Neo Soul Pioneer D’Angelo has Passed Away
The music world has suffered a major loss today. Renowned neo soul and R&B star D’Angelo has unfortunately passed away at the age of 51. Born Michael Eugene Archer, D’Angelo was widely regarded as a true visionary and one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. His many innovations and contributions have left an undeniable mark on modern music as a whole.
His debut album, “Brown Sugar” from 1995, is credited with ushering in the neo soul movement by fusing traditional R&B with influences such as hip-hop and jazz. Even though he only put out three albums during his career, each one of them is considered a classic. His sophomore project, “Voodoo”, arrived in 2000, and has become a cornerstone for a whole new generation of musicians, inspiring artists like Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper. His third and final project, “Black Messiah”, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim.
His albums earned him 4 Grammy Awards from 13 nominations in total, including best R&B album for both “Voodoo” and “Black Messiah”.
D’Angelo was also fundamental in the Hip-Hop landscape, as he was one of the founding members of the iconic collective, The Soulquarians, alongside Questlove and J Dilla. Throughout his career, he appeared on songs with a wide variety of Hip-Hop artists, including legends such as Method Man, Lauryn Hill, DJ Premier, Q-Tip, Common, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.
His untimely passing has sent shockwaves throughout the music community, with countless tributes shared online from colleagues and fans alike, expressing grief and disbelief with his unexpected passing. D’Angelo will certainly be remembered fondly, with his outstanding contributions etched in the history of music’s evolution.
May he rest in peace.
