D'Angelo
Encyclopedia
Michael Eugene Archer better known by his stage name
D'Angelo, is an American R&B
and neo soul
singer-songwriter
, multi-instrumentalist
and record producer
. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences, Marvin Gaye
, and Prince
. D'Angelo was one of the most influential artists during the rise of the neo-soul movement.
on February 11, 1974, to a Pentecostal preacher father, and a mother he described as "powerful." He was raised in an entirely Pentecostal family. Strict, they forbade interaction with other church members. His time deep within Pentecostalism left Archer with several notable memories, including seeing his 9-year-old-brother catch the Holy Ghost. He would later recall one of his memories as a 12-year-old:
Archer's musical talents were discovered very early on. At 3, he was spotted by his 10 year-old brother, Luther, playing the house piano.
in 1991 after catching the attention of record executives with a demo tape. He penned the hit song "U Will Know" on the Jason's Lyric soundtrack
. It was performed by Black Men United
for the Jason's Lyric
motion picture soundtrack
. Shortly after, he was signed by Gary Harris and he began recording his debut album for EMI
records.
Brown Sugar was released in June 1995. Though sales were sluggish at first, the album was eventually a hit, due in large part to "Lady," a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100
charts, peaking at #10. The album earned platinum
certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
, following sales in excess of one million copies in the U.S., while its total sales have been estimated within the range of 1.5 million to over two million copies.While the album has been certified platinum in the United States, indicating shipments of one million, its total sales have been adversely reported by several publications with estimations ranging from 1.5 to 2 million units. The album helped give commercial visibility to the burgeoning neo soul
movement of the 1990s, along with debut albums by Maxwell
, Erykah Badu
, and Lauryn Hill
. The album was a critical success as well, and appeared on many critics' "best of" lists for the year.
("Devil's Pie"), frequently singing covers
like "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (Eddie Kendricks
, Get on the Bus
), "She's Always in My Hair" (Prince, Scream 2
) and "Heaven Must Be Like This" (The Ohio Players, Down in the Delta
), as well as appearing on Lauryn Hill
's landmark The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
on the duet "Nothing Even Matters".
The much-delayed follow-up to Brown Sugar, Voodoo, was finally released in 2000. It debuted at #1 and went on to win two Grammy Awards, one for Best R&B Album, and the other for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The lead single, 1999's "Left & Right" (featuring Method Man
and Redman) did well, but it was the second single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)
" (a tribute to artist Prince), that became a huge R&B
hit buoyed by an innovative yet infamous video featuring a nude D'Angelo from his face to his hips while singing the song. The video was nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards and currently ranks #44 in VH1
's list of the 100 Greatest Videos. He also performed "Be Here" (with Raphael Saadiq
) from Saadiq's album Instant Vintage.
After the release D'Angelo embarked on what would become one of the most fabled series of live soul shows in history, "The Voodoo Tour." Consisting of a live group entitled "the Soultronics
," (presumed to have been assembled by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots
) which engulfed arena-size stages with various dancers and instrument players, it was one of the most attended shows of the year. The tour was taken all around the world, one of the most notable performances being the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil. The live show was a thinly-disguised homage to Prince's late 80's shows, in its grandeur and conceptual stage set-up & setlist. Slum Village
(then in its original line-up of Jay Dee, Baatin & T3) opened for D'Angelo on several dates, and soul-tinged R&B singer Anthony Hamilton
sang backup in the band.
In 2002, Q magazine
named him in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die", and in 2003 Voodoo was ranked at number 488 on Rolling Stone
's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Pitchfork Media
rated it at #44 on their list of the best albums of the 2000s.
s with other artists, and sporadic unfinished demos
leaked to the internet. A follow up album to Voodoo has been rumored and speculated for years. D'Angelo's two studio album
s had garnered much commercial and critical acclaim, and have been cited as "two of the most excellent and singular R&B albums of the past 15 years". Rock critic Robert Christgau
has dubbed him as "R&B Jesus".
