A prince of a guy - the artist formerly known as Prince - includes a behind-the-scenes look at Paisley Park - Interview

Vegetarian Times, Oct, 1997 by Catherine Censor Shemo

The rocker with a "bad boy" rep talks to Vegetarian Times about the loves of his life: his wife, music and vanilla soymilk.

Most know him as the guy with the symbol for a name--the rocker whose raunchy lyrics were quoted in Congress during the debate over parental advisories on recordings; the guy whose sense of style includes peek-a-boo clothing and bold gestures such as scrawling "slave" on his cheek during his disputes with Warner Bros. But there's a surprising side to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

The man behind the symbol is witty, political, compassionate, deeply spiritual--and vegetarian. He's also newly talkative. For much of his career, the Artist (as he is referred to by friends and even Mayte, his wife), rarely granted interviews. His reluctance to discuss the name change or other, more tragic aspects of his life (he and Mayte reportedly had a physically impaired son who died soon after birth), fueled rampant tabloid rumor.

But now, at 38, the Artist seems to have found his voice. And perhaps the reason is that he has a great deal to talk about: He finally owns the master tapes to his own work and his latest triple CD, Emancipation has gone double platinum. He is deeply in love with his wife, 23-year-old Mayte ("my-TAY"), a dancer and former member of the Artist's band, the New Power Generation; together they have founded a charity, Love 4 One Another, that helps underprivileged kids and adults. And his vegetarianism--indeed much of his outlook on life--has been inspired by his love for her.

If the Artist is still learning his way around a vegetarian refrigerator (Mayte describes his food preferences as "still kind of bland--he isn't used to the ethnic foods that vegetarians eat"), he's both knowledgeable and outspoken about animal rights and human nutrition. In fact, the theme of animal rights has cropped up in the lyrics of two recent songs. One of them, "Joint 2 Joint," on the Emancipation CD reveals a distinct preference for soy milk over dairy ("Oh great/Now you think you're my soul mate/You don't even know what kind of cereal I like/Wrong/Captain Crunch/With soymilk/Cuz cows are for calves"). The other, "Animal Kingdom," from his as-yet unreleased CD, Truth, takes an unnamed friend to task for singing the praises of cow's milk. That "friend" is apparently Spike Lee who has appeared in the dairy industry's "milk mustache" ad campaign.

In an exclusive interview, we asked the Artist about everything from karma to Captain Crunch. Here's what he had to say:

VT: How, when and why did you and Mayte become vegetarians?

The Artist: I've not eaten red meat for about 10 years now. Mayte for a lot longer. I've always had a preference for

all things vegetarian but not until recently did I find out how good they were for you (in a physical sense).

VT: How far have you taken your vegetarianism? The lyrics on Emancipation's "Joint 2 Joint" suggest that you like soymilk on your cereal. Have you given up dairy and eggs as well as flesh foods?

The Artist: We don't eat anything with parents. Complete vegans--both of us! The opening lyrics to "Animal Kingdom" [on the forthcoming Truth album] refer to a conversation between Spike and me about the benefits of cow's milk over human. I believe they are few.

VT: Many people become vegetarian out of concern for their health, but I know that's not what motivated you and Mayte. Can you tell us how your beliefs affected this decision?

The Artist: Thou shalt not kill means just that! We don't have to kill things to survive. In fact, the complete opposite happens: If you kill, you will die.

VT: That sounds pretty dire. Speaking of dire: Some people think vegetarianism is all about denying yourself pleasure. Have you found this to be true? You don't strike me as the kind of guy who thinks sensual pleasure is negative.

The Artist: Mayte and I get no pleasure from playing Russian roulette with food. Eating anything ridden with bacteria raises your chances for disease. Being sick is not pleasurable.

VT: I gather that Mayte was the driving force behind your interest in vegetarianism. Would you have gotten there without her influence?

The Artist: Mayte showed me how many different vegetarian dishes one could have and never miss the things you would imagine. I never was a big milk drinker anyway, but I really like vanilla soymilk. Being without my wife's influence is not a reality to me, so I don't speculate on life without her.

VT: What changes have the two of you noticed since becoming vegetarians?

The Artist: I actually enjoy eating more. I have more energy and most of all, my aura is stronger. One can actually feel one's karmic debt decrease with every meal. Mayte enjoys preparing meals for the two of us. It strengthens our bond.

VT: Your practical, as well as philosophical experience, is of interest to us. Now that you're eating vegetarian meals, are you learning to cook differently? Do you have a chef who cooks for you? Do you have a favorite style of cuisine or a favorite meal?