The Prince Mixtape

For our season finale, Nichole sits down with her good friends Mickey and Rashad to share how they continue to process their grief over Prince’s death and celebrate his unforgettable legacy. And we hear from several guests featured this season with their answers to the question “If you had five more minutes with Prince, what would you say or do?” 

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What makes Prince fans so intensely passionate? Our superfan host Nichole sits down with some other superfans to unpack their collective and individual love of Prince, and how he contributed to their sexual awakenings. Also, Nichole and Prince expert Anil Dash reflect on the surprising ways Prince connected with fans.

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How did Prince engage with the world? Prince was a quiet activist and some say a feminist. We talk to Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza about Prince’s activism. And professor Lynnée Denise helps us makes sense of Prince’s complicated relationship with women. 

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What made Prince such a unique performer? Musician and Prince muse Patrice Rushen, professor Kat Okedeyi, and writer Anil Dash explore how funk infused Prince’s performance style, including his Super Bowl Halftime Show and one of his last concerts ever.  

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What inspired Prince to scrawl the word “slave” on his face and change his name to an unpronounceable symbol? Prince’s first manager, Owen Husney, scholar Lynnée Denise, and writer Anil Dash unpack Prince’s battle with his label to own his masters. 

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How did Prince become synonymous with ruffled shirts and peekaboo lace? The women behind his most iconic looks lift the veil on what it was like to dress and design for a style superstar. We’ll meet Marie France, Prince’s costume designer during the Purple Rain and Under the Cherry Moon eras, and Stacia Lang, Prince’s costume designer responsible for his infamous booty cutout pantsuit. 

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How did Prince’s music end up being debated in the halls of Congress? Susan Rogers, the recording engineer on Prince’s Purple Rain album, shares what it was like making songs like “Darling Nikki” in Prince’s basement home studio. And scholar Lynnée Denise shares a personal story of how “Darling Nikki” impacted her life. 

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How did Prince Rogers Nelson become an international superstar? The story begins in Minneapolis in the 1970s. We speak to Prince’s first producer, Chris Moon, about helping Prince find his voice in the studio.

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The Prince Mixtape takes listeners inside the life of one of the greatest American music icons of all time through the people who knew him, worked with him or simply loved him from afar. Host Nichole Perkins digs deep into key moments of his life like when his sexually liberated lyrics gave birth to the Parental Advisory sticker, when he fought to own his masters, and when he rocked that infamous booty cut-out pantsuit. Just like a treasured mixtape from your favorite crush, this show is a reflection of the moments, the thrill and the passion, that made up Prince’s life.

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Princess Diana influenced the fashion world long before influencers were a thing. She rocked athleisure before it was cool and paved the way for the term “revenge dress.” And then there was the wedding dress of all wedding dresses. Aminatou Sow talks with the woman behind THAT dress: Elizabeth Emanuel. It turns out these stylistic choices, fun as they may have been, were not made in vain. We also hear from author and Diana style expert Eloise Moran, as well as GQ fashion critic Rachel Tashjian about what the princess was trying to say through her clothes. 

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