Janelle Monáe Is Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's Rock 'Spirit': 'I've Always Tried to Have That Freedom' (Exclusive)

• Janelle Monáe is headlining the inaugural I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival in Indianapolis on May 18
• The “Lipstick Lover” singer discusses the importance of honoring the legacy of Black rock musicians 
• Monáe names Jimi Hendrix and her late mentor Prince among her biggest musical inspirations

Janelle Monáe gives all credit to her rock ‘n’ roll predecessors for inspiring her to be the “free-ass motherf---er” she is.

The Age of Pleasure singer, 38, will headline the first-ever I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival — a celebratory affair honoring the legacy of Black rock legends and rising acts paving the genre’s future — on Saturday, May 18, at Indianapolis’ American Legion Mall.

Ahead of her set, Monáe told PEOPLE she’s “thankful” for the opportunity to salute Black rock trailblazers who are “continuing to knock the gates open from anybody that tries to gate-keep a sound or exclude us.”

“Once I found out the organization and the community and folks who were putting [the festival] on, it made me even more excited,” the singer/actor says of the inaugural event, produced by Indianapolis-based organizations GANGGANG and Forty5.

To the 10-time Grammy-nominated artist, participating in I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll means “honoring the folks who have come before us,” including her late mentor and Electric Lady collaborator Prince. “I had the honor and pleasure of knowing Prince as a human,” Monáe beams, “and he's truly one of the greatest artists who could rock the hell out of anything.”

“To be able to carry him with me, and Jimi Hendrix and Jackie Shane, who not a lot of people know about,” she continues, “and you think about Sister Rosetta Tharpe [and] so many of the modern-day [rock] artists who are keeping that genre alive. I mean, I remember wanting to have a festival like this, too, that lets everybody know that as Black folks, we're not monoliths, and there is a rich history that we developed."

Monáe adds, "I love that people are fighting to make sure that our legacy and our future is protected and I think rock is a great catalyst for even more freedom and experimentation.”

Musical freedom and experimentation have been the defining traits of Monáe’s genre-bending career. Some of this she attributes to folks like Prince and Hendrix, the latter of whom she wished she had the chance to work with while the famed guitarist was alive.

“If I could time travel Jimi Hendrix to here, I would want to collaborate,” the “Float” singer proclaims. “There are so many artists that I would want to collaborate with, and it's because of their spirit, though.”

“Because here's the thing, there are a lot of people that can play the f--- out of the guitar,” she continues. “There are a lot of people that can make something sound like classic rock or rock ‘n’ roll, but it's really the spirit of the person. There's a freedom that Prince had. There's a freedom that you got from Jimi Hendrix, that he lived this, he breathed this. It wasn't cosplay. And I've always tried to have that freedom.”

Monáe may channel some of that energy during her I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll set, although she’s keeping her plans close to the chest until she hits the stage, as she says, “I’m all about the element of surprise.” However, she’s guaranteed to pay homage to rock music's true origins at the festival’s kickoff — which also marks the 14th anniversary of her debut album, The ArchAndroid.

“That album, to me, is still very special and definitely had rock and roll all through it, in my own way,” the “I Like That” artist shares. “[I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll] is the same day as when my album first came out, so that's a beautiful thing.” 

“I don't know yet if I'll play any songs from that album. I'm sort of listening to my spirit,” she adds. “I think I'm going to have a dream tonight, and maybe Prince will tell me what the set should be.”

Joining Monáe at I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll are performers Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph Band, Joy Oladokun, Meet Me @ The Altar, and Inner Peace. According to the festival, this year’s curated lineup and A-list headliner “tells the story of how multi-faceted rock ‘n’ roll should be.”  

“Forty5 & GANGGANG aimed to be intentional in our collaborative process of artist curation, and we knew we wanted a diverse lineup,” Forty5 CEO Jenny Boyts tells PEOPLE. “Janelle Monáe is such a cultural icon and rose to the top of so many of our early lists, [Her] lived experience has quite literally shaped music, arts, fashion, and culture. We knew she needed to hear how influential her presence would be on this culturally significant campaign, so I asked Mali and Alan, co-founders of GANGGANG, to write a personal letter emphasizing that influence.”

“They did, and she accepted the offer soon after,” she adds. “The power of authorship, reclamation, and identity speaks to so many right now, and I’m glad it spoke to her through this campaign."

According to GANGGANG co-founder Alan Bacon, I Made Rock ‘n’ Roll is all about celebrating “authorship for the Black creators of the genre and the power of this music to bring people together.” With Monáe and other talented acts kicking things off, the hope is that the festival will grow and thrive in all facets for years to come.

"We see I Made Rock 'N' Roll becoming an annual destination for music enthusiasts,” says Mali Simone Bacon, co-founder and creative director of GANGGANG. “This will grow not only in terms of narrative and authorship but also economic viability for artists across the board. The festival is experiential learning, its cultural reparations and creative innovation bursting out of Indianapolis. This is the future.”

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Festival takes place in Indianapolis on May 18. Tickets available now.