Unlocking the Vault: Prince's Legacy and Future Plans Revealed
: The Purple Stream
Minneapolis, MN – June 7, 2025 – On a sunny Saturday at the Lofton Hotel Minneapolis, a packed room of devoted Prince fans gathered for a candid and often impassioned panel discussion titled "The Vault & Future Plans."
Hosted by WCCO/CB News Minnesota’s Reg Chapman, the event provided a rare direct conversation between the custodians of Prince’s immense legacy and the passionate community that continues to celebrate his genius.
Chapman opened the discussion with a clear message: "We are Prince’s family. You're going to hear things you like, things you might not like. It's okay to disagree. We are all here to continue Prince's legacy."
The panel featured Zach Hocheppel, VP of Marketing for Legacy Recording at Sony Music; Johnny Nelson, son of Prince’s brother John R. Nelson; Charles F. Spicer Jr., managing member of Prince Legacy LLC; and Londell McMillan, a close friend of Prince and a dedicated fan. The overriding sentiment was a desire for open dialogue and to genuinely hear from the committed fanbase.
The Mysteries of The Vault: What’s Inside?
The conversation quickly turned to the enigmatic “Vault.” Londell McMillan, who described the extensive nature of Prince's creations, highlighted that it contains "not just audio, video but thousands and thousands of all kinds of assets, in multiple formats." He revealed that under Comerica's tenure, the assets were moved from Paisley Park for safety and security reasons—a decision not made by the current Estate. An archiving process began, but after 6-7 years, "only about 45% has been digitised."
Zach Hocheppel emphasized the monumental scale of the undertaking. "45 years of material... Sony is used to dealing with artists’ legacy/assets but none come close to the magnitude of Prince’s in terms of unreleased and undocumented material."
He called it "a Herculean enterprise," clarifying that while Sony is a distribution partner, they "don’t lead creative decisions about what to release, when, how to decide which is the most important thing." He stressed the desire to never do anything "willy nilly."
Johnny Nelson offered a poignant perspective from the family. "The family has access to the vault. It’s like an open diary. Prince videoed/documented everything. It inspires me, makes me grateful. We have to work on this like Prince worked. Family wants music out, but in due time."
McMillan shared his personal experience regarding the initial removal of assets, stating he represented the family when Comerica made the move. "Sued them initially. Family was not consulted and was aggrieved, disrespected. Didn’t tell the family. It was swept out in two nights. Family didn’t know for three months it had gone. It was not the fact it was done, it was the way it was done." He conceded that the family initially lacked a full understanding of the technical issues but now agrees that the current facility is "the best place, well equipped with all necessary technical equipment to process all the different formats."
When Will the Music Be Released?
The pressing question on every fan's mind: when will this music see the light of day?
Londell McMillan playfully nudged Zach Hocheppel to discuss what has already been released. Hocheppel, who said Sony has been involved since 2018 alongside Warner, listed a string of releases: Originals, Welcome 2 America, and Super Deluxe Editions of 1999, Sign O' the Times, and Diamonds & Pearls. "This would be an entire career's worth of material for most artists," Hocheppel noted, "it’s a drop in the bucket for Prince. So, really it has been a steady stream."
Charles F. Spicer Jr. detailed the meticulous process of selecting music for release. "It's a group effort to select the music. It’s like a puzzle. Liner notes, artwork… For example, Diamonds & Pearls was 12 LPs, 5 test pressings for each label, so 10 test pressings which go back and forth. It takes time. It’s a complex undertaking. It would not do Prince justice to take a raw tape and put out an unprocessed track."
McMillan assured fans that their input is valued and that their ideas are considered. While milestones and anniversaries have been guiding factors, he acknowledged recent discussions about "not being so fixed on anniversaries." He explained the complex ownership landscape with "Two major labels: Sony & Warner; two owners of rights: Primary Wave & The Estate," in addition to family input. "Fans got a lot to say. We’re sorry/not sorry if we miss an anniversary."
Connecting with the Fans
When asked how fans can contact the Estate, McMillan stated, "They make themselves heard! I’d rather they do that, than not do that." He expressed gratitude for such a passionate fanbase, contrasting it with the perceived lack of such demands for artists like James Brown and Roberta Flack.
Looking ahead, McMillan announced, "Next year is 2026 so everyone is going to see something from Parade." He also mentioned focusing on Prince's early years with Bobby Z, including a forthcoming book.
Discussions are also underway regarding the milestone of Emancipation (1996).
"People want to see Cultural Prince, Advocacy Prince, Fly Prince: lots of Prince’s! We know criticisms come from a good place."
