When Prince announced in 1993 he was changing his name to a glyph that merged the male and feminine, the move symbolized the death of an old persona and the birth of a new, more spiritually attuned being. His wedding last year to his wife Mayte accelerated this process, which saw it’s flowering with the recent release of his epic 3-CD set Emancipation.
Opening with the delicious funk of Jam Of The Year, Emancipation generally feels more heart-based, softer and more an expression of love than anything this brilliant artist has created before. Freely roaming through musical genres and moods, the Artist Formerly Known As Prince addresses a wide range of themes while emphasizing spiritual redemption and the joy of loving partnership.
This one-time reclusive star who for years refused to conduct any interviews has recently opened up to the media. Freed from his old contract with Warner Bros., The Artist talked with Oprah on TV about his new album and life, and invited journalists from around the world to meet with him. Even The Maui News was just granted a brief interview.
Set to perform in Honolulu this weekend, The Artist answered questions about his new openness, inspiration, Emancipation, future plans and love.
Following his marriage last Valentine’s Day to Mayte Garcia, The Artist and his new wife spent their honeymoon in Hawaii, taking time to perform three shows together at the Blaisdell Arena. Now he returns to the islands expressing a desire to spend many anniversaries here.
So what inspired his openness?
“Freedom,” The Artist answers, “I own all the rights to Emancipation. Any work I do for this project is so much more rewarding than in the past. I’m also much happier and open now. All of which I attribute to God.”
Encompassing a cycle of 36 songs (with each CD exactly an hour in length) the new work was influenced by The Artist’s studies of ancient Egypt. Ever since his wife began sharing books with him about the pyramids, he’s felt a strong affinity with this mysterious world. “The connection is intense for me,” he says. “My wife and I believe we lived there as one individual in another life.”
Sprinkled with songs that reflect spiritual inquiry, the album includes a radiant rendering of Joan Osborne’s hit One Of Us. “The words have a very deep meaning,” he says. “People of all races shouldn’t shy from the sentiment ‘what if God was one of us?’”
From his earliest days, Prince has explored sacred and sensual themes. Born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958, Prince impressed many in his teen years with his rare ability to play a number of instruments. Growing up he says he was inspired by, “Larry Graham, Joni Mitchell, and Miles (Davis). Everything inspires me,” he adds. “I hope that never ceases.”
Signed to Warner Bros. in 1978, he demanded full artistic control of his music, an exceedingly rare arrangement for a fledgling entertainer. Permitted to write, arrange, and produce his own works, he played all the instruments on his debut album For You.
Initially finding success as an R&B; artist, it wasn’t until his explicitly sexual album Dirty Mind, that he began appealing to the mass market. His stunning double album 1999 soared into the charts with the funk rocker Little Red Corvette, which along with Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean single, was the first black crossover video on MTV.
Worldwide success followed with 1984’s Purple Rain soundtrack, which topped the U.S. charts for half a year and sold over nine million copies. From this point on, Prince pursued his own distinct artistic vision, defying conventions and continually exploring new territory. On Around The World In A Day, he delved into pop psychedelia, while his brilliant Sign O’ The Times, released in 1987, featured Prince as a one-man-band on a double album’s worth of powerful material.
Such was his draw that in 1992 his record label resigned him to a reported $100 million deal. But Prince had begun to tire of the restrictions on his creativity. First came the name change, then he began performing at concerts with SLAVE drawn on his face.
The Artist felt he should be able to release records as soon as he created them, not the restricted output of one every year or two. He also didn’t own the rights to his master tapes.
Refusing to give his company any new material, he fulfilled contractual obligations by providing only old material from his vaults. Thus weak albums like last year’s Chaos And Disorder were released leaving many to wonder if this artist had lost his creative touch.
Finally released from his contract, The Artist signed a new deal with the EMI-Capitol Records Group last October to distribute his albums on his own NPG label. This new arrangement provides him extraordinary freedom - unrestricted output, ownership of his master tapes, and the liberty to market and price his albums.
Emancipation has restored The Artist’s stature as one of contemporary music’s most innovative artists. The L.A. Times praised “the sublime force that is generated as a brilliant musician engages in his craft with a renewed sense of empowerment and joy.” USA Today concluded, “the three-CD set is astounding in both it’s stylistic breadth and disciplined focus.”
A creative fountain, The Artist is known to dedicate around 12 hours a day to music. Stacked in his vaults are reportedly hundreds of hours of recordings, including an album with jazz legend Miles Davis, which have yet to be released. Not one to limit his range, The Artist reveals he’s about to release the new score to a ballet on tape.
“In honor of our first anniversary, Mayte and I are releasing the ballet Kamasutra on cassette,” he announces. We can probably expect a deluge of releases. To find out more, you can call 1-800-NEW-FUNK.
Relishing the liberty to record and release whatever he desires, The Artist credits his wife with helping bring profound changes to his life. “She’s changed my mind about a lot of things,” he says. “She’s given me the reason to have hope for the human race.”
Also expressing how God has influenced his life he says spiritual growth primarily differentiates the old Prince from his new self.
Asked if he feels divinely inspired to compose, he answers, “Indeed I do. Many creative people speak of their talent as a gift. I’m no different.” And as to the greatest gift he feels his music offers he states simply, “love.”
Feeling more at peace with himself, The Artist recently embarked on a series of shows in smaller venues which help benefit the Love 4 One Another charity. “We have plans to build a school for underprivileged children,” he says about charity. “Throughout our travels, we always see the need for the human sharing.”
The Artist’s compassion also embraces animals. A vegetarian, he’s inspired by John Robbin’s book “Diet For A New America.” “The rampant cruelty to animals astounds me,” he says. “I am a vegetarian - now and forever.”
Having produced a body of work over 20 years which remains unmatched by almost any other pop artist, this legend knows some folks have a hard time keeping up with all his changes. “If they can’t, they weren’t meant to,” he says. “My real support come from the daring cliff-divers in life.”
Having amassed such a large, diverse palette of songs I wonder if sometimes he feels like he’s just warming up for some incredible projects.
“Always,” he says. “It’s what I live for, to continue using my gifts makes everyday incredible for me. Every night I thank God for my life, my wife, and my music.”