Prince has a few sharp words about the state of the music industry.
The Purple One recently hosted a rare meeting with 10 journalists at his Paisley Park studio in Minneapolis, where he shared his concerns about record deals and the lack of freedom they give artists, according to NPR. Reporters were not allowed to bring cellphones or recording devices to the meeting.
"Record contracts are just like -- I'm gonna say the word -- slavery," he said. "I would tell any young artist ... don't sign."
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Tough words of advice from a music veteran. The Grammy winner released his first album, For You, back in 1978 and has consistently churned out new material every decade since.
In the meeting at Paisley Park, he explained that record contracts take control of music away from artists, particularly when it comes to revenue made from streaming services. This year, the singer made a big statement by removing his catalogue from all streaming services.
Only one song, the newly-released "Stare," is available on Spotify, and four recently-released tracks are available on his official Soundcloud page.
WHAT R U https://t.co/YOxZ9GzR1g LOOKIN' AT? pic.twitter.com/H0BhI7rAtA— Prince3EG (@Prince3EG) August 7, 2015
Despite all that, Prince is a big supporter of Tidal, Jay Z's streaming servic. He's releasing his new album, HITNRUN exclusively on Tidal on Sept. 7. Tidal allows artists to control as much revenue as possible, he said.
"Once we have our own resources, we can provide what we need for ourselves," he said. "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."
He didn't end without taking one last shot at radio, particularly Clear Channel. Their hold on the radio industry has led to "homogenized stations across the country," Prince said, according to NPR's report.