Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on 2026-10-31
André Cymone wants you to tune in to what he has to say for a moment. The Minneapolis sound pioneer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has long believed that protest music does not need to be dour to be effective; joy, movement, and celebration lift spirits and restore resolve. Now, once again, he believes it is time for people to rise and make their voices heard.
His new song, “All Rise,” brings together the funk-driven musical tradition he helped establish with a message about political expression, civic participation, and the power of music to encourage independent thought.
Listen to André Cymone's “All Rise”
Cymone shares:
“I know people often say artists and musicians should stay out of politics, but the existence of creative expression is like Kryptonite to authoritarianism. The ability for art and music to nurture independent thought and inspire us to recognize our shared identity holds more power than any corrupt regime could ever dream of having. Their power is dependent on fear and division.
Our vote is our voice. With Masked men with immunity grabbing citizens off the streets, remember that today it’s ‘them’, tomorrow it’s you. I wrote a song for all of us and this moment, I hope it inspires you to go vote and get your kids, your Nieces, Nephews, Grandkids if they’re old enough. This is my call to everyone. All Rise. White, Black Puerto Rican better use your Vote and your Voice for speakin’.”
André Cymone. Photo: Katherine Copeland Anderson.
ABOUT ANDRÉ CYMONE
André Cymone’s imprint is deeply embedded in the early records and stage performances that introduced the Minneapolis sound to the world. His contributions shaped not only Prince’s earliest solo releases, but also the DNA of the bands that followed. (In On Time: A Princely Life in Funk, Morris Day directly acknowledges Cymone’s role, recalling a conversation with Prince in which he notes how many of Cymone’s bass lines became essential components of those compositions.)
Cymone’s early solo records embraced New Wave and futurism at a time when no Black artist was expected (or encouraged) to do so. Livin’ in the New Wave and Survivin’ in the 80s developed a cult following, earning retrospective recognition as statements of artistic freedom. His next evolution came through songwriting and production. Writing and producing for artists including Jody Watley, Evelyn Champagne King, Tina Turner, Adam Ant, James Ingram, and others, he found a different kind of freedom in channeling originality through others’ voices.
After a 27-year hiatus from solo releases, Cymone once again defied expectations, returning not with funk but with two critically acclaimed rock albums: The Stone and 1969. Even then, the throughline remained clear: he was following the muse.
Cymone's new LP The Resurrection of Funk arrives as the music industry enters an era of synthetic replication, where artificial intelligence threatens to blur creativity into imitation. Playing every instrument himself, with no guest musicians and no AI involvement, he asserts the irreplaceable value of human intelligence in music. Funk, in his hands, becomes proof of life.
Over the years, watching funk flattened into an aesthetic clarified something essential for Cymone. Funk is not a costume. It is craft, discipline, groove, and intent. It is lived experience translated into rhythm.
For more information, visit André Cymone's official website or explore his music on Bandcamp.
