So I was just looking up random articles online and stumbled upon this interview between Neil Strauss and Prince. If you don't know Neil Strauss, also known as Style, is a pretty famous journalist who is known for his pieces on music, as well as bringing the "pickup arts" to the mainstream with his book "The Game." Well he was writing his latest book, "Everyone Loves You When You're Dead," which is apparently a book full of his experiences/interviews with his rock star friends like Chuck Berry, Britney Spears, and Snoop Dogg.

While writing the book he managed to get one with Prince! Unfortunately Strauss basically said he didn't include the interview in his book bc Prince turned the tables and started interviewing him! Fortunately for us, he was allowed to release the interview as a way to promote the book.

http://www.askmen.com/celebs/interview_500/526_prince.html

Quick Bio

When writing Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead, I combed through 20 years of adventures experienced while embedded in the lives of rock, pop and rap stars for magazine and newspaper profiles, searching for moments where the mask came off and celebrities revealed their true selves.

Though Prince is in the book, I didn’t include the following interview because the tables got turned. Instead of me interviewing Prince, he somehow started interviewing me. However, his questions often revealed more about his character than answers would be in a normal interview. The location was a Los Angeles club, where Prince sat with his entourage in a roped-off section, sporting a pencil-thin mustache and an '80s puffy black shirt with vertical white vents.

Suddenly, he started barraging me with questions and carefully evaluating each answer, as if he were giving me a test. Because Prince doesn’t allow reporters to record his voice, the following is paraphrased and reconstructed from notes made at the time.

So what else do you do?

Neil Strauss :

I write books.

What are they about?

NS :

The last one was called The Game. I spent two years studying the techniques of the world’s greatest pickup artists.

What were the others about?

NS :

I wrote books about people in entertainment. I did one with Motley Crue, another with Jenna Jameson, and some others about music.

So you write rock books?

NS :

I guess I mostly write about the dark side.

Why the dark side?

NS :

Because it’s more interesting.

But the light side can be interesting too.

NS :

I suppose it can be. I never thought of that.

Do you believe in God?

NS :

I definitely believe in something greater than ourselves, but it depends on how you define God. [pause] Why did you ask that question?

Because it lets me know what someone is about. If you think about it, the light side can be just as interesting as the dark side.

NS :

Maybe I should write a book about that.

If you want to write a book about a mystery, I have one for you. Do you like mysteries?

NS :

I love mysteries. That’s what storytelling is all about.

Have you ever studied the Bible?

NS :

I’ve read the Bible, but never studied it.

What do you mean by the Bible?

NS :

The Old and New Testaments.

Which version of the Bible did you read?

NS :

The King James.

The New World version is the most accurate version. It's also the best. It doesn't have the "thees" and "thous." It's just ordinary language. Do you pray?

NS :

I don’t pray. I’ve meditated, though.

Why not?

NS :

I wasn’t raised to.

Are your parents religious?

NS :

Yes, but they didn’t really practice.

What did they do?

NS :

It was more important as a community to them.

Why is that important?

NS :

Perhaps as a sense of identity.

Isn't that racism?

NS :

I don’t think it’s about race. I think it’s human nature to make divisions and pick sides, whether it’s shirts versus skins or different sports teams.

Want to hear the mystery?

NS :

I’m ready.

The mystery is [long, dramatic pause]: Why has the name "God" been slowly removed from the Bible?

Neil Strauss :

What do you mean?

They have slowly taken the name "God" out of the Bible and replaced it with "Lord." Do you know why?

NS :

Probably to give themselves more power?

It's about power, and people wanting to control others. Why do you think they want power?

NS :

I don’t know. I think t...organized religion is that people who go to worship often need a conduit to God or an authority telling them what’s right and wrong. And that authority is sometimes abused.

But you need an authority. Otherwise, who are you responsible to?

NS :

You’re responsible to yourself.

And the being who created the world and the trees and the oceans, you just ignore?

NS :

Oh, I thought you meant a human authority. You can be responsible to God. Gratitude is very important.

(Prince begins talking in a hushed voice about the death of his father and how it was hard for him. The club, unfortunately, is loud, and I’m not able to make out every word he says.)

Everyone has a rock bottom. We know what the rock bottom is. But what's the limit to happiness?

NS :

Has anyone reached the rock top? I wonder what that would be.

From here, the discussion turns to Jehovah’s Witnesses, 9/11, violence in society, and a dozen other related subjects. At one point, he gestures to his band, the New Power Generation, and the rest of his entourage, and explains...

