Prince reportedly regarded funk pioneer George Clinton as an especially meaningful admirer, valuing his approval above that of professional critics. The article argues that this mattered because Prince was famously hard to please and often sceptical of the music industry and its commentators.

Prince recalled Clinton praising his 1985 album Around the World in a Day, saying that Clinton’s opinion carried greater weight because of his contribution to funk. The piece also notes Prince’s hostility towards many cover versions of his work, contrasting it with his relative acceptance of Foo Fighters’ version of ‘Darling Nikki’ because he respected the band.