Read Justin Timberlake's Heartfelt Prince Tribute

Justin Timberlake penned a touching, heartfelt tribute to Prince on Instagram. The iconic singer and guitarist was found dead at his Minneapolis studio on Thursday.

"It was 'Raspberry Beret.' I was 4 years old. Yes, 4. I remember that I instantly loved it,'" Timberlake recalls of his first encounter with Prince's extensive, celebrated catalogue. "'Mommy, who is that singing?' Seems weird but it's true."

The pop star and actor goes on to elaborate on the legacy the legendary artist will leave. "More than a 'once in a lifetime' artist... Just a ONCE IN FOREVER ARTIST. I'm still in shock as I write this and I feel this overwhelming grief," he wrote. "But, we should all turn away from that and HONOR this musician that changed all of our lives, our perspectives, our feeling, our whole being. From another planet? Probably. Royalty, for sure. Us worthy? Laughable."

The singer returned to the more personal touch of his tribute, detailing how funny and generous his idol was when they would spend time together. "It would be silly to say that he has inspired our music. It's beyond that. He's somewhere within every song I've ever written."

Timberlake has always cited Prince — alongside Michael Jackson — as one of the biggest influences on his solo career. During an interview with MTV News around the release of his album FutureSex/LoveSounds, Timberlake named Prince and David Bowie as inspirations for his more experimental R&B sound. "Nobody is Prince," the younger singer said. "I think he's always been a conscious inspiration."