On this day in 1994, Prince released an album called Come. But this was no ordinary album drop. It was actually a funeral.
The album cover showed the dates “1958–1993.” Prince was still very much alive. But the corporate pop star named “Prince” was officially dead. This album became his final release under his original name for his restrictive Warner Bros. contract.
Prince speaks on record labels’ contract deals
What exactly happened between Prince and Warner Bros.? It was a massive clash of ideas.
Prince was a pure genius. He wrote and recorded new music every single day. He wanted to share it all with the world. But the record label said no. They told him to slow down. They were afraid that releasing too much music would ruin his sales.
Then, Prince realized a terrible truth. He did not own his master recordings. The label owned the actual, original tapes of his life’s work. Prince was furious. He famously said, “If you don’t own your masters, then your masters own you.” He even started walking on stage with the word “SLAVE” written clearly on his face.
This bitter fight is exactly why Come is so legendary. It was the first time a massive superstar staged a total, public rebellion against the music industry.
He used the album as a dark, beautiful farewell to his pop persona. He told the label the album was just old material from his vault. But the music was incredible. Tracks like “Letitgo” showed his amazing talent. He proved he could make pure magic, even while trying to sabotage his own contract.
The $100 Million Deal That Nearly Destroyed Prince!
Prince absolutely refused to renew his contract. In fact, he fought tooth and nail to escape it.
The label owned the trademark to the name “Prince.” So, he simply threw the name away. He changed his title to the famous, unpronounceable Love Symbol. He became a totally free man. To fulfill his old contract, he flooded the label with a mountain of music just to buy his way out.
Finally, he broke free. In 1996, he released an independent album. He appropriately named it Emancipation. Decades later, in 2014, he won the ultimate victory. He finally got his master tapes back from Warner Bros.
Prince paved the exact path for artists today, like Taylor Swift, to fight for their own music. He taught the world a beautiful truth. You should never let anyone else own your voice. If you believe in your art, you must always fight for your freedom.