After a long period of inactivity, D'Angelo made guest appearances on several albums, including releases by J Dilla, Common, Red Hot & Riot and The RH Factor
. Red Hot & Riot was released in 2002 by the Red Hot Organization
as a compilation CD in tribute to the music and work of Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti
. D'Angelo performed on a remake of the Fela Kuti
classic, "Water No Get Enemy," with fellow hip-hop and R&B artists, Macy Gray
, The Soultronics
, Nile Rodgers
, Roy Hargrove
, and Fela Kuti
's son, Femi Kuti
. All proceeds from Red Hot & Riot were donated to charities devoted to raising AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. In August 2006 he began collaborations with Common
and Q-Tip
. He also entered discussions with Jermaine Dupri
on how to market what appears to be a forthcoming LP, though the official news of a release has not been made public yet. Although music for his own album has yet to materialize, D'Angelo was featured on the song "Imagine", by Snoop Dogg
and Dr. Dre
, from his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
, released on November 21, 2006. On April 17, 2007 a new song called "Really Love" was leaked on Triple J Radio in Australia by Questlove D'Angelo also had a guest appearance on Common
's 2007 album, Finding Forever on the track, "So Far to Go", a song that first appeared on J Dilla's 2006 release, The Shining. After a 2007 court proceeding, he confirmed very briefly that new music is "in the works" although the album remained untitled.
On June 24, 2008, Virgin EMI released an enhanced greatest hits CD/DVD which will include top hits, rare tracks & seven previously unreleased music videos from D'Angelo. According to the press release, the new collection is titled The Best So Far… because D'Angelo is far from finished, currently writing and recording his highly anticipated next musical chapter." There will also be a digital album, video downloads, and ringtones available on the day of its release. In November 2008, D'Angelo's collaboration with Q-Tip
was officially confirmed with the release of the Q-Tip album The Renaissance
which features D'Angelo on the track Believe.
The new album was originally slated for release in 2009. D'Angelo revealed that the album would be titled "James River" and that Prince would work heavily on the disc. The collaboration was to have a list reading like a who's who in the R&B, neo soul
and funk
genres. The year came and went with no album being released. D'Angelo's manager said in a brief statement that "'James River,' D’Angelo’s first studio effort in nearly nine years, is also sporting a collaboration with Gnarls Barkley’s Cee Lo Green. Green joins Raphael Saadiq
, Mark Ronson
, and Roy Hargrove
, who have already contributed to D’Angelo’s forthcoming album."
In the early part of 2010, D'Angelo was rumored to be in the studio hard at work on his long-delayed third album. On January 29, 2010, an incomplete song titled "1000 Deaths" was leaked on to the internet and uploaded to YouTube
claiming it was to possibly be from the James River album; however, after four days it was deleted due to a copyright claim by D'Angelo's publishing company. Although official website went offline in November 2009 in February 2010 it started linking to D'Angelo's official MySpace Page with a banner reading 'Album & Tour Summer 2010'. After his June arrest in New York City
his MySpace page stopped showing the 'Album and Tour Summer 2010' banner and one day later his management issued a statement saying that he entered a plea of not guilty and is contesting the allegations made against him. Erykah Badu tweeted that he visited her in the studio while working on his own album at the Electric Lady Studios
in New York. His manager's MySpace page stated "D’Angelo’s album is slated for release late summer 2010" until early 2011. At this current time however, his manager's MySpace mentions that "D'Angelo's album is slated for release Fall 2011". but delays in the album release are suspected.
In late May 2010, various online record stores began listing an album called 'Interpretations: Remakes' for sale. Most of the listed tracks have been widely available for some time, via CD or MP3, and it is not clear if this is an official release, as no announcement was made. The cover art is the same as 2008's "Best So Far" compilation
album. Later in the year the website of Russell Elevado
had claimed that D'Angelo had returned to New York for three months to finish his album, stating: "The time has finally come again to go in the studio with D'Angelo. starting the last week of August and for the next 3 months we're going in to complete overdubs and do final mixing on a few songs. Wish us luck...more updates to come."
