Last year, D’Angelo teased fans with a few notable performances, including a set at Jay-Z’s ‘Made In America’ festival, but a promised new album was never delivered. Now, ?uestlove reveals that the long awaited, highly anticipated third album from the enigmatic R&B crooner is almost ready, we hope.
The Roots’ drummer has been working diligently to get the album delivered to the label in spite of his hectic work schedule. “I’m heading out to Asia right now praying that we’re still on schedule for when we said we were going to turn that record in,” ?uest told Billboard. “All last week, I was in the studio finishing (the album). We spent close to 18 hours, well not me personally because I have to go to ‘Fallon,’ but usually right after work. He’s the only person that I’ll actually go to the studio with and stay there to six in the morning, re-doing these drum parts… Right now, we’re just tightening up the loose ends. But I still stand by, 99% of it is done.”
Right now the plan is turn the record in by February at the latest. ?uest did not hold back on the praise, hailing the project as classic material. “I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation’s version of Sly (and the Family Stone’s) ‘There’s a Riot Goin’ On.’,” said ?uest. “It’s potent. It’s funky. It’s an extremely hard pill to swallow. He’s one of those artists that have, of course, taken 13 years to follow up a record. It’s going to take you about 10 years to digest this record. Totally brilliant. Just the way this society works with music… being able to judge if something is a classic after the first listen, you can do that after thirty seconds on this. And the fact that we started this record in 2004, and it still sounds like it came out five years from now, it is a testament to the timelessness of it.”
The working title of D’Angelo’s new album is James River, but there is no scheduled release date at the moment. Born Michael Archer, his last album, Voodoo, was released in 2000. When D’Angelo hit the stage with ?uestlove at Bonnaroo last year, it was the Richmond, VA native’s first time performing stateside in a dozen years.
In an interview with GQ magazine, D’angelo revealed that it was the death of his friend J Dilla that inspired him to get his act together after years of alcohol and drug abuse.
Are you checking for a new D’Angelo album after all these years?
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Photo: GQ
