A Prince and His Alter Ego Article: 2000

The Artist opens up – what happened to Prince and the fight for freedom!

interview by Stefan Picker-Dressel in Hamburger Abendblatt, January 8, 2000

The artist, whom everyone still calls Prince, was downright famous for constantly changing pseudonyms, symbols and partners. In the meantime, he is called The Artist and sees his story as a self-liberation from the golden cage of the record multinationals. In an interview, he tells us what became of Prince and why.

The artist, whom everyone still calls Prince, was downright famous for constantly changing pseudonyms, symbols and partners. In the meantime, he is called The Artist and sees his story as a self-liberation from the golden cage of the record multinationals. In an interview, he tells us what became of Prince and why.

He was the somewhat different carnival prince in the carnival of international pop stars; a hybrid, dazzling stage plant that always sprouted new blossoms, sometimes as a sex symbol, sometimes as an environmental preacher. In the background, he used other names and symbols in a constant clinch with his long-time record company Warner Brothers in order to be able to release with other companies. In 1994, Prince symbolically buried himself on the LP "Come" and became "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince", as well as founding his own label "New Power Generation". He released his new album "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic" on Arista. The artist everybody still calls Prince wants to continue to place himself musically between all styles.

JOURNAL: After a long time, you used the name Prince again as a producer on your new album. How come? Are you tired of the game of hide and seek around your name?

THE ARTIST: No, I'm The Artist and I'll stay that way. But I can seek closeness to my second self or alter ego - call it what you want - and consult with him in silence. When choosing the songs, for example, we often talked. It was like a kind of telepathy.

JOURNAL: That sounds spiritual. Are you a believer?

THE ARTIST: I've always had a connection to God, but never as strong as in the past two or three years. God has changed a lot in my life. It is no coincidence that everything has turned out this way. Nothing in the world happens by chance, everything is planned. Once you have dealt with this topic and opened your heart to it, you see God everywhere.

JOURNAL: Where do you get your sudden spirituality from?

THE ARTIST: I draw my strength from my love of nature. I'm finally a free man who can do everything I've always wanted. It doesn't matter what you're born as. Everyone has the power to do something extraordinary. Everything has a meaning, everything has power. And all living beings on our planet have a meaning and therefore a tremendous charisma. Because everything forms a cycle and belongs together.

JOURNAL: Do you draw strength from the Bible?

THE ARTIST: The Bible exerts an insane fascination on me. I see a deeper meaning behind every story. Nothing happened in the Old Testament without meaning. For me, the Bible is the most important book of all.

JOURNAL: Your former record company Warner, which still holds the rights to your old songs, released the last regular Prince album with Prince songs at the end of August 1999. How did you find out about it?

THE ARTIST: Well, I knew there was an album coming. I was informed of this. But I didn't get to see it until my wife discovered it by chance in the record store.

JOURNAL: In retrospect, what sense do you see in the dispute with Warner Brothers?

THE ARTIST: The whole thing showed me personally what is important in my life. I signed with Warner when I was 19 years old. At that time, I didn't deal with the contract in more detail and was happy to be able to release my music at all at such a young age. Today, on the other hand, I can do whatever I want. I feel like a free man.

JOURNAL: What does that mean?

THE ARTIST: I can allow myself to make the music that I think is right at the moment. If I feel like a techno record, I make a techno record. If I want to do hip-hop, I do hip-hop. And when I'm in the mood for jazz, I make a jazz album. No matter what comes out, it will always be an album by The Artist. I never thought in categories, they were always the others.

JOURNAL: What do you think of new superstars like Puff Daddy or Will Smith?

THE ARTIST: Oh, the guys are okay, really nice guys. But musically I can't support everything they do. None of this sounds very innovative. And when Puff Daddy performs with these sloppy rappers like Lil' Kim, it just seems vulgar.

JOURNAL: Do you feel misunderstood by the media?

THE ARTIST: Yes, in the past it was often like that. Although I can understand them too. If I were to look at my life as an outsider, I would probably be suspicious of a lot of things. In the past, I have often withdrawn and lived like in a crystal ball for many people. I thought a lot about my life during this time. I've been looking for the truth.

JOURNAL: And? Have you found them?

THE ARTIST: Ich für meinen Teil schon. Aber die Vergangenheit hat gezeigt, dass nicht viele etwas mit meiner Auffassung von Wahrheit anfangen können.

JOURNAL: Was ist Ihre Wahrheit des Lebens? Hat man Sie betrogen?

THE ARTIST: In gewisser Hinsicht schon. Ich bin sehr von einigen Leuten bei meiner ehemaligen Plattenfirma enttäuscht. Ich habe ihnen Unsummen angeboten, um die Rechte an meinen alten Songs zurückzukaufen. Sie haben nur gelacht. So etwas prägt.

JOURNAL: Wie viel haben Sie geboten?

THE ARTIST: Eine zweistellige Millionen-Summe [in Dollar]. Mehr will ich nicht sagen. Die dachten wohl, ich bin ein eigentümliches Männchen, das sich mit den alten Hits einen netten Lebensabend machen will.

JOURNAL: Was würden Sie heute anders machen?

THE ARTIST: I will never again commit myself to a contractual partner as firmly as I did then. I felt enslaved as a wage clerk and paid that way. The others enriched themselves back then. Every song I wrote led to long discussions. No, I can't and don't have to do that to myself anymore. Today I earn more than I used to.

JOURNAL: How can that be? Your record purchases are stagnating, aren't they?

THE ARTIST: Until recently, I distributed my music through my own label. Seven dollars go to me. More than before. At that time I didn't get two dollars per album.

JOURNAL: You are considered a person who hates interviews. You are talking very openly about that today. What happened?

THE ARTIST: Life is like an illusion. Over the years, I have separated myself strongly from this business. Out of pure self-protection. But now I feel like I'm up to the public again. People also have a right to know what moves me. After all, I want you to hear my music even now in the new millennium.

JOURNAL: There were rumors that your marriage to the dancer Mayte was over. What is the truth in that?

THE ARTIST: That's stupid chatter. Mayte and I still feel very comfortable. The truth is that she spent the summer in our new villa in Marbella. She has set up her own dance group there. That's all.

JOURNAL: She is said to have had an affair with the flamenco artist Joaquin Cortes.

THE ARTIST: Oh, that's not true. Marbella is a jet set, so you're never among yourself. Such rumors already appear when you meet at the kiosk in the morning and buy the newspaper together.

JOURNAL: You call yourself The Artist, the omnipresent love symbol dangles from your chest, your employees address you as Sir. How do you sign autographs?

THE ARTIST: I haven't signed autographs for years. Something strange happened to me the other day. I was in Philadelphia at the airport. Suddenly there is a crowd of people next to me, all of whom started screaming. I only ever heard a woman shout, "Oh my God, it's him." In the middle of it, the loudest, are the two tennis sisters Serena and Venus Williams. When I recognized her, I just screamed along.

JOURNAL: Why?

THE ARTIST: Because they are so enormous. When playing tennis on TV, the two look much smaller.