Pam Warren, also known as Pam The Funkstress, also known as Purple Pam, also known as the Turntable Queen, tragically passed away last Friday at the age of 51 due to organ failure. She made her name in the hip-hop scene by collaborating with the Oakland-area rap outfit The Coup, and even served as the personal DJ for Prince in his final months.

Warren grew up in Foster City, California, with dreams of becoming the West Coast’s first prominent female DJ. She hooked up with The Coup’s Boots Riley in the early ’90s, and ultimately scratched and blended on four of the band’s politically charged albums, including Genocide & Juice and 1998’s critically beloved Steal This Album (not to be confused with the identically named System of a Down album).

Outside her musical work, Warren also ran a successful Bay Area catering company, serving up soul food cuisine. In February of 2016, she auditioned for the post as the personal DJ to Prince. Talking about the audition, Warren once said, “When we first met, I was like, ‘OK, Pam, don’t act a fool.’ I was trying to keep my composure, because this is fricking Prince. It’s like Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. It doesn’t get any higher than that.”

For the final two months of Prince’s life, Pam would fly to Prince’s post-concert gigs or the Paisley Park compound to DJ the late icon’s legendary after-parties, including an April 16th “Paisley Park After Dark” party just five days before Prince’s death.

“He walked over to me and he looked at me and smiled. He said, ‘Thank you for being here’ and he gave me a hug,” Warren said. “I remember him all in black, asking people, ‘What do you think of the music?’ That would be the last time I talked to him.” Warren DJed a handful of Prince memorial shows following his death.

Photo Credit: April Siese