We like to talk like this. We can talk forever about what's wrong, but we like to think about solutions. Most people don't want to talk about politics and religion. They say, "Let's talk about something else."

NS :

But what else is there? That’s what our civilization is about.

That's right.

NS :

So let me ask you something. Do you think God is looking after each and every individual, or does he sometimes have to harm an individual in order to serve the greater good of the universe?

When everyone recognizes Jehovah's name, then everyone will be happy because everyone will know what to do and how to do it.

NS :

Really? That’s it?

It's really that simple.

as i get older i realise prince is JUST a bloke with a jaw droppingly genius gift.

he should stick to music

his genius aint in preaching...............

i cringe when i read this and in a perverse way just want someone to say OH SHUT THE FUCK UP MAN!!!

Thanks for posting.

Oh Prince...

When everyone recognizes Jehovah's name, then everyone will be happy because everyone will know what to do and how to do it.

Really? That’s it?

*shudder*

Old interview.

awesome. thanks for posting.

No wonder such a brainwashed person doesnt know how to deal with his creativity....

Prince is trolling us all.

I did not think it was that bad actually. Interesting read.

If a close friend of mine would talk that way, i would advice a mental institution

God....Prince's argument for the existence of Jehovah is preposterous. Yes Prince, reading a book , that was written (rewritten many times and translated too) in the Bronze Age when ppl believed the world was flat, in sea monsters, spitting on a wound would cure it...is still relevant in this day and age. SUUURRE PRINCE I'm sold. I wish he'd outgrow his cult beliefs, get a producer and make some great music again.

Interesting interview.

Prince been like this for 30 years.

This only reinforces the image I have of him as an insanely talented guy, who's also kind of 'special'. His beliefs are not ones I object to; if he were a racist or anything I wouldn't listen to him, but his preaching is pretty harmless.

Face. Palm.

How quaint,

:douche chills:

NewYorkMike said:

Prince is trolling us all.

Neil's a good interviewer, and likes being accurate. In the book he mentions why P had no problem with video cameras, but a problem with journalists bringing a tape recorder.

dalsh327 said:

Neil's a good interviewer, and likes being accurate. In the book he mentions why P had no problem with video cameras, but a problem with journalists bringing a tape recorder.

Why's that?

Style's stupid Pick Up Artist stuff ruined 3 years of my life

interesting

[Edited 10/22/11 23:41pm]

Prince isn't different from the rest of us. We all have beliefs which keep us walled off from reality. Its just that his are on public display and get dissected by people on here. If people on here put their beliefs out there in the public realm they might get shot down as well.

ConsciousContact said:

Prince isn't different from the rest of us. We all have beliefs which keep us walled off from reality. Its just that his are on public display and get dissected by people on here. If people on here put their beliefs out there in the public realm they might get shot down as well.

Nonsense, 9 out of 10 of my friends, familymembers or people i know are probably better capable of defending their views within this field, and feel less obliged to present their own thoughts and idea's as 'dogma's'.

What i often see happening here is that some people seem to be more 'mild' towards Prince when it comes to judging his philosophical and religious views, or even rate him as more insightfull in that field JUST because he is a celebrity or someone who get idolised.

The main issue is that some people tend to judge him differently from the rest of us, simply because he is more popular and well-known. Well, you surely can give him credits for THAT, but not for believing he knows more about life and reality, BECAUSE of that... lol

Riverman37 said:

Prince isn't different from the rest of us. We all have beliefs which keep us walled off from reality. Its just that his are on public display and get dissected by people on here. If people on here put their beliefs out there in the public realm they might get shot down as well.

Nonsense, 9 out of 10 of my friends, familymembers or people i know are probably better capable of defending their views within this field, and feel less obliged to present their own thoughts and idea's as 'dogma's'.

What i often see happening here is that some people seem to be more 'mild' towards Prince when it comes to judging his philosophical and religious views, or even rate him as more insightfull in that field JUST because he is a celebrity or someone who get idolised.

The main issue is that some people tend to judge him differently from the rest of us, simply because he is more popular and well-known. Well, you surely can give him credits for THAT, but not for believing he knows more about life and reality, BECAUSE of that... lol

I'm not talking about defending anything, I'm saying that we've all got limiting beliefs that keep us isolated in our own little world, which has got nothing to do with the dogmatism of a persons beliefs.