The Prince and I: How Prince Helped This School Founder Get His Start in Hip Hop
鈥楾he experience of a lifetime鈥�: David Ellis explains how Prince helped him find his footing in the music business.
David 鈥淭.C.鈥� Ellis is known today as an educator and a school founder 鈥� he launched St. Paul鈥檚 High School for the Recording Arts in 1996. But back in the day, he was a rapper. Being friends with Prince since childhood, Ellis hounded the star to give him a chance as a rapper. Prince threatened to have a bodyguard break his legs if Ellis bothered him again
鈥淚 said, 鈥楯ust open up the door, I can get in myself,鈥欌�� Ellis remembered.
Prince finally relented, and Ellis wrote and performed in “Graffiti Bridge,” the sequel to “Purple Rain.”
鈥淚t was just the experience of a lifetime.鈥�
Extra credit is a series where 社区黑料鈥檚 video team shares interesting tidbits that didn鈥檛 make the final cut. Watch the full documentary about Ellis鈥檚 school, which uses hip hop to engage who have struggled in traditional schools: Hip Hop Is Saving Teen Lives in Minnesota
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