Janelle Monae Does Essence + Talks Prince, Being the Voice for The People

Janelle Monae snagged the “Black Woman in Music Honoree” title for Essence Magazine. She spoke to Essence about Prince, Diddy, and her Essence nomination. Janelle spoke about being mentored by Prince and what it meant to her as a young artist:

“It’s meant the universe. He’s a great friend, and he is also there when I need to talk. He is also a believer in what we do. For him to be inspired by “The ArchAndroid” is really just a beautiful thing. He has inspired me and given me the blueprint as an artist. He has his own box that he runs around in and jumps out of and comes back in. I want to be a better musician not just a singer because of Prince.”

She also spoke about being the voice for the people and what her music really means to her:

“I think it’s important to be the voice of the people, particularly the working class — those working everyday to make something out of nothing. Music is their drug of choice whenever they feel oppressed or depressed. I want to create music that is uplifting to them, you know, speak for those who are being picked on and discriminated against because of how they look or their sexual preference or for just being who they are. I want to encourage people and those around them to love themselves by giving them an experience, somewhere they can go whenever they want to escape. It’s not just a collection of songs, but an experience.”