No new announcements were made anywhere online or in the press about the album until December 6, 2010, when a company named "101 Distribution" quietly released an import album overseas titled "James River (Album Prelude)", featuring just under an hour of snippets of new songs, alternate versions of others and jam sessions, listing as the official first song off the album as "1000 Deaths". It was released in the United States
on December 28 on Amazon
's website in limited quantities for over US$ 25, immediately going out of print only 24 hours later. On several websites where the album is being sold it has been claimed that the James River album will finally have a 2011 release, but nothing else is known about 101 Distributors or the validity of their statement. It has also been claimed that the album is a bootleg recording
of stolen material and is not an official D'Angelo release of any sort.
In late April 2011, Russell Elevado
again posted an update regarding the upcoming album on his website.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
announced it was disbanding J Records
along with Arista Records
and Jive Records
. With the shutdown, D'Angelo (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release his future material on the RCA Records
brand.
In late October 2011, two concerts were scheduled for January 30th and 31st, 2012 at club Paradiso in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tickets went on sale on November 5th and were sold out within 24 hours.
and helped produce her debut album "Black Diamond" in 1999. They have a son, also named Michael, born in 1998.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
D'Angelo, is an American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. D'Angelo was one of the most influential artists during the rise of the neo-soul movement.
Early life
D'Angelo was born Michael Eugene Archer, in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
on February 11, 1974, to a Pentecostal preacher father, and a mother he described as "powerful." He was raised in an entirely Pentecostal family. Strict, they forbade interaction with other church members. His time deep within Pentecostalism left Archer with several notable memories, including seeing his 9-year-old-brother catch the Holy Ghost. He would later recall one of his memories as a 12-year-old:
Archer's musical talents were discovered very early on. At 3, he was spotted by his 10 year-old brother, Luther, playing the house piano.
1991–1995: Career beginnings and Brown Sugar
D'Angelo signed a record deal with EMI RecordsEMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
in 1991 after catching the attention of record executives with a demo tape. He penned the hit song "U Will Know" on the Jason's Lyric soundtrack
Jason's Lyric (soundtrack)
Jason's Lyric is the original soundtrack to the 1994 film Jason's Lyric. Released in the fall of 1994, it topped the Top R&B Albums chart and was a Top 20 Billboard 200 ranking album...
. It was performed by Black Men United
Black Men United
Black Men United was a collaboration of many African American male R&B, hip hop and soul music artists. The sole song "U Will Know", written by a young D'Angelo, was released in 1994. It was featured in the movie Jason's Lyric and on the movie's soundtrack.-Artists involved:Many artists...
for the Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric is a 1994 romantic drama film, written by Bobby Smith, Jr., and directed by Doug McHenry. The film marks the directorial debut of McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson...
motion picture soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. Shortly after, he was signed by Gary Harris and he began recording his debut album for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
records.
Brown Sugar was released in June 1995. Though sales were sluggish at first, the album was eventually a hit, due in large part to "Lady," a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts, peaking at #10. The album earned platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, following sales in excess of one million copies in the U.S., while its total sales have been estimated within the range of 1.5 million to over two million copies.While the album has been certified platinum in the United States, indicating shipments of one million, its total sales have been adversely reported by several publications with estimations ranging from 1.5 to 2 million units. The album helped give commercial visibility to the burgeoning neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
movement of the 1990s, along with debut albums by Maxwell
Maxwell (musician)
Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, and Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
. The album was a critical success as well, and appeared on many critics' "best of" lists for the year.
1996–2000: Sabbatical period and Voodoo
Following his debut album's success, D'Angelo went into a four and a half year absence from the music scene and releasing solo work. His recordings for soundtracks included BellyBelly (soundtrack)
Belly is the soundtrack to the 1998 film of the same name. It was released on November 3, 1998 through Def Jam Recordings and featured production from the likes of Poke & Tone, Sean Combs and Swizz Beatz...
