What did the "elevator" mean to Prince?

Music icon Prince was pronounced dead shortly after being found unresponsive in an elevator in his Paisley Park compound in Minneapolis.

That detail is haunting fans who point to the bizarre connection to a line in his hit song, "Let's Go Crazy," in which he sings, "Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? Oh, no, let's go." But for music producer L.A. Reid, the "spooky" coincidence also reminds him of one conversation he had with the late artist.

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"One time I was with him privately and he said, 'You know what the elevator is right?'" Reid recalled. "He said. 'Well, the elevator is the devil...' And so for me it was like really haunting when I read that he was found in an elevator."

While Reid said he did not know of exact details regarding Prince's health, he said the sudden death was "frightening," especially given his consciousness over his health.

"He was a vegan, he didn't abuse alcohol, I didn't know of him abusing drugs, he worked out ... that also really concerned me because it made me think that, 'Wow, you mean you do all these things to take care of yourself and you die so young?'" Reid said.

The music producer has been known Prince for decades, since his days as a member of what he described as a "copy band" that was strongly influenced by Prince.

Reid described Prince as "the greatest" musician who defied musical categorization -- because of his fusion of the blues, jazz, rock, funk and even gospel in his music - and one who encompassed the qualities of music's best.

"I read that he was as defiant as James Brown, as traditionally masculine as Teddy Pendergrass, as insightful as Paul Simon and as electric as Michael Jackson," Reid said. "All in one."

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In addition to his musical genius, Prince also popped for his androgynous style, which Reid called a "part of the theater of show business."

But whether on or off stage, Reid said Prince was "always Prince."

"He's on stage even when he's not on stage. ... When I was around him, he was always Prince," Reid said. "There was never a moment that was like, 'Okay, we're going to take off the Prince and just become Rogers Nelson.' [He was] always on."