D’Angelo of “Brown Sugar” fame, died recently after a long battle with cancer. NPR Music’s correspondent Rodney Carmichael penned a great appreciation of the artist. Here’s some excerpts:
D’Angelo’s voice was unparalleled. Listen closely to “Brown Sugar.” It was a falsetto that was equal parts sacred and sensual. Like a lot of Black musicians who rose to prominence in the 20th century, he got his start in the church. He was the son of a Pentecostal preacher, and he sang gospel in the choir and later called the stage his pulpit. In a career that spanned 30 years, his discography weighed in at a very succinct three albums. And in the songs he made, he managed to mash up the entire gamut of Black music.
His soulful, bluesy debut, “Brown Sugar,” heralded the birth of a genre – the sound called neo-soul. The sound was at the forefront of an alternative revolution happening in Black music in the mid- to late ’90s. It was a total revival of ’60s- and ’70s-inspired soul at a time when hip-hop had the wheel. D’Angelo’s own manager coined the term neo-soul, but his restless and perfectionist client never stood still musically. He did disappear for years at a time, though. His second album came out in 2000, and it was his most iconic. “Voodoo” was filled with sensuality and future funk.
Click HERE to listen to the rest of Carmichael’s tribute to D’Angelo on the NPR website.
Who Knows what D’Angelo was really singing about in the song “Brown Sugar.” It sounds like a sexual adventure with a beautiful woman. But all us weed lovers know that this song was all about cannabis.
Here’s one of D’Angelo’s greatest songs. Lots of people say he’s talking about a sexy woman, but all us weed lovers know he’s really singing about cannabis.