("Devil's Pie"), frequently singing covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
like "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (Eddie Kendricks
Eddie Kendricks
Eddie Kendricks was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things...
, Get on the Bus
Get on the Bus
Get on the Bus is a 1996 film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March. The film was directed by Spike Lee and premiered on the one-year anniversary of the march....
), "She's Always in My Hair" (Prince, Scream 2
Scream 2
Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy and Liev Schreiber, released on December 12, 1997 as the second installment in the Scream film series...
) and "Heaven Must Be Like This" (The Ohio Players, Down in the Delta
Down in the Delta
Down in the Delta is a 1998 drama film directed by Maya Angelou. The film stars Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle, Loretta Devine, and Wesley Snipes.-Cast:* Alfre Woodard ... Loretta Sinclair* Al Freeman Jr. ... Earl Sinclair...
), as well as appearing on Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
's landmark The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo album by American musician Lauryn Hill, released August 25, 1998, on Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from late 1997 to June 1998, and were held primarily at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica...
on the duet "Nothing Even Matters".
The much-delayed follow-up to Brown Sugar, Voodoo, was finally released in 2000. It debuted at #1 and went on to win two Grammy Awards, one for Best R&B Album, and the other for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The lead single, 1999's "Left & Right" (featuring Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
and Redman) did well, but it was the second single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
"Untitled " is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released January 1, 2000 on Virgin Records in the United States. It was issued as a radio single in promotion of his second studio album, Voodoo . Written and produced by D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq, the song was originally...
" (a tribute to artist Prince), that became a huge R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hit buoyed by an innovative yet infamous video featuring a nude D'Angelo from his face to his hips while singing the song. The video was nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards and currently ranks #44 in VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's list of the 100 Greatest Videos. He also performed "Be Here" (with Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
) from Saadiq's album Instant Vintage.
After the release D'Angelo embarked on what would become one of the most fabled series of live soul shows in history, "The Voodoo Tour." Consisting of a live group entitled "the Soultronics
The Soultronics
The Soultronics was an American R&B and neo soul supergroup that served as the backing band for musician D'Angelo in 2000 during The Voodoo Tour, the supporting tour for his second studio album Voodoo...
," (presumed to have been assembled by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
) which engulfed arena-size stages with various dancers and instrument players, it was one of the most attended shows of the year. The tour was taken all around the world, one of the most notable performances being the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil. The live show was a thinly-disguised homage to Prince's late 80's shows, in its grandeur and conceptual stage set-up & setlist. Slum Village
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
(then in its original line-up of Jay Dee, Baatin & T3) opened for D'Angelo on several dates, and soul-tinged R&B singer Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (musician)
Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
sang backup in the band.
In 2002, Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
named him in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die", and in 2003 Voodoo was ranked at number 488 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
rated it at #44 on their list of the best albums of the 2000s.
2001–2011: Second sabbatical and James River
Since 2000, D'Angelo has conducted no interviews, live performances or released any new material, save for minor collaborationCollaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
s with other artists, and sporadic unfinished demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
leaked to the internet. A follow up album to Voodoo has been rumored and speculated for years. D'Angelo's two studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s had garnered much commercial and critical acclaim, and have been cited as "two of the most excellent and singular R&B albums of the past 15 years". Rock critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
has dubbed him as "R&B Jesus".
After a long period of inactivity, D'Angelo made guest appearances on several albums, including releases by J Dilla, Common, Red Hot & Riot and The RH Factor
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
. Red Hot & Riot was released in 2002 by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
as a compilation CD in tribute to the music and work of Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
. D'Angelo performed on a remake of the Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
classic, "Water No Get Enemy," with fellow hip-hop and R&B artists, Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
, The Soultronics
The Soultronics
The Soultronics was an American R&B and neo soul supergroup that served as the backing band for musician D'Angelo in 2000 during The Voodoo Tour, the supporting tour for his second studio album Voodoo...
, Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, Roy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
, and Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
's son, Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti....
