Prince reveals his "O word" in Billboard cover story

Following six magical performances at the Dakota Jazz Club, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of an all-Prince blitz. Billboard magazine, the music industry's sales-tracking publication, has him on the cover -- and writer Gail Mitchell is escorted into the world of Paisley Park in Chanhassen just days before his performances in downtown Minneapolis. "There was a time in Prince's career when 'the "O" word' might have had a more lascivious connotation," she writes. "But the O word he's referring to now is 'ownership.'"

And from the regular news leaks on Dr. Funkenberry's blog, and the 3rd Eye Girl viral campaign -- which now seems to be a move from within his camp to promote his new all-female group, in spite of what a "cease and desist" letter had us believe -- this ownership strategy on the web seems to be in effect. And it should only expand this week with a new official website.

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Head to the cleverly constructed URL 20pr1nc3.com to catch what looks to be the first batch of several videos from Prince, including a lyric video for the new song "Screwdriver," which figured into his shows at the Dakota.

Of course, Billboard has some incentive of their own in pumping up the funky Purple One. On May 19, the Billboard Music Awards will honor him with the Icon award. He is expected to perform at the event, which is being held in Las Vegas. But the cover story still is an illuminating portrait of where this artist stands in 2013, and how he's moving ahead with manager Julia Ramadan assisting. The first portion of the story is here. We'll update you with more highlights after Gimme Noise hustles to the bookstore to snag a copy.

For now, here's the "Chapter & Verse" recording from last Thursday's Dakota Show featuring Gimme Noise alum Andrea Swensson's artistry (with permission) for its cover.