The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (T.A.F.K.A.P), also known informally as The Artist or The Symbol/Love Symbol, refers to an unpronounceable symbol that Prince adopted as his official stage name for a period of seven years, from June 1993 to May 2000, during his dispute with Warner Bros. Records. Frustrated by the label's conventional release practices, which he viewed as a limitation on his artistic freedom, Prince sought to release new music on his own terms. In response to feeling that he had lost control over his identity, he abandoned his birth name in favor of the Symbol, which he described as representing an artist "reduced to zero." During this time, he produced seven albums under this moniker, primarily through his own NPG Records imprint, before returning to the name "Prince" with the release of the album The Rainbow Children in November 2001. Concurrently, Warner Bros. released three albums credited to Prince and one greatest hits compilation, fulfilling their contractual obligations following the release of Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic in August 1999.
The Symbol itself was created by LA-based graphic artist Mitch Monson and is a combination of traditional gender symbols—Venus ♀, Mars ♂, and Mercury ☿—along with the Egyptian ankh hieroglyph ☥, which also resembles musical clefs (𝄞/𝄢). Despite popular misconceptions, the Symbol never had an official name and was not copyrighted as "Love Symbol #2," a term used posthumously by The Prince Estate during the promotional campaign for the Purple Rain Expanded Edition in August 2017. The original trademark applications filed by Paisley Park Enterprises between December 1992 and April 1993 categorized the Symbol as an Illustration Drawing without any Words/Letters/Numbers, explicitly stating "None" for Literal Elements and associated Word Marks. In a December 1999 interview with Larry King on CNN, Prince clarified that the term "Artist Formerly Known As" was coined by the media and indicated that his name change was part of a broader transition in his life, aimed at freeing himself from past constraints. Throughout this period, Prince and his team effectively promoted the Symbol, which was consistently utilized by reputable publications. Occasionally, Prince used the ideograms O)+> and O}+{ to represent the Symbol, but these were primarily recognized within the fan community.
### Timeline
September 1992 – Prince signed a six-album extension to his recording and publishing contract with Time Warner's Warner Bros. Records and Warner Chappell Music, estimated at $100 million and touted by his team as the "highest record deal in history." While industry experts debated the accuracy of this claim, the contract proved advantageous for Prince, allowing him to explore ventures outside of music, including film and merchandise, with Warner Bros. pledging $20 million to revamp his "vanity" label, Paisley Park Records.
October 1992 – Prince released his 14th studio album, marking his second collaboration with The New Power Generation band, featuring the O)+> symbol on the cover instead of a traditional title. The album, referred to only by the pictogram in promotional materials, peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 2.8 million copies, although this fell short of Warner's expectations.
April 27, 1993 – Announcing a sudden retirement from studio recording, Prince shifted his focus to "alternative media," citing his vast library of unreleased recordings that would allow Paisley Park to continue releasing albums well into the 21st century.
June 7, 1993 – On his 35th birthday, Prince unveiled his strategy against Warner Bros. and announced his name change to an unpronounceable symbol, stating it was about "thinking in new ways." His publicist acknowledged uncertainty regarding the legal status of this name change.
August 1993 – Following a disagreement with Warner Bros. regarding the release of the band's debut "solo" album, Gold Nigga, Prince quietly launched NPG Records and released the album independently.
September 1993 – Warner Bros. released The Hits/The B-Sides, the first compilation of Prince's work, featuring mostly previously released tracks and minimal input from the artist.
February 1994 – Warner Bros. and Paisley Park announced the termination of Paisley Park Records, dropping its last acts and canceling scheduled releases.
April 1994 – The maxi-single The Most Beautiful Girl was released under the name O)+>, marking Prince's debut under this new identity.
August 1994 – Warner Bros. released The Gold Experience, which Prince had initially envisioned as a triple-disc project but was forced to scale back. The album became a point of contention between the artist and the label.
November 1994 – In response to Prince's public statements, Warner Bros. released the Black Album, which Prince had previously canceled, as part of a promotional campaign.
September 1995 – After significant delays, The Gold Experience was released, achieving moderate commercial success but not meeting the expectations set by past hits.
March 1996 – Warner Bros. released the soundtrack for Spike Lee's Girl 6, which included tracks produced by Prince, despite ongoing tensions between the artist and the label.
July 1996 – The second studio album by the Symbol, Come, was released, marking the fifth and penultimate album under his contract.
November 1996 – Prince released Emancipation, a triple album that celebrated his newfound independence from Warner Bros. The album was marketed as a historic celebration, and it peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
January 1998 – The "official bootleg" Crystal Ball was released after extensive delays, facing criticism for its handling and packaging.
August 1999 – Warner Bros. released Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, fulfilling Prince's contractual obligations, with the album reflecting a symbolic closure to their relationship.
November 1999 – The Symbol's final album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, was released on Arista, featuring both the Symbol and Prince's name, with significant promotional efforts surrounding its release.
May 16, 2000 – At a press conference in New York City, Prince announced his return to using his birth name, concluding his period as the Symbol following the end of his contract with Warner/Chappell.