. All proceeds from Red Hot & Riot were donated to charities devoted to raising AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. In August 2006 he began collaborations with Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
and Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
. He also entered discussions with Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
on how to market what appears to be a forthcoming LP, though the official news of a release has not been made public yet. Although music for his own album has yet to materialize, D'Angelo was featured on the song "Imagine", by Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, from his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Geffen Records on November 21, 2006. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.- Album information :...
, released on November 21, 2006. On April 17, 2007 a new song called "Really Love" was leaked on Triple J Radio in Australia by Questlove D'Angelo also had a guest appearance on Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
's 2007 album, Finding Forever on the track, "So Far to Go", a song that first appeared on J Dilla's 2006 release, The Shining. After a 2007 court proceeding, he confirmed very briefly that new music is "in the works" although the album remained untitled.
On June 24, 2008, Virgin EMI released an enhanced greatest hits CD/DVD which will include top hits, rare tracks & seven previously unreleased music videos from D'Angelo. According to the press release, the new collection is titled The Best So Far… because D'Angelo is far from finished, currently writing and recording his highly anticipated next musical chapter." There will also be a digital album, video downloads, and ringtones available on the day of its release. In November 2008, D'Angelo's collaboration with Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
was officially confirmed with the release of the Q-Tip album The Renaissance
The Renaissance (Q-Tip album)
The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 3, 2008, on Universal Motown Records. The follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified , it was recorded after Q-Tip's Kamaal/The Abstract was initially shelved in 2002 by his former label Arista Records...
which features D'Angelo on the track Believe.
The new album was originally slated for release in 2009. D'Angelo revealed that the album would be titled "James River" and that Prince would work heavily on the disc. The collaboration was to have a list reading like a who's who in the R&B, neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
genres. The year came and went with no album being released. D'Angelo's manager said in a brief statement that "'James River,' D’Angelo’s first studio effort in nearly nine years, is also sporting a collaboration with Gnarls Barkley’s Cee Lo Green. Green joins Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
, Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
, and Roy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
, who have already contributed to D’Angelo’s forthcoming album."
In the early part of 2010, D'Angelo was rumored to be in the studio hard at work on his long-delayed third album. On January 29, 2010, an incomplete song titled "1000 Deaths" was leaked on to the internet and uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
claiming it was to possibly be from the James River album; however, after four days it was deleted due to a copyright claim by D'Angelo's publishing company. Although official website went offline in November 2009 in February 2010 it started linking to D'Angelo's official MySpace Page with a banner reading 'Album & Tour Summer 2010'. After his June arrest in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
his MySpace page stopped showing the 'Album and Tour Summer 2010' banner and one day later his management issued a statement saying that he entered a plea of not guilty and is contesting the allegations made against him. Erykah Badu tweeted that he visited her in the studio while working on his own album at the Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
in New York. His manager's MySpace page stated "D’Angelo’s album is slated for release late summer 2010" until early 2011. At this current time however, his manager's MySpace mentions that "D'Angelo's album is slated for release Fall 2011". but delays in the album release are suspected.
In late May 2010, various online record stores began listing an album called 'Interpretations: Remakes' for sale. Most of the listed tracks have been widely available for some time, via CD or MP3, and it is not clear if this is an official release, as no announcement was made. The cover art is the same as 2008's "Best So Far" compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
album. Later in the year the website of Russell Elevado
Russell Elevado
Russell Elevado , is a recording engineer and record producer based in New York City. Elevado's achievement for recording and mixing contemporary R&B recording artist D'Angelo's critically acclaimedVoodoo album, gained him a Grammy award in 2000...
had claimed that D'Angelo had returned to New York for three months to finish his album, stating: "The time has finally come again to go in the studio with D'Angelo. starting the last week of August and for the next 3 months we're going in to complete overdubs and do final mixing on a few songs. Wish us luck...more updates to come."
