Minnesota Public Radio launches Prince stream: “Purple Current”

Minnesota Public Radio’s KCMP (The Current)/Minneapolis-St. Paul is paying proper homage to the vast musical universe of hometown hero Prince with the debut of a new stream that explores Prince’s music, his inspirations, his peers and the incredible artists that follow in his footsteps.
This new 24-hour dedicated stream, “Purple Current,” will launch at 12:01am this Friday, April 6 and is supported by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
You may recall that right after Prince’s untimely death in 2016, The Current became the place for fans locally and worldwide to collectively mourn his loss. As The Daily Beast reported, “The Current’s website became a de facto vigil for Prince fans anywhere on the web.” The Los Angeles Times said, “The Current suddenly emerged as the center of American music.”
Purple Current will feature funk, soul and beyond — hits alongside deep dives into MPR’s unparalleled library to shine a light on unsung musical heroes. “Our listeners have been asking for something like this for some time,” said Jim McGuinn, PD of The Current. “Musically, there’s no more exciting family tree to curate around than Prince’s. He pulled inspiration from every corner of the musical world, and his output touched so many of the most vital artists working today. This stream will showcase what we’re calling the roots and fruits of the ‘Purple Family Tree.'”
McGuinn added, “This stream isn’t just about a steady diet of Prince cuts. A half hour into listening to Purple Current you’re likely to have heard artists as varied as James Brown, Santana, Nooky Jones and Public Enemy. And we are committed to tracking and celebrating the tremendous output of great music in this vein that is released daily. Just as Prince’s music evolved, so will Purple Current,” McGuinn continued. “We’re hoping to make this a warm and inviting purple universe in which to connect, listen and celebrate for music fans the world over.”
Purple Current can be accessed — along with The Current’s other streams, Local Current (all-Minnesota music), Radio Heartland (acoustic, Americana and roots music) and Rock the Cradle (music for kids and their grownups) — on purplecurrent.org and on both the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and The Current apps.