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Born 2 Die is the third track and the title-track of the the tenth posthumous album Welcome 2 America (the first full previously-unreleased studio album of Prince material). The track was premiered on BBC Radio 6 and Prince’s official Youtube channel maintened by his Estate on 3 June, 2021 and , eight weeks before the album’s release.
The track was recorded in sessions that yielded other material for the album Welcome 2 America also. Together with When She Comes and Running Game (Son Of A Slave Master) (both also included for the album) it has a date of 12 March 2010 on a tape photographed at Paisley Park Studios. The track was unreleased until 2021.
According to the details provided to accompany the stream on Youtube, the song was recorded "when President Obama was just a year into his first term and Prince was reflecting deeply on the issues affecting the Black community and the role he hoped to play." Morris Hayes was asked to do some additional production on the track:
"We got to 'Born 2 Die,' and Prince said, 'I'll tell you how that came about,'. He had been watching videos of his friend Dr. Cornel West on YouTube, and during one speech Dr. West said, 'I love my brother Prince, but he’s no Curtis Mayfield.' So Prince said, "Oh really? We will see." "
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