Attrell Cordes

Attrell Stephen Cordes Jr. (May 15, 1970 – June 17, 2016),[1] also known by the stage name Prince Be, was an American rapper, musician, singer and record producer.

Dawn, became known for blending rap with singing, as well as ethereal beats and aspects of mysticism and crypto-Christian imagery, to his songs.

[2][4][6] The duo created their first demo using $600 that Attrell Cordes had earned while working at a homeless shelter as a nighttime security guard.

Dawn released their gold-certified debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience, much of which was written and produced by Attrell Cordes.

[2] The album, a critical and commercial success, was led by the first single, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", in which Prince Be and DJ Minutemix sampled Spandau Ballet's 1983 hit, "True", with co-writing credits for Gary Kemp and Attrell Cordes.

[1][4] The album's second single, "Looking Through Patient Eyes", in which Cordes sampled George Michael's "Father Figure", was also a top 10 hit.

[4] Attrell Cordes signature production style, which had its roots in hip hop, blended rapping and singing.

[1] Cordes sampled sounds and rhythms from a diverse range of artists who were often not part of the hip hop genre, including Deep Purple, George Michael, The Monkees and Spandau Ballet.

Love, Dad (1998), which were critically acclaimed but failed to match the commercial reception of the earlier studio albums.

Dawn as influences, telling the interviewer, "Kanye West, T-Pain, Outkast...but you can't mention P.M.

The group, still fronted by an ailing Prince Be, performed their 1991 hit, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", as well as a contemporary cover version of Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry" (2001).

The group donated the entire prize of $20,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a disease which afflicted Cordes.