*A 2014 Rolling Stone feature was resurrected on Monday (May 2), to posthumously honor music icon Prince and share his views on everything from celibacy, the untimely death of Michael Jackson and the possibility of a woman president. He also told contributor Brian Hiatt that he once approached Chris Brown about possibly mentoring him.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m too close to it,” Prince hesitated, before continuing on in reference to Jackson, with an implicit response that presents a young Chris as an example. “He is just one of many who have gone through that door—Amy Winehouse and folks. We’re all connected, right, we’re all brothers and sisters, and the minute we lock that in, we wouldn’t let anybody in our family fall. That’s why I called Chris Brown. All of us need to be able to reach out and just fix stuff. There’s nothing that’s unforgivable.”
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The quote hints on Brown’s 2009 assault on then girlfriend Rihanna. Hiatt reminded the “wise feminist” that many considered Brown “unforgivable” for his actions.
“Unforgivable?” Prince replied. “Goodness. That’s when we go check the master, Christ. … Have you ever instantly forgiven somebody? It’s the best feeling in the world, and it totally dismantles that person’s whole stance.”
Prince also told the publication that he intended to perform well into old age.
“Life spans are getting longer,” he told Hiatt, before embarking on a philosophical, semi-sensical tangent. “One of the reasons is because people are learning more about everything, so then the brain makes more connections. Eventually, we’ll be in eternal brain mode because we’ll be able to hold eternity in our minds.” He also did not spend much time considering death, saying, “I don’t think about ‘gone.’”
The Paisley Park exclusive would have been the artists’ 9th Rolling Stong cover. He appeared on the front and center on issues 394, 429, 456, 472, 589, 855, 949, and 1000, Complex notes.
