How to Become the Next Prince

Good lucky trying to match his legacy.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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In life, Prince defied comparisons. In death, he’s left a void that may prove impossible to fill. Just try to come up with someone who was like him. Anyone ever. Any comparison you try and make, past or present, falls short. Miles Davis is in the ballpark when it comes to sheer output and stylistic changes—both musically and sartorially—but in other ways even the Dark Prince was no Prince.

It’s necessary to compare Prince not to single people, but to entire groups—he was James Brown and the JB's, Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton and Funkadelic, all wrapped up in one neatly coiffed, 5’1” purple package. He was the bandleader and the band. Imagine if Young Thug were just as prolific, but he also made every single beat. That still wouldn’t be close, but it’s probably as close a modern comparison as there is. D’Angelo has the creativity but not the productivity—his entire output would represent a solid month for Prince.

Sometimes it seems impossible that Prince was only one person. There must have been dozens of the guy just to manage all the outfit changes, let alone the touring, the writing, the recording. Maybe that’s part of why his death hit so hard; it was like losing an entire community of people in one body. Replacing him won’t be easy. But you’re welcome to try. 

Master every musical instrument.

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Write so many dope songs that you have to give them away to your friends and start new bands.

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Play live anywhere, anytime, for anyone, for as long as possible.

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Demand—and get—a starring role in a movie despite having never acted before.

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Be a sex symbol to everyone regardless of gender or orientation.

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Release 30-plus albums and still have tons of material in the vault.

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Change your name to an unpronounceable symbol.

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Own your publishing and your masters and scour the Internet for your music.

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Influence entire generations of artists while still being able to blow them all off the stage.

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Be a revolutionary artist for 40 years.

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