Why Prince Changed His Name and Wrote “Slave” on His Face
In 1993, Prince replaced his famous name with the Love Symbol during a public dispute with his record label, Warner Bros. The move was his protest against restrictions he believed limited his creative freedom and control over his music. Prince had grown frustrated that the label controlled when his albums were released and owned the master recordings from much of his career. He later appeared publicly with “Slave” written on his cheek to highlight what he saw as an unfair contract. News outlets began calling him “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” because the symbol could not easily be printed or pronounced. His fight with Warner Bros. continued for years and became a defining example of musicians challenging record-label control over masters and artistic independence. His 1996 album, *Emancipation*, reflected his push for freedom. Prince eventually left Warner Bros. and returned to using his name professionally.
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