▁experienced ▁a ▁spiritual ▁e pi ph any ▁and ▁became ▁convinced ▁it ▁was ▁" ev il "; ▁he ▁later ▁bl amed ▁the ▁album ▁on ▁an ▁entity ▁named ▁Spo ok y ▁Electric , ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁demon ic , ▁low - vo iced ▁alter - ego ▁induced ▁by ▁Camil le . ▁The ▁decision ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁Prince ' s ▁having ▁a ▁bad ▁experience ▁on ▁MD MA . ▁Prince ▁re called ▁all ▁copies ▁and ▁abandoned ▁the ▁entire ▁project , ▁leaving ▁roughly ▁ 1 0 0 ▁European ▁prom ot ional ▁copies ▁in ▁circul ation , ▁and ▁several ▁American ▁copies ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁widely ▁boot leg ged ▁in ▁the ▁coming ▁years . ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁pull ▁The ▁Black ▁Album ▁from ▁stores , ▁the ▁album ▁emer ged ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁in ▁boot leg ▁form , ▁arg u ably ▁becoming ▁popular ▁music ' s ▁most ▁legend ary ▁boot leg ▁since ▁the ▁Beach ▁Boys ' ▁ab orted ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁album ▁Sm ile . ▁Several ▁cele brit ies , ▁including ▁U 2 ' s ▁front men ▁The ▁Edge ▁and ▁B ono , ▁c ited ▁it ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁favorite ▁albums ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁( R ol ling ▁Stone ▁magazine ▁celebr ity ▁poll ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁music ▁video ▁for ▁the ▁lead ▁single ▁from ▁Lov es ex y , ▁" Al phabet ▁St .", ▁a ▁message ▁quickly ▁scroll s ▁down ▁the ▁screen ▁that ▁reads : ▁" Don ' t ▁buy ▁The ▁Black ▁Album , ▁I ' m ▁sorry ."