I can remember Prince very clearly from my early years: the singles from 1999, somehow knowing songs like "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and the like, and my cousin's Controversy poster (that creepy underwear picture) that she had on the wall. We had the Purple Rain tape, which we rocked regularly in the Volvo -- that I highly suspect my mother being the one who OK-ed/purchased it, I'm surprised it got any play.

Basically followed him to some degree since then. Loved "Kiss", SOTT, even "Batdance" and stuff like that. That whole BATMAN era led into the reunion of The Time, and I really dug that. Shocked to see all those guys together again. "Jerk Out" was and still is my shit.

Around '91 and '92 I really started laughing my ass off @ his music with songs like "My Name Is Prince" and later on, that "Gangsta Glam" stuff really had me peacing out.

as for when I really started listening to his music with a much more careful ear... it was around the same time I really started getting deep into older music, cause rap was starting to be less "consensus" and whatnot... I had put it off for the longest, but I started at FOR YOU and went forward.

Really went into a phase about 5 years ago with his music. Even caught up and watched the Purple Rain movie, which I had not seen in its entirety until then.