The 2015 song that soundtracked Prince’s final years: “It’s pure”
This piece revisits Prince's restless, ever-changing musical style through the eyes of Questlove, who argues that the star's constant reinvention stemmed from the eclectic art and films he surrounded himself with, including a self-described "aquarium" of Finding Nemo and Black Orpheus played on loop. It also highlights that, unusually for an older artist, Prince kept actively seeking out new music right up until his death in 2016, rather than retreating into familiar favourites.
Among his late discoveries was Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, which Prince praised for its honesty and musicianship, singling out Thundercat's contribution and declaring he would never remove the track "Alright" from his playlist. The article frames this admiration as fitting, given Lamar's own genre-blending approach, and notes that Lamar has since referenced Prince's influence in his lyrics, including on the Future "Mask Off" remix.
- Questlove says Prince's varied art tastes shaped his musical unpredictability.
- Prince kept two films, Finding Nemo and Black Orpheus, on constant loop.
- Prince named Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly a favourite.