Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota is an American musician.

He uses the stage name Prince and is best known by that name or as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, though the name he has used has varied over the years.

His music has spanned myriad styles: from his early material, rooted in R&B, funk, and soul, he has constantly expanded his musical palette throughout his career, absorbing many other genres including New Wave, pop, rock, blues, jazz, and hip hop.

The distinctive characteristics of the early-to-mid 1980s work which brought him to super-stardom became known as the "Minneapolis sound," which proved heavily influential.

Prince has been a remarkably prolific artist, having released several hundred songs, both under his own name and through other artists. Regarded as a perfectionist, Prince is known for being highly protective of his music.

He produces, composes, arranges and performs nearly all of the songs on his albums. Many critics have dubbed him a musical genius due to the quality of his compositions and proficiency at various instruments.