Interview with Prince
by Smokey D. Fontaine
Source: Giant Magazine

Q & A: An Audience With Royalty.

In the talent room under the stage of Los Angeles' House of Blues Nightclub, I sat down one-on-one with Prince minutes before one of his fabled after parties.



Prince: Ok, let's go...You get six questions.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Six? Well, I guess I better make them good ones then, deep questions that lead to long follow-ups!

Prince: Good ones are fine.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Let me start by saying I've been a fan for many, many years. My iPod says I have 423 of your songs on it. If I played them all in a row, it would take 2.4 days!

Prince: I appreciate it.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Throughout the past three decades, you have influenced music in so many ways. As an artist, you don't really have any peers.

Prince: Hold on. If you write that, please just do me a favor, and put it in a way that gets the point across but doesn't dis anybody because my band and I are not in competition with anyone. If you're hanging out with Maceo Parker, who are you in competition with, really?

At this age, it starts to more be about what the gift is and then what your role is. That's where the Scriptures come into play. As men, we're supposed to be humble. The ones that can't are the ones that fall because they're caught up in worldly things like women, sex, drugs.

The Bible is the guidebook to help men and women with their sins. If I'm going to get some advice, wouldn't I want it from Solomon? That man had a thousand wives. I mean, I want to talk to the guy who had a thousand women!

Smokey D. Fontaine: Do you feel gifted?

Prince: Yes. And I'm not going to waste my blessings. God has over-blessed me, but you have to appreciate what you have, and to do that, you have to break down a lot of walls, meaning that you're not afraid anymore. If you look at earlier performances of mine, my eyes were closed.

Smokey D. Fontaine: There seems to be a calmness about you now. You seem happy, open, positive.

Prince: Over time I've started to understand that it's really the love of music. When you have a real love for music, you kind of let go. When you let go, I don't care if you're a writer or a dancer or a musician or a lighting guy doing the spots above the stage.

Sometimes I look at our lighting guy sitting up there, and he'll be watching me during a show, looking at me like, "I got it". It's little things like that. I mean, we could be dead; we could be non-existent, but we're not. We're all alive. It's the acceptance of the gift of life.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Was there a turning point for you when you began to realize this?

Prince: No. I always accepted it, but I didn't understand it until I got into the Scriptures. When you read the Scriptures, you start to understand that, wait a minute, someone said this way before I did. I ain't the first one. If society did this, we would have a paradigm shift, and everybody would all get along. Everybody is supposed to eat. Everybody is supposed to treat people with respect.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Has this understanding affected your music?

Prince: The more you get evolved in the truth, the more it affects everything. It affects every decision you make. Sometimes kids have to try different things. Well, let me try this-ism, or let me try that-ism until you get to the point where none of them really satisfy you; none of them give you peace. This is the beauty of God. Once you get with God's will, now you feel whole.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Do you have a plan for the next phase of your music?

Prince: I might try a symphony, might try composing something with flutes. I also want to talk to people, be able to listen to them.

Smokey D. Fontaine: When you hear melodies, do you hear notes?

Prince: It's hard for me to answer that because I am music. It's like me asking you to describe whatever race you are. Ultimately, your answer will only be rehashed out of what someone else told you that you are. I can't put it into words.

Smokey D. Fontaine: What does it feel like when you get onstage and you strum a note on the guitar or play a key on the piano?

Prince: It feels like a revelation, a realization...the answer. That concept of the everlasting now.

Smokey D. Fontaine: Was all this meant to be?

Prince: Well, I don't believe in time now, so your question...you just want to look at what God's will is. They say I'm arrogant, but what I'm just trying to do is lead people to the truth. The truth is that we don't even know what the world will be like until we shake things up a little bit.

Smokey D. Fontaine: You've never been shy about doing that.

Prince: You got to. Miles shook it up. Stevie shook it up. I'm going to shake it up. It's like, "Wait a minute, you sold a million copies and didn't release it on a major? Nah, that can't be true."

