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Rapper claims he recorded entire album on display Macs in an Apple Store

Rapper Prince Harvey claims that when his first computer died and his second was stolen, he recorded his entire album in the SoHo Apple Store in Manhattan. The Daily Beast reports that he visited the store every weekday for four consecutive months.

After a second computer failure left him without a means to record his album and no money to buy a replacement, Prince finished recording the vocals and backing instrumental tracks for his new album entirely in that one Apple Store.

We’re not saying it didn’t happen, and that this is just an attempt by an unknown artist to create a cool-sounding story as a publicity stunt, but we do note that it’s been tried before and the attempt didn’t last very long …

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqCCkYNHZOA]

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Comments

  1. Mr. T (@t87) - 9 years ago

    “..just an attempt by an unknown artist to create a cool-sounding story as a publicity stunt”

    Why are you reporting it then? Do you really think this is front page news material?

    • Ben Lovejoy - 9 years ago

      Amusement value …

    • lmabe10 - 9 years ago

      It drives me crazy when people always ask in the comments if a story is “front page news” worthy. Who cares? If you don’t want to read it, skip it. This isn’t the New York Times, it’s a blog about Apple. Most of what gets posted on this site isn’t “newsworthy” except to those of us who are addicted to Apple.

      • Atlas (@Metascover) - 9 years ago

        Well, if we are here it’s also to get a filter between worthless content and content that matters. From the front page it’s difficult to see if this is or is not worthy for us. I agree that this kind of comment is annoying but sometimes legimitate maybe.

      • Graham J - 9 years ago

        I am addicted to Apple and also don’t give two craps about what some rando does in an Apple store.

      • ChristianGeek - 9 years ago

        @Metascover: You seriously looked at the front page and thought, “this might be worthy content but I just can’t tell without reading the whole thing?”

  2. scumbolt2014 - 9 years ago

    More like a wrapper. How was he wven able to get on a computer at the store long enough to do this. I call bs because every time I’m at my local Apple store I can’t even get on a computer to test one.

    • 1nf3cted - 9 years ago

      It really all depends on the day and time, and which Apple Store I go to. The closest one for me is in a mall, and towards the end of a typical day, I could go in there and play with any one of their devices for as long as I’d want… The only thing stopping me would be one of the employees realizing I’m not there with the interest to buy anything, and thus kick me out. Plus, the article states the guy went there nearly everyday for 4 months. If he can get his hands on the same Mac (probably the farthest one that nobody uses unless it’s busy), I could see him pulling it off.

  3. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    9to5Mac: “Rapper Prince Harvey claims…he recorded his entire album in the SoHo Apple Store in Manhattan.”

    entire album

    DailyBeast: “Prince finished recording the vocals and backing instrumental tracks for his new album”

    finished recording

    <__>

    <_<

  4. Built Frenchié - 9 years ago

    I seriously doubt he made that happen. Apple managers would not allow that to happen. If he did, great… that means no studio time money…. i want to listen to his album though, because I want to hear the apple specialist say, “sir, we need access to this computer for demonstration. Thanks” in background.

  5. jwm1952 - 9 years ago

    I agree with Ben’s response. Amusement value. One of the reasons I read the blogs. Love Apple (since the Apple II) and need humor in my life. Lol.

  6. Didel - 9 years ago

    I don’t think it is even possible to do this. The screensaver/attraction loop on all those display-units clears any user-made changes to the demo-account as soon as the screensaver turns on (this is on purpose, so that every customer gets the fresh, new out-of-the-box Mac experience)… Unless he immediately saved everything on a USB-stick, I highly doubt this is true.

  7. n9yty - 9 years ago

    Sorry, but anyone who would act like that in a public place or a retail store is out of their mind. Who in their right mind would even think you can go use equipment, set up to demo for the purposes of selling it, for your personal work like that… And then get upset becuase you can’t. {sigh} But when everything is being given away, the expectation is that you can get whatever you want. Just like Greece getting upset and blaming the people who loand them the money. Seriously? Personal responsibility seems headed for very low points, I can’t believe how low it already is, but it is only getting worse.

    It would have been a very different matter if he was only interested in really seeing if the systems would meet his needs, and asked about a demo or trying to lay down a track and see if it would work. But that isn’t what I saw from the short video…

  8. Prince Harvey - 9 years ago

    Hi, I’m the kid who “claimed” to record an album at the apple store. to those saying im out of my mind, i say “here’s to the trouble makers”

    • Prince Harvey - 9 years ago

      lol i just realized you werent talking about me. why am in a post with someone having a breakdown?? Hi, Ben. Write a proper story pls

      • Ben Lovejoy - 9 years ago

        An illustration of the likely outcome when attempting to record a rap album in an Apple Store even for two or three days …

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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