuum. The place and space of Minneapolis shaped the musical ecosystem that made Prince famous. And in turn, a complex array of social forces shaped the city's soundscape. An expert on place, race, and culture, geographer Rashad Shabazz reveals the hidden history of the Minneapolis Sound, Prince, and his beloved city. More than a biography of Prince, this is a biography of the city and the world of sound from which Prince emerged. Shabazz traces the history of the Minneapolis Sound alongside the city's history, from colonial contact and through periods of Indigenous removal, white settlement, mass migration, industrialization, music education, suburbanization, and systemic racism. This complex history, combined with the exceptional talent cultivated in Minneapolis's small Black communities, gave rise to a groundbreaking genre, the otherworldly legend that was Prince, and music that captivated the world.

Industry Reviews

"A revelatory exploration of early Minneapolis history and music education in the city's public schools. This is the first biography of Prince to trace the origins of his music so far back in time in so much detail."-Andrea Swensson, author of Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.