The modern pop stars Prince thought lacked substance: “I don’t sample”
If there was ever a perfect iteration of a musician in every sense of the word – innovative drive, creative capabilities, knowledge – then no one came closer to stepping into that role than the ‘Purple One’ himself, Prince.
A true prodigy who could play more instruments than most people can name (upwards of 25) and knew just about everything there is to know about being a modern musician, Prince thoroughly earned his position at the top, enough to make his oftentimes scathing swipes at others feel almost entirely justified. Almost.
After all, musical excellence aside (and it truly was excellence, by definition), Prince was known for his standoffishness, both in his perfectionism in the studio and on stage, and in his opinions on other facets of the industry. Sometimes, this attitude and demeanour paid off, raising his standards to a level beyond most, and encouraging those around him to do the same.
There’s a reason why “the whole three-year saga” around the musician’s mid-1980s Purple Rain era propelled him to superstardom, and it wasn’t just because the music was good. It was also because Prince pushed and pushed, making his team reach another level of greatness to ensure that everything – every single detail – was executed with utter perfection.
During the tour, he’d watch the footage back after, and wouldn’t hesitate to tell his band whenever he caught slipups, even if they were tiny or entirely unnoticeable to the audience. To Prince, anything less than wasn’t good enough, and he’d never settle. Similar to how he’d never take ‘no’ for an answer, and when it seemed things were going that way, he’d push back even harder.
As his ex-manager, Patrick Whalen, later reflected to The Hollywood Reporter, Prince didn’t take to setbacks very well, even less so when he was being told that one of his requests couldn’t be fulfilled. Once, when that happened, he’d looked Whalen in the eye and said, “So what you’re telling me is that in the one second it took for you to say ‘no,’ you left your body and exhausted every possibility?”
Anyone working under the singer would’ve found it a nightmare, and there’s no doubt that a lot of people actually did. But the truth of it was Prince’s unrelenting commitment to being the best, and knowing when those around him weren’t seeing the vision. It also meant that he could spot inauthenticity from a mile off, which is something he never shied away from sharing whenever the opportunity arose.
For instance, he didn’t seem to care much for modern pop stars, once expressing his frustration with labels and execs constantly “ramming” musicians like Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran “down our throats”. He was also considerably dismissive when an interviewer once asked his opinion on a handful of other modern singers, like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, alongside others entering the scene at the time.
“I make music, I don’t watch it,” he quipped, continuing, “I am a musician, don’t sample. It’s not Memorex. I go on stage, and my microphone is on.” This wasn’t the first time Prince indicated his dislike for flashy or ‘fake’ musicians, but it certainly proved just how much he hated the entire concept of the manufactured pop star, feeling that many we see rising to the top today seem to be just that.
