Prince Doesn't Swear In His Music Anymore Because Of Muhammad Ali

The American Legend Who Inspired Prince Not To Swear In His Music
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 794 -- Pictured: Musical guest Prince on March 1, 2013 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 794 -- Pictured: Musical guest Prince on March 1, 2013 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Muhammad Ali has long been known as an American inspiration, and it turns out Prince looks to the boxing legend for an unlikely motivation: to stop swearing.

In a new Essence cover story, via NME, Prince says Ali's no-expletive policy inspired him to adopt the same mentality in his music. “Marsha Ambrosius, Lianne La Havas and Janelle Monae are all my sisters. We shouldn’t curse at them," he said, referring to recent collaborators. "We need to treat them, and all people, like royalty. Did you ever hear Muhammad Ali curse? Would you curse in front of your kids or to your mother?"

It's a bit of a change of pace for a singer whose 1984 "Purple Rain" helped to prompt Parental Advisory warnings on albums. Tipper Gore's Parents Music Resource Center looked to the suggestive song "Darling Nikki" as reason to slap explicit-content labels on music releases. Guess we won't hear "Erotic City" on a Prince tour anytime soon.

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