No matter how well (or poorly) you think Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain has aged over the years, the Library Of Congress has just seen to it that the Purple One's seminal 1984 album will live on forever. Purple Rain, along with 24 other recordings, has just been selected for induction into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, and will be preserved for countless generations to come.

More >>

A New York judge this week ordered Prince to pay a perfume maker nearly $4 million for failing to promote the 3121 line of scents that were a tie-in to the release of 2006's 3121.

This is yet another bizarre entry in the life of Prince Rogers Nelson, a life in which each successive chapter manages to be more surreal than the last. Lately, it resembles a Martin Amis novel without all the sex but with weirder pop cultural signposts.

Prince, it seems, signed a licensing agreement with Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics in 2006, which awarded Universal Music Group 50 percent of the perfume profits and came with the expectation that Prince would perform for Revelations, as well--the details of which are hazy.

More >>

Photo by Randee St. Nicholas

​VH1's endless barrage of reality programming continues to feed a hungry public with a new series that you might swear already existed, Hollywood Exes. And for those starving for tidbits from Prince's era of public and label alienation in the '90s, they may come mainlined from his ex-wife Mayte Garcia.

The Purple One and the New Power Generation associate were lavishly married in 1996 in south Minneapolis and had split by 1998, but their working relationship spans back to the beginning of the decade. One of Garcia's more recent claims tso fame was choreographing Britney Spears' belly dancing in the "I'm a Slave 4 U" video.
More >>

Prince performing "When U Were Mine" in 1983.

​Nostalgia for Prince and the Revolution is running over the brim for many in the Twin Cities at the moment. Sunday evening's Benefit 2 Celebrate Life marked the reunion of his Purple Excellence's backing band at First Avenue and the renewed health of drummer Bobby Z, but reports of the elusive frontman joining them onstage never got past the rumor phase.

Whether you agree with our reviewer and think Sunday's show was just ok, or if the event was an elixir of reminiscence to be relived forever, you'll want to hop on YouTube today to catch an outpouring of vintage clips featuring Prince and his band in peak form that have popped up during the past week.
More >>

Here's part of the design inked by Minneapolis' Twilight Tattoo artist Shane Wallin.

​It's one thing to talk about Minnesota pride, but it's another altogether to ink it permanently to your torso. St. Paul resident Sean Kelsey is the new champion in that department with an Ork Poster-esque tribute to many of our local cultural landmarks and heroes that he can show to his friends once the temperature rises to a comfortable range that might not eat the flesh right off of him. Anyhow, Prince & the Revolution, the Replacements, Mint Condition, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and our venerable rock club First Avenue all were deemed worthy enough for inclusion in Peter Bekke's design for Burlesque Design in the shape of the North Star State. See the full tattoo below.More >>

Photo by Steve Cohen

Jesse Johnson, on the right, has left the Original 7ven.

​The Original 7ven, formerly known as Prince-created Time, is now down to slightly less funky six. In a lengthy statement on the band's official site, the guys set the record straight regarding guitarist Jesse Johnson's Facebook posting in December that, "I don't really think I'll be performing with the Original 7 (or The Time if your [sic] nasty) any more!" The rest of the group was blindsided by this announcement, which was not a topic of conversation during a reported three-hour conference call just the day before. After nearly a month-long period of silence, "the remaining 6ix" have decided to keep things going without Johnson.
More >>

​Prince to George Lopez, April 2011: "My problem is when the industry covers the music," he said. "There's this thing called compulsory licensing law that allows artists through the record companies to take your music at will without your permission."More >>

​SERIOUSLY. What's it gonna take to get the Purple One to play a gig in his hometown?More >>

​Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to update our Prince rolodexes.More >>

​Shortly after Purple Rain put Minneapolis on the map of the music world, Prince formed a little short-lived band called the Family. They would only record one album and play one sold-out show at First Avenue before disbanding, but their impact is still felt to this day.

Though the musicians occasionally played together in other projects after their split, no one expected to hear anything from the Family again. But that's all about to change this week, as four of the core members of the Family reunite as new band fDeluxe to release their debut album (or second album, depending on how you keep score) at the Loring Theater this Friday night.

More >>