Charles Spicer Jr. affirmed, "we take your comments and ideas very seriously," a sentiment echoed by Zach Hocheppel, who noted that "no estate listens to fans more than Prince’s. Most adopt a dictatorial approach."
Protecting and Expanding Prince’s Legacy
The panel then addressed the crucial challenge of protecting Prince’s legacy while expanding his reach to new generations. Zach Hocheppel highlighted the shift in how young fans access music, primarily through TikTok, and not necessarily through box sets. "Need to get his music where it can be found by new generation. Includes allowing other artists to do lots of work for us—e.g. new artists sharing their discovery of Prince. We have to help that along. New generation has to understand how Prince paved the way for many new artists e.g. Kendrick Lamar wouldn’t be there without Prince."
Londell McMillan then reminded fans: "Kendrick Lamar is in the vault!" He confirmed that this material hasn't been found or digitised yet. He acknowledged that while the Estate has done a "decent job," Prince "requires greatness. You can’t be great without seeing the whole scope of assets you are working with, the bottom of the well." He cautioned against rushing releases to appease "loud voices," stating, "Pushing too fast will result in releases which are not optimised for Prince’s best legacy. We have to speed up the digitisation process." He acknowledged the challenges, noting, "But there was 6 years before we became involved. Next year, is the tenth year anniversary but you can’t do 10 anniversary albums! Costs production processing all requires lots of time. We are not genies!’ He urged fans to not make unreasonable demands.
Involving Prince’s Collaborators and Documenting His Story
The role of Prince’s former collaborators was a key topic. Charles Spicer Jr. stated they are "very instrumental in how we move forward. Their intel will help us create new packages. They were in the recording studio with him. We want authenticity. We need to get them involved as we start putting out new packages."
Londell McMillan offered a more nuanced view, acknowledging that "Some had issues with Prince. Prince had issues with them. Relationships have to be rebuilt with associated artists, producers musicians. Prince was at a point with some folk where he didn’t care… but we have to! We are rebuilding and reconnecting people."
He cited successful reconnections, including Morris Day's appearances at Celebration and a brunch with Bobby Z, Wendy & Lisa that led to their performance last year. "We gotta put out Parade. Wendy & Lisa need to be part of this. It takes time."
McMillan also invited fans to contribute their skills, suggesting that marketers, developers, and branding experts could bring "tremendous value" globally.
The conversation then turned to the highly anticipated documentaries about Prince. McMillan candidly addressed the decision to stop the Netflix documentary, explaining, "You really want to know why we stopped Netflix? We don’t suffer fools. You will not disrespect Prince. People had axes to grind. They made up false stories, which can be proven to be false."
He revealed that "We will have an Academy Award-winning director who will be producing not just one but multiple documentaries"
While he didn’t name the director, he confirmed it was not Spike Lee or Ryan Coogler.
Johnny Nelson affirmed, "Family agreed Netflix should be shut down."
McMillan stressed the importance of truthfulness, asserting that while they aren't trying to "sugar coat," they "won’t allow false narratives." He urged fans with social media or podcasts to "hold people accountable for disrespecting Prince," particularly those who "start to take credit for Prince’s work."
Upcoming Releases and The NPG Music Club’s Return?
Charles Spicer Jr. confirmed that after the recent release of "Free," the next release will be Around the World in a Day. Londell McMillan added, "We are going to come up with a schedule, a cadence. So it’s more regular." He emphasized a desire to focus not just on large box sets but also "smaller packages and also through our digital service providers regular drops because we have to reach the younger generation."
When asked about Sony and Warner’s role in expediting releases, Zach Hocheppel stated, "I can speak for Sony. We are commissioned partners. We are here to influence, guide, implement the vision."
In an exciting reveal, Londell McMillan shared plans to "recreate a version of NPGMusic Club online. Prince was ahead of the curve. He laid the blueprint we just have to follow. He was a genius. We just need to push it forward and modernise it." He envisions a "global network of distribution partners" and a "worldwide Prince global marketing stream," and assured fans who offer their services that contributions would not be for free, with plans to "work out what the economy is."
Finally, regarding new music, the panel confirmed a musical adaptation of Purple Rain is in the works, emphasising it will be "more than just the songs to tell the story," and "there won’t be any new songs in the musical." However, McMillan teased, "But we intend to sprinkle you guys with singles. We want to do it like Prince did—last thing on a Sunday night you get a new track."
Londell McMillan concluded the lively discussion by saying, "This has felt good. Like an ‘upfront’ meeting. We need to do more, with other partners involved."
The panel left fans with a sense of cautious optimism, acknowledging the immense task at hand while reaffirming their dedication to preserving and expanding Prince's unparalleled legacy.
Source :
https://www.facebook.com/thepurplestrea ... F6CMbmgBwl
: The Purple Stream