The Game Releases “Rest In Purple,” A Powerful Tribute Song To Prince (Audio)

Over the course of the next several weeks, there are going to be a slew of tributes to Prince, who passed away suddenly yesterday (April 21) at the age of 57. They will come in all forms, from all walks of like, as his influence transcended genre, race, gender and seemingly every other category set up to divide us. One of the first tributes to emerge in the Hip-Hop space is from The Game. While he may not be the first person to come to mind when one thinks of Prince fans, one listen to “Rest In Purple” makes it clear that Game’s love and respect for Prince Rogers Nelson and his craft is very real.

In verse one of the song, which is set to a track that draws on elements of “When Doves Cry,” Game views Prince’s death through a wider lens and applies it to many of the legends we’ve lost tragically and far too soon, over the past decade, including Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Like many who grew up with these icons, Game reflects that Prince’s death has caused him to acknowledge his own mortality. During his next verse, Game deftly weaves together several references to Prince songs to describe his mourning. Rather than coming off as cliche or overly clever, the stanza is powerful, both in terms of the sentiment it conveys, but also because of the underlying depth of knowledge of Prince and his music that it signals. Game saves his last verse for his own personal farewell to the legend who touched so many lives. “Rest In Purple.”

Related: Celebrate The Life & Legacy Of Prince With This Mix Of Deep Cuts & Rarities (Audio)