[Harlow:] All right. We're continuing to monitor severe weather across northern Texas especially right now. You're looking at images taken just moments ago of medevac helicopter rescues there in Denton County, Texas, where there is severe flooding as they continue, continue to reel from the severe weather that has been really the past few days hitting them extremely hard. They're not out of the woods yet. We're going to keep a very close eye on this, bring you more at the top of the hour. But we're also going to talk about something else that is happening tonight in Baltimore. Baltimore, Prince is getting involved in the situation in Baltimore, throwing a special benefit concert tonight. He's doing it after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody and the goal is to raise money for different community programs and children in Baltimore. The singer released a song titled "Baltimore." Listen.
[Anthony Decurtis, Communicating Editor, Rolling Stone:] Hello.
[Harlow:] Appreciate it.
[Decurtis:] Thank you. Thank you.
[Harlow:] Let's talk about what you know, it's interesting because I think of Prince and I think of someone who doesn't exactly get in the headlines or do a lot of interviews or put himself out there a lot. He's a very private guy.
[Decurtis:] Yes. Exactly, and that's why I was kind of surprised to hear about this concert. I mean, it suggested I think the depth of his feelings about this, and the degree I think of national feeling about it. I mean, this isn't somebody who's jumping on every cause or, you know, looking for ways to comment on, you know, political or social events. I mean, in fact he's been very reluctant to do that. But I think in this case, you know, he's obviously stepping up.
[Harlow:] Well, look, remember, at the Grammys, I think it was
[Decurtis:] Yes.
[Harlow:] This year's Grammys.
[Decurtis:] Exactly.
[Harlow:] He came and he talked about black lives matter.
[Decurtis:] Yes. He made a quick reference to it, and that was notable also. I mean, that was not something he would typically do but it is, you know, a little talk he referred to that term and it just indicated the degree to which these events were on his mind.
[Harlow:] What so let's talk about the bigger picture here, when you look at these benefit concerts. Right? We saw them here in New York after Hurricane Sandy and we've seen them, you know, for tragedies around the world. How effective are they?
[Decurtis:] I think it varies but I think it's always a good thing when certainly artists of Prince's stature, you know, address an issue like this. It makes people think about it. Even if they don't agree with them. I mean, the song which is actually fairly upbeat and more kind of a plea for peace, but also takes a strong anti-gun stand.
[Harlow:] Yes. Did that stand out to you?
[Decurtis:] Yes.
[Harlow:] That he has sort of now made his I mean, in the lyrics to this song.
[Decurtis:] Right.
[Harlow:] It's a very anti-gun position he's taking.
[Decurtis:] Yes. I mean, I wasn't shocked that he would feel that way. I was shocked that he would talk about it and I think it's obviously you know, it's a highly charged issue, but I think, you know, whenever an artist steps out in that way, it makes people I think in particular it makes young fans think that they you know, should engage the world around them and try to find out more about what these issues mean and in the case of you know, obviously what's going on in Baltimore, it has, you know, a big impact on them.
[Harlow:] What we're told also is that several other well-known artists will be there tonight, they're not releasing the names. I think it's interesting that it's streaming on Title, this is the new streaming service that Jay-Z owns and has launched. Do we expect him to be there?
[Decurtis:] You know, it wouldn't shock me if he turned up. You know, on the other hand, you know, he hasn't announced it, and, you know, it's a little hard to say. I don't want to encourage people to believe he's going to be there if we don't know for sure.
[Harlow:] You know, it's interesting when you think about the focus on youth, I spent a lot of time in the last week talking to the kids from Baltimore.
[Decurtis:] Sure.
[Harlow:] This is clearly aimed at the youth.
[Decurtis:] Yes, I think, you know, it's something that is designed to make this a connect with the events of people's lives, I think, and that's important, and I think that's something that, you know, Prince in many ways has been reluctant to do. He's not somebody partly I think because he's a Jehovah's Witness and, you know, has certain separation I guess between the events of the world and what he sees as the events of his spiritual life.
[Harlow:] Yes.
[Decurtis:] But I think, you know, this is a way on his part to connect those and connect them to his fans.
[Harlow:] Anthony DeCurtis from "Rolling Stone," thank you very much.
[Decurtis:] My pleasure. Thanks so much.
[Harlow:] Appreciate it. Good to have you on the program, sir.
[Decurtis:] Yes.
[Harlow:] Have a great week.
[Decurtis:] You bet.
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