Ever since a Tribe Called Quest listed “industry rule four thousand and eighty,” artists have been vocal about their woes with record labels. From Frank Ocean to Lil Wayne to Chance the Rapper, it’s vital that people understand the industry’s trappings. As for Prince, his story is well documented. By the mid-90s, he was jabbing back and forth with Warner over rightful finances and distribution. It grew to the point that he dropped his name outright and went by a symbol instead. Moreover, he wrote the word ‘slave’ on his face to voice his displeasure.
Consequently, when he spoke with the Los Angeles Times in 1996, he was dismissive of the music industry. “If I knew the things I know now before, I wouldn’t be in the music industry,” Prince shrugs. He limited his Chaos and Disorder album promo to a couple of TV appearances and declined a tour altogether.
Instead, he fixated on the experiences of other artists and their battle with the labels. For instance, the “Kiss” crooner followed George Michael’s battles with Sony to leave his contract. Moreover, he highlighted that TLC had to file for bankruptcy to leave their horrible deal, which gave them poor loyalty rates.
Prince Trashed The Music Industry in 1996 Interview
“TLC is a very talented group,” the “Purple Rain” singer said. “Talent can’t be bottled up or contained. We gotta wake up to that. Why should somebody else be making $100 million when they’re making $75,000? It will continue, too. That’s the sad truth.”
By 1996, Prince had grappled with Warner for a decade. As his sales slowly declined, the label began to question Prince’s rapid release rate. But according to Prince himself, they were trying to undercut his creativity to ensure they didn’t lose any profit. By 1994, they dropped their distribution deal with Paisley Park Records, the label Prince built. Ultimately, Prince blamed the entire debacle on a lack of corporate support.
“I was under the assumption that [Paisley Park] was a joint effort with lawyers and businessmen,” Prince scoffs. “All we do as artists is make the music. I didn’t think I’d have to be marketing the records or taking them to the [radio] station. If Michael Jordan had to rely on someone to help him dunk, then there would be some trouble.”
Regardless, Prince says none of the record label shenanigans affected his bottom dollar. “I’m not in financial straits and never will be,” he firmly said.
The post ‘If I Knew the Things I Know Now Before, I Wouldn’t Be in the Music Industry’: Prince on His Strained Relationship With Record Labels appeared first on VICE.
