Prince

Prince: ( when asked if he would have become a vegetarian if it wasn't for Mayte) Mayte showed me how many different vegetarian dishes one could have and never miss the things you would imagine. I never was a big milk drinker anyway, but I really like vanilla soymilk. Being without my wife's influence is not a reality to me, so I don't speculate on life without her.

Prince: (on how far as he taken his vegetarianism) We don't eat anything with parents. Complete vegans, both of us! The opening lyrics to Animal Kingdom [on the forthcoming Truth album] refer to a conversation between Spike and me about the benefits of cow's milk over human. I believe they are few.

Prince: (on teens needing more God in their lives) When I look at the violence, I wonder where the parents are, but also where is God in their lives? A kid is an open computer ready for programming. Some weird relationships happen, smoking too early and sex.

Prince: (preaching about the importance of virtue) when you use those (curse) words, you call up all the anger, all the negatives times the word has been used before you bring it toward yourself. Why would you want that?

Prince: ( about his last couple of years with his former label, Warner Bros. records) I was doing my best to fulfill my contract. You can now hear that my soul has been in love with [my wife] Mayte for thousands of years. I believe that I was just trying to express it in a simple record. I wanted to say friend, lover, sister, mother, wife back then, but it wasn't the time. If you check the video for the song "Seven," you will see Mayte and I walking through the doors hand-in-hand and the dove exploding. That was when I spiritually checked out of the whole situation; but I did what I had to do.

Prince: (on his song writing creative process) Yes, it is different all the time. The main way that something comes is fully completed. And the fun part then is just listening. When I'm writing, some days the pen just goes. I'm not in charge and I'm almost listening outside of it. That's when I realize that we all have to start looking at life as a gift. It's like listening to a color and believing that these colors have soul-mates and once you get them all together the painting is complete.

Prince: (on changing his name to a symbol) I follow what God tells me to do. It said, 'Change your name,' and I changed my name to a symbol ready for Internet use before I knew anything about the Internet.

Prince: (when asked about his religious beliefs) I believe in God. There is only one God. And I believe in an afterworld. Hopefully we'll all see it. I have been accused of a lot of things contrary to this, and I just want people to know that I'm very sincere in my beliefs. I pray every night, and I don't ask for much. I just say, "Thank you" all the time.

Prince: (on his approach to directing a video) When directing myself, I consult Steve (Fargnoli), my manager. On directing other Paisley Park artists, I consult the artists first and foremost. One of the things I try to do with the things I direct, namely for our acts, is go for the different, the out-of-the-norm, the avant purple, so to speak. And the thing that's unique about the situation I'm in now with these people is that they all know who they are, and they agree with me when we say the one thing we produce is the alternative. If someone wants to go along for that ride, then cool.

Prince: I've got more hits than Madonna's got kids.

Prince: I never really got off on awards so much. I think it's more for the people who give them and also for the fans. I get a lot of props from people in the street and a lot of love and congratulation, pats on back, so it's a good feeling you know the after-effects.

Prince: Cool means being able to hang with yourself. All you have to ask yourself is 'Is there anybody I'm afraid of? Is there anybody who if I walked into a room and saw, I'd get nervous?' If not, then you're cool.

Prince: People say I'm wearing heels because I'm short. I wear heels because the women like 'em.

Prince You can always renegotiate a record contract. You just go in and say, 'You know, I think my next project will be a country-and-western album'.