Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson was a once-in-a-generation force who played 27 instruments, wrote thousands of songs, and defied every category the music industry tried to place him in. From Purple Rain to Sign o' the Times to the vault of unreleased recordings that may never be fully catalogued, Prince produced a body of work so vast and varied that it will take generations to fully appreciate.

Born in Minneapolis in 1958 to two jazz musicians, Prince signed his first recording contract at 17 with complete creative control — a nearly unheard-of deal for any artist, let alone a Black teenager. He played every instrument on his debut album, wrote and produced everything, and by 1984 had created Purple Rain, the album and film that made him one of the biggest stars on earth.

But Prince's most radical act may have been his battle with Warner Bros. over ownership of his master recordings. He changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, wrote 'SLAVE' on his face, and spent years fighting for the principle that artists should own their work. He was vindicated when he eventually reclaimed his masters. His Paisley Park compound in Minnesota remains a monument to creative independence — a place where a Black man from Minneapolis built his own world on his own terms.