Smokey D. Fontaine: I've always felt that modern fame gets in the way of artistic expression, but you've seemed to navigate through that pretty well.

Prince: Go back to when Coltrane and Miles and all those guys were playing. What was fame back then? Fame is only a by-product of whatever the medium is, like the Internet or fifty channels as opposed to four. Me? I grew up with four channels. We didn't have E!, Extra, 20/20, 60 Minutes...You can go on and on.

And in Miles' time, you didn't have any of those! Fame is media constructed with stars that they control.

Smokey D. Fontaine: So how do you succeed in that system?

Prince: The best thing you can do, as a writer, is to keep telling the truth. Keep people's antennas up because it's crazy. It's all fake. This lady asked me today, "Are you teaching the lip-synchers a lesson?" And I said, "Ma'am, that's not my duty. I just do what I do."

Smokey D. Fontaine: Do you teach a lot of younger musicians in your bands?

Prince: No. I just do what I do, and they're going to get what they are going to get. If they get dog, they get dog.

Smokey D. Fontaine: I always thought there are two kinds of artists: those that listen to their own music and those that don't. Do you listen to your own music?

Prince: No, because I'm always working on something new, and as you can see (points to his band), these young folks don't listen to old music. They just want to get out on this stage and jam!
Good night...




If you’ve seen the spectacular 12-page Prince package in the new issue of GIANT magazine (and if you haven’t, then shame on you!), then you know that includes all things Prince–an exclusive Q&A, an fan essay and lists galore. Well, there was only so much Prince that we could fit in 12 pages. So, here’s more of our all-out homage to his Royal Highness.

giantmagzine.com

Is this magazine here in the states, I would like 2 purchase it?

He said 6 questions but I counted 14 !

Awesome! Thanx 4 sharing.I can't find the magazine anywhere.

I got one. They were giving them out at the hamptons. Someone got one for me

DanceWme said:

Lucky u!

I think Prince's faith is beautiful, and I'm glad he's content, but something about the vibe throughout this troubles me. I miss his humor.




P.s. I wonder what he thinks about Betty Davis.

Great interview!

You're about a week late. Didn't like the interview, he sounds a little too arrogant.

wlcm2thdwn said:

....prince!...arrogant?!?....

...i like how he's fighting with it all throughout the interview...like saying 'we're not trying to compete'...while basically following up 2 sec later with a 'who can fuck wit us' response...

SirPsycho said:

hahah, I think he pulled the same thing with time too.

how long do you think this will be available on newsstands for?
im in europe and i wont get back to canada until august 23rd
do you think it will still be available then?

I found this bit amazing:

".. because they're caught up in worldly things like women, sex, drugs."

So he considers women to be "things" and "worldly" ?!

In contrary to what - men ?

Strange attitude i hafta say.

Sometimes i get the impression Prince himself doesn't have a clue what the f*** he's talking about.

It's sad to see Prince so wrapped up in God and faith, since there is no God whatsoever, and all those books he's reading are just stories, meant to keep people in line and make a person feel something instead of nothing. Life is random, there is no God watching over us. But after losing his parents, his child, etc, I can see why someone would turn to religion. It's all fake though.

pplrain said:

Me too!

this intwerview has alot of GOD talk .. but hey, if his gift is from god . GOD makes good music .. His faith has always been very strong .an he has always let it spill out in his gigs,interviews an songs ... an thats great.
u can tell he is a positive guy . I think his tallent is what he made it. he is the one who made the decision to practice on his guitar an piano an become a master songwriter .. he did it all ..god may have blessed him .. but its princes work an actions which created his tallent .. i respect the guys faith .. but he needs to take credit for what he has done .his faith aint 4 wavering an we aint all gonna share his beliefs .no matter how much he preaches .. dont make him wrong an u right . or vice versa .. just think he could do, with chilling out an talking to people on there own level sometimes, GOD is important to him . but the guy he was intervied by might have worshiped LEEDS UNITED FOOTBALL TEAM ..we know the importance of his faith .. aint no reason 4 him to mention it so often as he did in this interview .but aint no reason not too other than making the average joe hear him an understand him . When he does the god talk most people aint comfortable with hearing it an are closed to it ... on a good note he will have influinced many people to faith an has used his position almost like a promoter of god an his faith in alot of ways .. but some people aint ready or wanting to embrace it an never will . but they still wanna see him sing KISS ... so chill out , dont be so heavy it scares people an bores people ..Princes tallent is man made .an he did it himself . he should take a bow an take all credit for what he has achieved an choice to do with his life . his faith in god has helped him do it an been a good guide .. but that faith in god didnt do it . he did

beatz01 said:

