The man who once pointed to the future and urged people to party like it was 1999 is now saying the Internet is dead.
Reclusive pop star Prince railed against the web and all manner of gadgetry in an exclusive interview with The Mirror that will not dispel the notion that his eccentricity is now at Michael Jackson levels.
βThe Internet is completely over," the legendary musical genius said. "I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They wonβt pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they canβt get it.β
He added, βAll these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you.β
The 52-year-old devout Jehovah's Witness spoke from his 70,000-square-foot home base in Minneapolis called Paisley Park in advance of the release of his new album 20TEN.
The interview was given in conjunction with a Mirror giveaway of the CD. But aside from making his journalistic interrogator dance to old videos of "Soul Train," and listen to the new record (which the reporter says is great), the mercurial star doesn't play ball. He refuses to allow any pictures and won't answer questions about Michael Jackson or his own past.
Fans might like to know Prince believes he's a much better musician now than when he was younger, and said it has done wonders for him.
U.S. & World
"Playing electric guitar your whole life does something to you," he said. "I'm convinced all that electricity racing through my body made me keep my hair."