No new announcements were made anywhere online or in the press about the album until December 6, 2010, when a company named "101 Distribution" quietly released an import album overseas titled "James River (Album Prelude)", featuring just under an hour of snippets of new songs, alternate versions of others and jam sessions, listing as the official first song off the album as "1000 Deaths". It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 28 on Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's website in limited quantities for over US$ 25, immediately going out of print only 24 hours later. On several websites where the album is being sold it has been claimed that the James River album will finally have a 2011 release, but nothing else is known about 101 Distributors or the validity of their statement. It has also been claimed that the album is a bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of stolen material and is not an official D'Angelo release of any sort.
In late April 2011, Russell Elevado
Russell Elevado
Russell Elevado , is a recording engineer and record producer based in New York City. Elevado's achievement for recording and mixing contemporary R&B recording artist D'Angelo's critically acclaimedVoodoo album, gained him a Grammy award in 2000...
again posted an update regarding the upcoming album on his website.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
announced it was disbanding J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. With the shutdown, D'Angelo (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release his future material on the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
brand.
In late October 2011, two concerts were scheduled for January 30th and 31st, 2012 at club Paradiso in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tickets went on sale on November 5th and were sold out within 24 hours.
Personal life
In the 1990s he dated soul singer Angie StoneAngie Stone
Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
and helped produce her debut album "Black Diamond" in 1999. They have a son, also named Michael, born in 1998.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... |
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| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
NZ |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| Brown Sugar |
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22 | 4 | — | — | 66 | — | 47 | — | — | — |
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... : Gold Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Platinum |
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| Voodoo |
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
1 | 1 | 7 | 57 | 28 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 42 | 21 |
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| James River James River (album) James River is the working title of R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo's third studio album, although the album remains Untitled. The album is widely considered one of the most anticipated in popular music, due to the critical acclaim of previous album Voodoo, and D'Angelo's lengthy 'sabbatical'... |
RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
To be released | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
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| The Best So Far... |
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70 |
Live albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Live at the Jazz Cafe Live at the Jazz Cafe Live at the Jazz Cafe is a live album by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released June 30, 1998 on EMI Records. It also featured release in Japan on December 7, 1999 with a bonus track. Recording sessions for the album took place live at the Jazz Café in London, England on September... |
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Remix albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Voodoo DJ Soul Essentials Voodoo DJ Soul Essentials Voodoo DJ Soul Essentials is a remix album by R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released in 2000 on Virgin Records. As part of the promotional efforts by the Cheeba Sound label and Virgin Records America for D'Angelo's second studio album Voodoo, the 12" vinyl remix album was issued in order to... |
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Singles
| Year | Title | Chart peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B |
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| 1994 | "U Will Know" (as a part of Black Men United) | 28 | 5 | Jason's Lyric OST |
| 1995 | "Brown Sugar" | 27 | 5 | Brown Sugar |
| "Cruisin' Cruisin' (song) "Cruisin" is a 1979 single written, produced, and recorded by Smokey Robinson for Motown Records' Tamla label. One of Robinson's most successful singles outside of his work with The Miracles, "Cruisin'" was a Top 10 Billboard Pop hit, peaking at number four not only on the Billboard Hot 100 but on... " |
53 | 10 | ||
| 1996 | "Lady" | 10 | 2 | |
| "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine" | 74 | 25 | ||
| 1998 | "She's Always In My Hair" | — | — | Scream 2 OST |
| "Devil's Pie Devil's Pie "Devil's Pie" is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released October 31, 1998 on Virgin Records. It was issued as a promotional single for his second studio album, 2000's Voodoo. The song was composed by D'Angelo and hip hop producer DJ Premier of the group Gang Starr... "1 |
