Last April marks five years since Prince passed on at the age of 57 due to what was reported to be an accidental fentanyl overdose, and the world continues to reel from the loss of what of its greatest artists. Since then, fans have been able to listen to music from Prince’s vaults — most recently singles like “Born 2 Die” and “Welcome 2 America.”
This past weekend, Prince’s posthumous LP —also titled Welcome 2 America — officially made landfall for us all to enjoy. The project comes with 12 unreleased cuts, all of which were recorded prior to Prince’s popular “Welcome 2” shows that ran from 2010 to 2012. As previously reported by REVOLT, Welcome 2 America documents Prince’s “concerns, hopes and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation and a renewed fight for racial justice.” Musicians and producers like Tal Wilkenfeld, Chris Coleman, and Morris Hayes all contributed to the album’s creation.
This isn’t the first body of work released since Prince’s unfortunate transition — prior to Welcome 2 America, his estate liberated the demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 and Originals in 2018 and 2019, respectively. A year prior to his death, Prince did bless the masses with HITnRUN Phase One and HITnRUN Phase Two in 2015.
In related news, publishing entity Primary Wave has managed to acquire a 42% stake in Prince’s estate, relinquishing control from three of Prince’s six heirs — youngest brother Omarr Baker, sister Tyka Nelson, and late half-brother Alfred Jackson. As a result, Primary Wave will have rights to Prince’s publishing, master recording revenue, name, likeness, and brand once the estate’s probate period ends — a process that is currently being handled by Comerica Bank & Trust. There’s also a looming tax issue, as the Internal Revenue Service billed the estate over $32 million in federal taxes.
Press play on Prince’s ‘Welcome 2 America’ album.