Janelle Monaé says Prince was like her 'Yoda'
Janelle Monaé sat down with CBS Sunday Morning's Tony Dokoupil and discussed her relationship with Prince. While some might only know Monaé as an actor in Hidden Figures and Moonlight, she is also a very accomplished recording artist. Thanks in part to Prince. When asked about her relationship with Prince, Monaé said "I could always call Prince. He was always there. He really was a believer in what we were doing." Unfortunately, Prince passed away in 2016, which left a whole in Monaé's life. She said, "I couldn't call my mentor - he's been around since my first full length album." Monaé even likened Prince to one of the most famous fictional mentors of all time. She said, "If this was Star Wars he was kinda like Yoda to my Han Solo. I could talk to him about anything." And yes, for you Star Wars fans out there she probably meant Luke Skywalker, not Han Solo. But you get the idea. Monaé, who identifies as pansexual, also appears to share the same combination of pride and gender fluidity that her mentor Prince was known for. She said, “I think it is important for people to proud of their identity. I am very proud to be a queer, young black woman – in America. I think that representation is very important. I am proud of who I am."
