NPG
The New Power Generation, Prince's backing band from 1990 to 2013 and again on his final studio album.
The NPG, short for the New Power Generation, served as Prince's backing band from 1990 until 2013, when 3rdeyegirl took over that role. The group came back to play on Hit n Run Phase Two in 2015, the last studio album Prince released before his death, and later reunited for tribute tours of the US and Europe. Beyond backing Prince, the NPG also put out records under its own name, which let him issue music outside his Warner Bros. contract during their dispute. In February 2026 the band announced it was renaming itself the Minneapolis Sound All Star Band.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Genre
- Pop
- rock
- funk
- R&B
- soul
- hip hop
- dance
- psychedelia
- Years active
- 1990–2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
Facts from the source article.
Background
The name first surfaced as a phrase on the opening track of Lovesexy in 1988, and it became a band name in the 1990 film Graffiti Bridge, whose soundtrack also had a song called "New Power Generation". The band made its live debut on the Nude Tour in 1990 and its recorded debut on Diamonds and Pearls in 1991. The first lineup included Michael Bland on drums, Levi Seacer, Jr. on guitar, Rosie Gaines on keyboards and vocals, rapper Tony M., Kirk Johnson and Damon Dickson, plus newcomers Tommy Barbarella and Sonny T.; Morris Hayes later replaced Gaines on keyboards.
Did You Know?
- Mayte Garcia, first a dancer, took on backing and Spanish vocals in the mid-decade lineup.
- In 2010 Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella and Sonny T. joined Nick Jonas and the Administration.
- Songs from the unreleased Peace album later turned up on The Slaughterhouse and The Chocolate Invasion.
- The 2026 rename came after the trademarked name lapsed and Global Music Rights stopped allowing tribute acts to play Prince sets.
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