The Real Reason Prince Took Control of His Music

Long before the industry was buzzing with terms like “independent artist,” “masters ownership,” or “creator rights,” Prince was already leading a one-man revolution. A musical genius, fashion icon, and performance powerhouse, Prince didn’t just challenge the status quo, he obliterated it. And at the heart of everything he did? Freedom.

“When I first started out in this music industry, I was most concerned with freedom. Freedom to produce, freedom to play all the instruments on my records, freedom to say anything I wanted to.” — Prince

While the world praised his undeniable talent, what truly separated Prince from his peers was his obsession with creative control, a trait that, at the time, was almost unheard of for a Black artist signed to a major label. From the moment he stepped onto the scene with For You in 1978, Prince made it clear he wasn’t here to be a puppet or fit into someone else’s mold. He wrote, produced, and performed every track himself. Not out of ego, but necessity.

The music industry, even now, often operates on a system that benefits from artists' dependency on producers, songwriters, managers, labels, and publishers. For Prince, that was a threat. He understood early on that with every hand reaching into the creative pot, his vision got diluted. So he did what few dared to: he built an empire from scratch, piece by piece, while keeping ownership at the core.

But his fight for freedom didn’t stop at the studio door. In the 1990s, he famously changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol and began performing with the word “SLAVE” written on his cheek. It wasn’t a gimmick. It was a protest. He was battling Warner Bros., the label that owned his master recordings and controlled when he could release new music. Prince wasn’t just fighting for himself; he was calling out a system that had long exploited artists, especially Black ones.

Prince’s refusal to compromise paved the way for today’s wave of independent artists reclaiming their rights. His story feels eerily relevant in 2025, as conversations about fair streaming payouts, AI music ethics, and artist exploitation continue to heat up. But back then? He was risking it all for the idea that an artist should own their own voice.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Today, young artists cite Prince as a blueprint, not just for the music, but for the mentality. The “do-it-yourself,” “don’t sell out,” “learn the business” mentality. Artists like Frank Ocean, Nipsey Hussle, Chance the Rapper, and countless others owe a slice of their liberation to the road Prince paved with blood, sweat, and master tapes.

At BUZZMUSIC, we believe every independent artist should study Prince, not just for his sound, but for his strategy. In an industry that still tries to box you in, Prince taught us how to break out and stay free.