← 8 Landmark Deals in Black Music

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By Janell Hazelwood | Published July 1, 2011 | Full size is 601 × 506 pixels

In August 1991, Prince inked a $100 million deal with Warner Bros., making him the highest-paid artist at the time. The deal included two joint record companies as well as a vice president post for him. In 1993, the pop and rock icon would become "the Artist Formerly Known as Prince" during a legal battle with the label over artistic and financial control of his music. After a long, highly publicized battle, in which he began performing in protest using only a symbol as his name, he was able to gain release from the contract, serving as one of the most prolific public examples of an artist's success in standing up for his artistic beliefs and financial due.

In August 1991, Prince inked a $100 million deal with Warner Bros., making him the…