— | 69 | Belly Soundtrack/Voodoo(2000) | |
| 1999 | "Nothing Even Matters" (Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of... featuring D'Angelo) |
105 | 25 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| "Break Ups 2 Make Ups" (Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man... featuring D'Angelo) |
98 | 29 | Tical 2000: Judgement Day | |
| "Heaven Must Be Like This" | — | 74 | Down In The Delta OST / Live At The Jazz Cafe | |
| "Your Precious Love" (duet with Erykah Badu Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical... ) |
— | 83 | High School High OST | |
| "Left & Right" (featuring Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man... & Redman) |
75 | 18 | Voodoo | |
| 2000 | "Untitled (How Does It Feel) Untitled (How Does It Feel) "Untitled " is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released January 1, 2000 on Virgin Records in the United States. It was issued as a radio single in promotion of his second studio album, Voodoo . Written and produced by D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq, the song was originally... " |
25 | 2 | |
| "Send It On Send It On "Send It On" is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released March 25, 2000 on Virgin Records. It was issued as a radio single in promotion of his second studio album Voodoo . The song was written by D'Angelo, his brother Luther Archer and R&B singer Angie Stone... " |
— | 33 | ||
| "Feel Like Makin' Love Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song) "Feel Like Makin' Love" was covered by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo for his second studio album Voodoo . It was released April 8, 2000, on Virgin Records as the album's fifth and last single. His cover version features a quiet storm sound and heavy use of multi-tracking for vocals.... " |
— | 109 | ||
| 2002 | "Be Here" (Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J... featuring D'Angelo) |
— | 61 | Instant Vintage |
| 2007 | "Imagine" (Snoop Dogg Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school... featuring Dr. Dre Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records... & D'Angelo) |
— | 107 | Blue Carpet Treatment |
| "So Far To Go" (Common featuring D'Angelo) | — | — | Finding Forever | |
| 2008 | "I Found My Smile Again"3 | — | 106 | The Best So Far... |
- 1 Only peaked on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Tracks chart.
Other
This list excludes recordings which only include samples of D'Angelo recordings.- "U Will Know" collaboration as B.M.U (Black Men United) on Jason's Lyric (soundtrack)Jason's Lyric (soundtrack)Jason's Lyric is the original soundtrack to the 1994 film Jason's Lyric. Released in the fall of 1994, it topped the Top R&B Albums chart and was a Top 20 Billboard 200 ranking album...
album (1994) - "Pray" on Vertical Hold's 'Head First' album (1994)
- "Crew" keyboards on A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
album (1996) - "Overjoyed" on Boys Choir of Harlem's 'Up In Harlem' album (1996)
- "Cold World (Remix)" single collaboration with GZAGZAGary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
(1996) - "Your Precious Love" collaboration with Erykah BaduErykah BaduErica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
on High School High soundtrack album (1996) - "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" on Get On The Bus soundtrack album (1996)
- "The Hypnotic" collaboration on The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' Illadelph HalflifeIlladelph HalflifeThe New York Times writer Neil Strauss called the album "one of the year's best rap offerings" and wrote that "The Roots move indiscriminately from politically conscious lyrics to silly rhymes "...
album (1996) - "I Found My Smile Again" on the Space Jam (soundtrack)Space Jam (soundtrack)- Album singles :...
album (1997) - "Ain't Nobody Home" collaboration on B.B.King's Deuces WildDeuces Wild (album)Deuces Wild is a celebrity duet album by B. B. King, released on November 4, 1997.- Track listing :#"If You Love Me" - 5:48#"The Thrill Is Gone" - 5:00#"Rock Me Baby" - 6:38...
album (1997) - "The 'Notic" collaboration with The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
(featuring Erykah BaduErykah BaduErica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
) on Men In Black soundtrack album (1997) - "Heaven Must Be Like This" on Down In The Delta soundtrack album (1998)
- "Nothing Even Matters" collaboration on Lauryn HillLauryn HillLauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
's The Miseducation of Lauryn HillThe Miseducation of Lauryn HillThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo album by American musician Lauryn Hill, released August 25, 1998, on Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from late 1997 to June 1998, and were held primarily at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica...
album (1998) - "Break Ups 2 Make Ups" collaboration on Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
's Tical 2000: Judgement DayTical 2000: Judgement DayTical 2000: Judgement Day is the second studio album by American rapper, and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man, released November 17, 1998, on Def Jam Records. The album's title and overall theme were heavily influenced by the apocalypse theories surrounding the forthcoming end of the millennium...
