Prince, who kicks off his 21-night stand in Los Angeles tonight, gave a rare interview to George Lopez on “Lopez Tonight.” The Purple One, wearing all red, spoke about refraining from cursing (instead using the word “artichoke”), why he decided to charge only $25 for concert tickets, his simple backstage requests, taking a break from recording, the Internet’s impact on music, and his issue with other artists covering his songs.

The pop icon then stormed the stage in a glittery gold getup with the New Power Generation to debut two new songs, “Laydown” and “You’re the One for Me” with Sheila E., taking it back with “The Beautiful Ones” from the Purple Rain soundtrack. Watch his interview and electrifying performance below.