From there, Arabian Prince began to establish a solo career with the Middle Eastern-flavored tune "Strange Life." As West Coast hip-hop started its meteoric rise, his star followed. But an epiphany on a car ride with then World Class Wrecking Crew member Dr. Dre sparked a desire for change.
"We were driving in Dre's old RX7 with no back window to see J.J. Fad before they became J.J. Fad," he says, laughing. "They lived out in Rialto, and the entire way there we were listening to the radio and hearing our songs. We looked at each other and were like, how is it that our songs are getting played on the radio and we ain't got any money?"
A subsequent encounter with a flush Eazy-E paved the way for both Dre and Arabian Prince to join up with him to form N.W.A, with the idea that their already name-brand stars would help pave the way for the largely unknown rest of the group.
"Arabian had a name for himself," Egyptian Lover says. "The thinking was that he and Dre could make some good records and in the process help get N.W.A's foot in the door. No one called it 'electro hip-hop' back then, it was just 'hip-hop.' "
The group's first single featured the Prince-produced "Panic Zone" on its A side, along with other tunes such as "Dopeman" and "8-Ball." But by the time N.W.A prepared to record “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988, Arabian Prince was on the outs with his bandmates and manager Jerry Heller.
"I'd ask when we were going to get paid, and they'd tell me to talk to Jerry," Arabian Prince says. "He'd give us $500 or $1,000 there, but we never got royalties, nor any statements or checks. People still ask me, 'What about the fame?' But I was never about that. Besides, all the fame in the world doesn't matter if you can't get paid."
Arabian Prince recorded more solo albums before deciding to pursue a new career, although he continues to record and do DJ remixes. He's finishing an album under his Professor X alias and has plans for another Arabian Prince record. He takes great satisfaction in the current generation's incorporation of old-school electro-funk sound in its work.
"Flo Rida and will.i.am. use the old-school electro-funk. Will even turned 'Stetasonic' into 'Fergalicious.' Even Akon's new stuff is all up-tempo. It seems like the music has really come full circle."
