Prince says music should come from the heart, not fit categories. He owns his work because criticizing an artist's gift is like criticizing God. He keeps live shows unpredictable because his fans expect the unexpected, and he learned that from Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder.
Chapters
Ultimately, all music is or can be inspirational.
Fan base I have now, they're so sophisticated, they almost expect me to do the unexpected.
I don't look at myself through other people's eyes. One of my favorite band leaders is Bruce Springsteen.
I've watched him for many years.
I don't wallow in it. I don't spend time in a place. I let myself move on.
There's enough things to bring you down. We don't need to jack our music up that way too.
I don't really care. So much what people say about me because it usually is a reflection of who they are.
I used him as a role model in trying to play all the instruments.
I kind of wish we got back to the days where the music was more like the soul music of the '60s and '70s.
Yeah. We were born on a certain day. You had no more birthdays after that. So I don't celebrate birthdays.
He was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and artist. He was an innovator in the music industry and was known for his flamboyant style and wide musical range. He sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the most popular recording artists of all time. He's Prince, and here are his top 10 rules for success.
How would you describe your music?
Hmm, um—
What idiom?
What would you put it in?
The only thing I could think of, because I really don't like categories, but the only thing I could think of is inspirational. And I think music that is from the heart falls right into that category. People who really feel what it is that they're doing. And ultimately all music is or can be inspirational, and that's why it's so important to let your gift be guided by something more clear, you know?
Well, first of all, I don't know. I don't know who was the one that came up with the notion that you have to play the same songs every concert. Probably fans. Yeah, well, uh, you know, most of the people that come see us now, they've been to see me umpteen times, and, uh, the only pity is when they bring their kids and they're trying to show their kids the experience they had. But I don't know how any of us grow if we just, you know, tread water. The idea is that we keep growing, and like we were saying before, the fan base I have now, they're so sophisticated, they almost expect me to do the unexpected, and that gives me a lot of room to challenge myself as well as them.
I don't look at myself through other people's eyes. I had an interesting discussion with Larry Graham and a journalist upstairs about criticism criticism of music. You know, if you're a true artist, you're using the gift you've been given from God.
Yeah.
And to criticize a gift from God is sort of to criticize God.
Yeah.
Now, you can cut that any way you want, but it's the truth. So, you know, I looked at the writer, I said, I wouldn't criticize your writing here.
I'm not a writer, I don't write books, you know, I wouldn't I was reading that, like, you'll go out there with 300 songs that you might decide at the last minute to perform.
Yeah.
That's very risky, is it not? The whole band has to be in sync with you, right?
Well, they rehearse a lot.
It's a well-oiled machine.
One of my favorite band leaders is Bruce Springsteen. I've watched him many years, and I was backstage one night, and I saw him turn around and give a cue and the band switched on a dime. I used to see James Brown do that a lot too.
You learn from the best.
I've always known that God was my creator and that without him, nothing works. It works to a point and then it just kind of deteriorates.
Entropy takes place.
When bad things have happened to you, do you blame him?
Absolutely not.
How do you explain, how do you resolve it in yourself?
I learn from it and I don't wallow in it. I don't spend time in a place. I let myself move on. Right today I could sit and say I have animosity towards—
Cricket company.
A company that owns the rights to my work.
They're businessmen.
They're doing what it is that makes their business successful. And I'm also allowed to do things that make my business successful. And for me, that would be to own my work. So I just chose to step away from that. And knowing that, I sent a nice letter to the president, then president, because they changed a lot weekly during that time. And I told him that I loved him and that you know, I was glad that I had this experience.
Whereas your music, it gets you, but in a good way. And I think that's what music should always do.
I think it should uplift. Yeah, there's enough things to bring you down. We don't need to jack our music up that way too. I mean, there's still a way to get anger and even hate across sometimes in music, but You have to resolve it. You have to show that it's useless to hold these ideas.
I don't really care so much what people say about me because it usually is a reflection of who they are. For example, if people wish I would sound like I used to sound, then it says more about them than it does me. If I change the lyrics to a song, then It begs the question, why do you want me to curse? Why do you want me to talk like other people? See, cursing was cool when nobody was doing it, or just a couple people. Yeah, like if everybody wears the same clothes, then it ain't cool no more. You know, you're trying to be different. One can't be different by being racy today. It's not interesting anymore. See, sexiness was in the mind. In your imagination. When you lose that, then, you know, like I said, it's just old skin.
I use Stevie Wonder as an inspiration whom I look up to a great deal, just for the way that he crafted music and his connection to the spirit. And boy, back then I used him as a role model and trying to play all the instruments and be very self-contained and keep my vision clear. So word spread very quickly about what I could do. A lot of people knew about it, yeah.
You know, I meet a lot of artists, but the record industry, they tend to promote things that are more salacious and hit-driven, I guess, to use a term. I kind of wish we got back to the days where the music was more like the soul music of the '60s and '70s where Alicia Keys, I dig. I think she's kind of putting it out there. There's a few out there. In other words, where the lyrics were what made you feel sexy, not the fact that you had barely anything on.
Yeah.
It's a reality show nowadays.
So once a person gets a firm grip of life and death, then they fully understand both. For example, you had how many birthdays?
Me?
What do you think?
Well, I know that you had one birthday. Yeah, you were born on a certain day. You had no more birthdays after that. So I don't celebrate birthdays, so that stops me stops me from counting days, which stops me from counting time, which allows me to still look the same as I did 10 years ago, just like that lady's doing.
Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because DJ El Magnifico asked me to. So if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me to profile next, leave it in the comments below and I'll see what I can do. I'd also love to know which of Prince's top 10 rules meant the most to you. Leave it in the comments and I'll join the discussion. Thank you guys so much for watching. Continue to believe, and I'll see you soon.
