Guest Author - Michelle Snow

Musical artists Eminem and Prince are no stranger to provoking antics, but recent videos by each artist have caused major controversy.

Detroit rapper Eminem usually ignites a furor with his lyrics, but this week, it's the video for his new hit single, "Losin' It," that has gotten him in trouble -- with none other than Michael Jackson. In the video, Eminem, dressed as a "Jackson-type character", jumps around on a bed with children, his nose falls off and his hair bursts into flames - which spoofs the Thriller star's accident on the set of a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics also mirror Jackson's recent troubles: "Come here little kiddie, on my lap. Guess who's back with a brand new rap? And I don't mean rap, as in a case of child molestation".

Jackson, of course is furious with Eminem's ridicule and is urging all television networks to ban it. The singer's representative Ramone Bain says, "Michael Jackson is very angry. He feels that Eminem has crossed the line. Michael is calling upon all networks to pull the video." As this article goes to press, only American TV network Black Entertainment Television (BET) has complied with the request.

"BET has pulled the Eminem video out of rotation effective immediately. We did so out of respect for our long-standing relationship with Michael Jackson that dates back more than a decade, including Michael's induction as the first BET WALK OF FAME honoree in 1995. This action was a collective management decision by BET executives" BET said in a statement.

From his Los Angeles morning show at 100.3, comedian Steve Harvey jumped in on the fray, saying, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back. You [Eminem] apologized about the comments you made before about us being ni**ers and calling black women b***hes, but we don't want your apology now."

Jackson isn’t the only star feeling disrespected. Among others Eminem takes shots at are Madonna and fellow rapper MC Hammer. While Madonna has yet to comment, Hammer is reportedly writing a Eminem dis record to be released shortly.

If it wasn't for all the controversy, would Eminem have a career? At any rate, you can still view the video on MTV and MTV.com.

While Eminem stirs the pot with his idea of humor, the dramatic video for Prince's new song "Cinnamon Girl," is causing quite a stir before it's even been released. The tone in this video is more serious, as it follows the hardships of a teen Arab-American girl in a post 9-11 America. The clip features Oscar-nominated New Zealand star Keisha Castle-Hughes as an Arab-American girl who is fed up with the anti-Arab sentiments she encounters in everyday life. The video is shot as a black & white video colored in in sepia and yellow tones.

What is causing all of the controversy is a scene where, disillusioned and angered, Castle-Hughes' character detonates a bomb in an airport terminal, exploding herself and others. But a reverse motion immediately following the explosion reveals that it is only a thought of hers. Prince, who only appears in the video intermittently, sings, "Cinnamon girl mixed heritage / Never knew the meaning of color lines / 9-11 turned that all around / When she got accused of this crime."

Prince says he hopes the video will get viewers thinking about the racial prejudice that still exists in many segments of American culture.

The video will premiere in America next week, and so far, none of the networks are saying they won't air it. In the meantime, you can see the video online at Launch @ Yahoo.com.