Prince liked what he saw and collected Bayoc’s art for many years. On October 20, 2000, the day Cbabi’s first child was born, Prince’s management called to request samples of new work. Prince used one of the pieces he acquired during that round, “Reine Keis Quintet”, as the cover art for his 23rd studio album, The Rainbow Children, which was released in 2001. The artwork was also the centerpiece of Prince’s first Celebration event held at his Paisley Park complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota, June 13-17, 2001, celebrating The Rainbow Children album and the re-claiming of Prince’s name after the expiration of his Warner Brothers contract.
Reine Keis Quintet
Prince · The Rainbow Children
As the world greeted the promise of a new millennium, even Prince was experiencing a great sense of transformation. In 2000, he announced the reclamation of his birth name after seven years as an unpronounceable symbol. In 2001, after a period of study and debate with his friend and mentor Larry Graham (former bassist for Sly and The Family Stone), Prince converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith. These transformations bore fruit with the release of The Rainbow Children at the end of 2001. Billed as “controversial” in its press materials for its open spiritual message, the jazz-inspired record was Prince’s first fully independent release, issued without any major label backing. One of its songs, “The Work, Pt. 1,” was released by Prince as a free download on the file-sharing service Napster; this move, along with direct-to-consumer stream and download options on the NPG Music Club, made Prince a digital music visionary.
The Rainbow Children is a continued favorite among Prince’s most fervent admirers due to its complex musical narrative, its use of live drums and a full horn section, and the striking album art by artist Cbabi Bayoc, which still hangs in the hallowed halls of Paisley Park today.
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Michael B. Nelson, Kathy Jensen, Dave Jensen, Brian Gallagher, Steve Strand
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Niyoki White, Tia White, Malikah White
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℗ 2001 NPG Records, Inc. Manufactured and Distributed by Legacy Recordings
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