Prince breaking boundaries
Breaking the music world by storm with his innovative sound and technique, Prince Rogers Nelson overcame the music industry. Prince-singer, songwriter, musician, and producer-is one of the earliest champion for artists’ rights and fighting big label dominance. A sound that crossed all genres and continues to connect generations, Prince led modern day change against free music streaming and unfair pay for artists- doing it alone.
Background
Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Acquiring interest in music at a young age Prince was self- taught to play the piano, guitar, and drums. Prince then signed to Warner Bros. at the age of nineteen. Playing every instrument in each
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He famously battled against his label Warner Bros. in efforts to obtain artistic rights and control of his own music. Prince was fighting for his professional life, he wanted out of the contract he signed at the age of nineteen, Warner Bros. refused to budge. Prince played out this sparring in public and on global stages. Succeeding by flooding the market with back to back albums much to the ire of the label or the pricey, extended battle waged against Warner Bros. to gain back to the right to his legal birth name. Prince went on to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol of O(+> known as the “Love Symbol” in 1993, a fusion of the female and male astrological symbol, he was more frequently referred to as “the artist formerly known as Prince.” Once he was finally released from all contractual obligations to Warner Bros., Prince released a triple album fittingly named Emancipation. The album went on to becoming certified platinum. After seven years of his life as an unpronounceable symbol, Prince reclaimed his given name in 2000, marking the controversy that expired the previous year of the restricting contract with Warner Bros. Prince had failed to gain possession of all the music he recorded for the label until 2014 after years of disputes and battles with the record