album (1998) - "She's Always In My Hair" on Scream 2 soundtrack album (1998)
- "The Spark" keyboards on The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' Things Fall ApartThings Fall Apart (album)Things Fall Apart is the fourth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released February 23, 1999 on Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Electric Lady Studios during 1997 to 1999, coinciding with recording for other projects of the Soulquarians collective,...
album (1999) - "Everyday" collaboration and production on Angie StoneAngie StoneAngie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
's Black Diamond album (1999) - "Time Travelin'", "Time Travelin' (Reprise)", "Geto Heaven Part Two" and "Cold-Blooded" collaborations on CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
's Like Water for ChocolateLike Water for Chocolate (album)Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album by American hip hop rapper Common, released March 28, 2000 on MCA Records. It was a considerable critical and commercial breakthrough for Common, receiving generally favorable reviews from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in...
album (2000) - "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" on D'Angelo's Untitled (How Does It Feel?) single (2000)
- "Tell Me" collaboration on Slum VillageSlum VillageSlum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
's Fantastic, Vol. 2Fantastic, Vol. 2Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
album (2000) - "Caravan" collaboration with The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
on the various artists' Red Hot + IndigoRed Hot + IndigoRed Hot + Indigo is the 13th entry from the Red Hot AIDS benefit series of compilation albums produced by Paul Heck. It marks the tenth anniversary of the Red Hot Organization , an international organization which uses mass media as a fundraising tool for its efforts at increasing public AIDS...
Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
tribute / charity fund-raising album (2000) - "Talk S*** 2 Ya" collaboration on Baby BoyBaby Boy (film)Baby Boy is a 2001 American urban drama film written, produced, and directed by John Singleton. It has been considered a sequel of sorts to Singleton's earlier, more famous work Boyz n the Hood released ten years earlier...
soundtrack album (2001) - "Be Here" collaboration on Raphael SaadiqRaphael SaadiqRaphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
's Instant VintageInstant VintageInstant Vintage is the debut solo album of American R&B and neo soul musician Raphael Saadiq. It serves as Saadiq's first full-length solo album after spending much of his post-Tony! Toni! Toné! career as session player and producer. Primarily a neo soul album, it also exhibits musical styles such...
album (2002) - "Water No Got Enemy" collaboration with various artists on Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela KutiRed Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela KutiRed Hot + Riot is the fourteenth in a series of music compilation projects produced by Paul Heck of the Red Hot Organization to be used as a fundraising tool for AIDS awareness efforts...
tribute / charity fund-raising album (2002) - "I'll Stay" collaboration on Roy HargroveRoy HargroveRoy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
's The RH Factor: Hard Groove album (2003) - "Be Here" live collaboration on Raphael SaadiqRaphael SaadiqRaphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
's All Hits at the House of Blues album (2005) - "Sing A Simple Song" virtual collaboration with Sly and The Family Stone, featuring Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Chuck DChuck DCarlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
on Different Strokes By Different Folks tribute album (2006) - "Bullsh*t" collaboration on Roy HargroveRoy HargroveRoy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
's The RH Factor: Distractions album (2006) - "So Far to Go" collaboration on J DillaJ DillaJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
's The Shining album (2006) - "Imagine" collaboration on Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's Blue Carpet Treatment album (2006) featuring Dr.Dre - "So Far To Go" collaboration on CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
's Finding Forever album (2007). - "Believe" collaboration on Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
's The Renaissance album (2008) - "Natural" rhodes keyboards on Don-E's Natural album (2008)
- "Glass Mountain Trust" collaboration on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's "Record CollectionRecord CollectionRecord Collection is a Venice, CA based music entertainment and production company, owned by Jordan Tappis and David Sardy. Record Collection is home to a diverse catalog which includes music from artists such as former Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante, The Walkmen, Murs, Blake...
" album (2010).