Years with Company: 20+
Address: New York, NY
Clients: Prince, Michael Jackson, LL Cool J, DMX, Run-DMC, Nas, Lil’ Kim
BACKGROUND
Everyone over a certain age remembers when Prince openly expressed his frustrations with the music industry. Behind the scenes helping guide him during this time was Londell McMillan. The famed attorney began in sports law before representing a coterie of hip-hop’s finest. Today, he combines being an attorney and high-level confidante with an array of entrepreneurial endeavors.
The Human Touch
At the core of music is a story, and people with talent. And if you respect their talent and appreciate their story, you’re more qualified to represent them. A lot of people have technical expertise, yet they’re not able to relate. It’s what I call cultural competency. Working at some of the biggest firms early in my career, I was able to gain that technical, professional experience. But you still don’t learn the human and cultural competencies. It’s really important to have both. You’re only able to help people if you can understand and relate to them, not just perform a technically proficient contract or make someone a deal. How do you bring value to them both economically and to their lives?
Speaking the Language of Music
[Understanding music is] always a connector, but I don’t think it’s the most prevalent. Many just want results. But it’s helpful when you know what they do, respect it, and appreciate it. It allows us to discuss things that matter to them. Oddly enough, many clients don’t want to talk about their music initially. Many [attorneys] make the mistake of trying to force those conversations. Having human and cultural competency in your professional life, you get a sense [of how] to go with the flow and be organic in your approach.
Thank You for Being a Friend
Law is just one of the things that I do. Law is arguably what I’m most known for because my clients were super famous and I served them in either a law or a law-and-business-manager capacity. Not a business manager as the industry defines it. Not as an accountant, but as an operations manager, a deal maker, a strategist, a partner. That was the case with Prince. Shortly after my legal work with him, we became friends. So it went from lawyer, to friend, to manager, to partner, and then back to friend, to now co-manager of his estate. With Michael Jackson, it was mostly lawyer, advisor, and friend.
Ahead of the Curve
Prince had a macro vision. He was the first major artist to use the digital and ecommerce platforms to reach consumers. He was truly an artist B2C [business to consumer] leader, and I was kind of his co-pilot executing that strategy. There are two published Harvard Business School reports that go into detail on what we were doing. This was way before Napster, Apple Music, or Spotify. We were way ahead of them. What we did deserves a lot more recognition.
Representing Estates
There are different components. There’s the estate component, which deals with all the rights that come with someone who’s a decedent and their assets, looking at and interpreting wills and trusts, and working with estate teams to determine the types of assets they own, control, and operate. If they’re music-based, intellectual property-based, or both, it’s understanding how to not just represent them but manage and operate those assets over time. And there are multiple parties that have interests and input on these different assets. So it becomes not just an estate-type assignment but also about managing the assets.
Prince was truly a one-man entertainment conglomerate. So now you’re [dealing with] music, film, art, property, museum, trademarks, copyrights… You’re managing these assets with the other asset owners to continue his vision and invest in his legacy. There are multiple ways that people do that. Some do it based on their general business methodologies. Others are more aligned with the decedent’s methodology. So what business model are you going to take? Are you going to take the model steeped in his legacy? Or are you going to take the model that you find appropriate for your own commercial exploitation of the assets? That takes judgment and ethics.
Careers Get Sticky
Things can be messy post-death, but things are also messy during many artists’ lifetimes. For many artists I represent, including Prince, it’s no cakewalk. There was a lot of controversy related to Prince and Michael [Jackson]. They went through ups and downs, because this is a tough business. You get thrown into a very messy pool. It’s a complex, dynamic space you’re dealing with. People on the outside looking in have this sense of, “Why don’t you just do this?” They have no idea. Things may look turnkey and easy on the outside [that are] super complex on the inside.
Boss Advice
The music comes before the business, so master your craft. But learn the business, and discern who you’re allowing to conduct business on your behalf. Read some basic texts and learn how things are done. Have advisors and others go through the contracts with you. Schedule time to learn the business. Have conversations with your lawyers, accountants, and managers. Read books relating to the business of music and have meetings regularly. Be engaged and involved.
Prince Celebration 2026—10th Anniversary Celebration of Life
I work with Paisley Park to produce a celebration of the life of Prince, both at the Paisley Park museum and in the downtown Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. We have block parties, panels, discussions, concerts, master classes… We have things open to the public and free to the community, as well as private events. People from all over the world come. I don’t know of any other artist that has both a museum and an annual music festival. This year will also bring our Purple Rain Broadway musical to the celebration. Some major performers are going to be there. It’s an exciting time to celebrate Prince’s life and educate people on more than just his songs and films but more about the human side of him.
Artificial Intelligence
The speed and utility of [A.I.] is going to overpower the interests of those who seek to keep content authentic. The question becomes—how do you manage and protect authentic creative works against the unavoidable challenges? It’s like a fire that’s able to burn your house down or bring heat depending on how it’s used. So it has to be managed. Where are the A.I. fire stations? Because they’re going to be needed. I wouldn’t want A.I. anywhere near Prince’s art, because I don’t think he would be very supportive of it. That’s an ongoing discussion among our team.
Become a Music Attorney
If you want to be a lawyer, learn the research, drafting, and procedure of practicing law first. Artists need trained and capable experts, rather than smooth talkers. Learn your craft and then add the ability to network and meet people. Also, get a respected mentor that has experience, someone who’s willing to spend quality time with you to expedite your path.
#blessed
I’m so excited about Michael [the newly released biopic]. I represented Michael in a serious way starting in 2005. I helped him get his IP back from the Prince of Bahrain, refinanced his publishing catalog, and saved Neverland Ranch. I’m excited to see the film, because it looks like they’re going to focus on Michael in a positive way. Having had the chance to work with both Michael and Prince at the same time is a blessing. I’m so grateful.
