Prince once told a reporter at the Central High School paper in Saint Paul that he lamented being born in Minnesota, saying, “I think it is very hard for a band to make it in this state, even if they’re good. Mainly because there aren’t any big record companies or studios in this state. I really feel that if we had lived in Los Angeles or New York or some other big city, we would have gotten over by now.” The irony is that the lack of easy paths to stardom may have helped him create his own unique trajectory.