Prince Reignites Long-running War With Record Industry

The Purple Rain hitmaker gave a rare interview with a group of 10 journalists at his Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday night (08Aug15), when he discussed his decision to put his upcoming album HitNRun exclusively on Jay Z's music streaming service Tidal.

According to National Public Radio, the pop star - who famously appeared in public with the word 'slave' written on his cheek during his legal battle with Warner Bros. bosses in the early 1990s - took the opportunity to praise Tidal and reiterate his dislike for the old-style music industry.

Prince reportedly said, "Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word - slavery. I would tell any young artist... don't sign... Once we have our own resources, we can provide what we need for ourselves. Jay Z spent $100 million of his own money to build his own service. We have to show support for artists who are trying to own things for themselves."

Prince's HitNRun, which was written and recorded in just three months, will stream on Jay Z's service from 7 September (15).