Janelle Monáe is opening up about their mentorship with Prince, highlighting the late rock icon’s influence and advocacy for artists – particularly Black women.
In a recent episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, Monáe reflected on early career moments and memories with the Purple Rain singer as Hudson displayed a photo of the two performing together.
“This just tells you what kind of person this is,” Monáe explained. “I just remember him calling me, like, ‘Hello, Janelle. This is Prince.’ I opened up for him – I wanna say this was The Forum. I did Madison Square Garden, and I also did The Forum, and this was my set opening for him, and he came out during our set and performed our song we have together [“Give ‘Em What They Love”] on The Electric Lady together. The headliner never comes out before it’s time for them to come, and for him to do that…”
“He never let his – how do I put it – his mystery get in the way of his mentorship,” they said.
Though Hudson never got the opportunity to work with Prince herself, Monáe insisted the “When Doves Cry” artist loved Hudson’s work.
“He loved you,” Monáe revealed. “I remember talking about you – he loved you, and that just speaks to the type of person he was. I think he was a big advocate for artists, for Black women in particular.”
Prince passed away in 2016, leaving behind many mentees, from the likes of Sheila E. to Alicia Keys. Monáe discussed the difficulty of his passing back in 2018, as she acknowledged the inspiration and legacy he left behind.
“It’s difficult for me to even speak about this because Prince was helping me with the album before he passed on to another frequency,” Monáe told The Guardian at the time. “I wouldn’t be as comfortable with who I am if it had not been for Prince,” the “Lipstick Lover” artist continued. “I dedicate a lot of my music to Prince, for everything he’s done for music and Black people and women and men, for those who have something to say and also at the same time will not allow society to take the dirt off of them. It’s about that dirt and not getting rid of that dirt.”
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