Prince’s 90s Collaborations: Funk, Freedom, and Surprise Guest Stars

By the 1990s, Prince had already spent over a decade transforming the sound of pop music. He had turned Minneapolis into a capital of funk, won Oscars and Grammys, and filled arenas with purple-clad fans. But Prince wasn’t content to coast on old hits. Instead, he entered the new decade with fresh purpose, rethinking everything from his band to his sound to, famously, his own name.

Prince worked with legends, launched new careers, and paired up with musicians so unexpected that fans are still discovering these tracks today. Whether it was a full-length album or a one-time studio session, Prince’s collaborations pushed him and everyone around him to new creative heights.

Prince started the ‘90s by switching up his entire team. After disbanding his iconic ‘80s group, The Revolution, he introduced the world to The New Power Generation (NPG). The music was louder, bolder, more influenced by hip-hop and street culture, and far more diverse in style and sound. This wasn’t just a backup group; they were Prince’s full-on musical army.

The first NPG album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991), was a commercial and creative triumph. It gave fans unforgettable hits like “Cream,” “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” and “Gett Off.” Rosie Gaines brought gospel-soaked vocals, rapper Tony M. added a gritty lyrical edge, and bass player Sonny T. locked in the funk.

The group continued to evolve on albums like Love Symbol (1992) — where Prince took on a symbol as his name — and The Gold Experience (1995), which included the silky ballad “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” These records weren’t just about music; they were Prince’s way of reasserting artistic freedom during a rocky battle with his label, Warner Bros. And through it all, the NPG had his back.

Before NPG, there was The Time, a side project Prince created in the early '80s featuring frontman Morris Day and a sound that mixed synth-funk with swagger and comedy. Though they had split by the end of that decade, Prince reunited with The Time in 1990 for the soundtrack to his movie Graffiti Bridge. The film flopped, but the music lived on.

Tracks like “Release It” reminded fans how tight The Time still was, with Prince behind the curtain writing and producing most of the material. The reunion was brief but showed Prince’s loyalty to his musical roots and his talent for turning even fictional bands into real hitmakers.

While it technically dropped in 1989, Prince’s duet with Madonna on “Love Song” set the tone for his collaborations in the early ‘90s. The track, featured on Madonna’s Like a Prayer album, was slow-burning and experimental — two megastars exploring how strange and intimate a pop song could get.

They recorded parts of it in Prince’s Paisley Park Studios and others in Los Angeles. Though “Love Song” was never released as a single, it showcased the kind of creative risk both artists were known for. Fans whispered about a possible romance between the two, but neither of them offered much beyond smirks and shrugs. The mystery only added to the allure.

By 1999, Prince was still full of surprises. That year, on his album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, he brought in indie folk star Ani DiFranco for one of his most intimate and emotionally raw tracks: “Eye Love U, But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore.” It was a quiet ballad, just Prince’s voice, DiFranco’s acoustic guitar, and a sense of heartbreak hanging in the air.

DiFranco wasn’t exactly a pop star. She was known for fierce independence and political lyrics, not the usual guest on a Prince album. But the pairing worked.

Prince didn’t just collaborate for attention; sometimes, he used his platform to elevate artists he admired. One of the most fruitful examples came in 1998, when he signed Chaka Khan to his NPG Records label and co-produced her album Come 2 My House.

He and Chaka had history. She turned his song “I Feel For You” into a smash hit. But Come 2 My House was a full-circle moment — a bold, funky, and spiritual record that mixed gospel vibes with sci-fi funk grooves. Prince played keys, wrote tracks, and even joined her on vocals.

In the mid-’90s, Prince’s collaborations turned more spiritual. A major reason was Larry Graham, the legendary bassist from Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station. Known for inventing the slapping technique on bass, Graham was also a Jehovah’s Witness, and he introduced Prince to the faith.

Musically, the two gelled instantly. Graham’s bass featured on various tracks and live shows, bringing vintage funk back into Prince’s sound. But their connection went beyond music. Prince credited Graham with helping him find purpose during a time of personal and professional turmoil. In later interviews, Prince described their bond as life-changing.

One of Prince’s strangest and most criticized collaborations came in 1993, when he produced an entire rap album for a then-unknown model named Carmen Electra. The album, Carmen Electra, was a mix of sexy rhymes, heavy beats, and Prince’s unmistakable flair.

Prince had discovered her during auditions and believed she had star potential. While Carmen later became famous for acting and modeling, her rap career never took off. Still, the album is a bizarre time capsule of Prince’s willingness to take risks, even if the rest of the world didn’t catch on.

Though Prince was notoriously private, he loved working with other geniuses. In 1993, he played guitar for funk legend George Clinton on the track “The Big Pump” from Clinton’s album Hey Man… Smell My Finger. That same year, he co-wrote and performed on “Why Should I Love You?” by British art-pop queen Kate Bush — a stunning blend of their strange, brilliant styles.

He also continued to mentor powerhouse singer Mavis Staples, producing her album The Voice in 1993. And while no full studio project exists between Prince and Stevie Wonder, they shared the stage for live jams, including a standout 1999 concert in Washington, D.C., where their musical chemistry left the audience in awe.

Prince didn’t collaborate out of necessity. He did it out of curiosity, generosity, and creative hunger. In the ‘90s, a decade that saw him battle his record label, change his name to a symbol, and fight for artists’ rights, his partnerships were a sign of resilience.

Whether guiding new talent like Carmen Electra or sharing the mic with giants like Chaka Khan, Prince used his star power to shine a light on others while constantly reinventing himself. His 1990s collaborations were wild, weird, and sometimes wonderful. But more than anything, they showed a man unafraid to evolve and willing to bring others with him.