Same, I think he's trying hard to come off cool/collected/conservative. I think the reason this troubles me is because it seems false to a degree. I don't doubt Prince's faith in the least, but I don't think he should be ashamed of his older music/tours. They helped mold him to himself present day, and they don't deserve to be repressed as such. I think by "women" he ment being promiscuous. Still...it's a little primitive.

I hope he stays peaceful.

Im desperate to get hold of a copy of this magazine, does anyone know how I can get it. I live in the uk would anyone be willing to send me one if I cover all costs? I have never read a Prince interview before, if you can help me please org me!!!!

synthiarose04 said:

I just googled giant magazine and brought a copy through my paypal account only cost £2.50 wohooo how happy am I

I don't this magazine days after it came out and I thought this package on Prince was amazing. Not only did it have a Q&A with Prince, but it had TWO photo packages (one on Prince's look, the other on Prince's women), a timeline along eight of the twelve pages, numerous top five lists, an album breakdown and a personal essay.

I know that I too often throw in my "As A Journalist...." schtick when I'm posting sometimes, but just for this one last time I have to say it:

As a journalist I have envious of the time and dedication that the Editor-in-Chief (who did the interview) and his staff put into putting this together. I put together a two packages when I was working my weekly college paper (both on the 2006 california state election) and that shit ain't easy. When I was reading this one, I was turning the last page and I was like DAMN--is that is? And I went back to the beginning to skim it again.

I've read good interviews with Prince in the past (I really liked the 2004 Rolling Stone Interview), but never has such passion and admiration been conferred on magazine pages like it was here.

I plan on writing a letter to the Editor-in-Chief when I get the first chance.

beatz01 said:

Of course women are worldly, as are men. Are you not of this world? His point is to focus on God first, relationships come after.

This is actually maybe the most mature interview I've heard him do. I'm usually put off by his religious commentary, but he backs it up with better examples this time, instead of just sounding like he's whacked out.
[Edited 8/11/07 14:26pm]

nice interview! does anyone have the Giant Magazine issue?!? could u post some pics if you do? cause I've never even heard of this magazine.

teaching lip synchers a lesson?

was that about MJ or Madonna?

lspear76 said:

let's just say life is a mystery...history has learned us that things which we think are right proof to be very different later on...so who knows there might be more meaning in it then we all know or can proof...as Prince said in is early days (it might fit to u..but if u like to fight u're double (xx) fool, i am going to the other life how about u? (or something like that)

wlcm2thdwn said:

I agree there he sounds like he's "above" it all. Then again good on him.

Interesting he doesn't listen to his own music and just moves on - further proof that he doesn't give a shit about remastering his back catalogue

You cut and pasted the entire interview from Housequake.com without acknowledging where you first saw it. Even the font is the same.

At this age, it starts to more be about what the gift is and then what your role is. That's where the Scriptures come into play. As men, we're supposed to be humble. The ones that can't are the ones that fall because they're caught up in worldly things like women, sex, drugs.

The Bible is the guidebook to help men and women with their sins. If I'm going to get some advice, wouldn't I want it from Solomon? That man had a thousand wives. I mean, I want to talk to the guy who had a thousand women!


My faith is restored! Wird.

Sam 8)

Copycat said:

Huh? All I see is the regular ol' Org text font. I'm not saying the person did or didn't swipe it from HQ because I honestly have no way of knowing, but if anyone "owns" the interview, it's Giant Magazine, no?