Yesterday evening (May 21), a few hundred people, including select media, longtime fans, and somewhere in between, inquiring minds, gathered at the Brooklyn Museum to hear D’Angelo speak at the Red Bull Music Academy.
Hosted by author, journalist, and filmmaker Nelson George, attendees knew they were in store for a treat. That is, if the often recluse singer even showed face. Though set to begin promptly at 7 pm, D’Angelo didn’t make his way to the stage until about 10 minutes later. Taking little time to get into the swing of things, he and George delved right into some of the nuances in his life story. This portion of their conversation, or any for that matter, didn’t come without its fair share of jewels.
This was a music nerd’s event if we’d ever seen one.
Needless to say that we learned more than enough about the Grammy winner, who was up in spirits and engaged with the crowd during the entire sit down. And this included a little assistance from longtime friend and collaborator Questlove, who was sitting in the crowd.
Hit the jump to read nine things that we learned during D’Angelo’s RBMA appearance.
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Photo: Drew Gurian/Red Bull Content Pool
Audience Should Prep For A Musical Shift
D’Angelo only delivered two albums prior to retreating into the shadows after releasing Voodoo. The aforementioned album wasn’t a development of the sound that drove his critically acclaimed debut, Brown Sugar, to prominence in 1995. It was a progressively different body of work influenced by an array of genres — not limited to funk and soul — that was a hard pill to swallow to anyone old enough to digest it when it release at the top of 2000.
The singer-songwriter revealed that his upcoming album will be similar in that it won’t follow a traditional soundtrack, nor will it sound like anything you’re accustomed to hearing from him.
Guitar Strings
D’Angelo spent much of his time away mastering the guitar, which will greatly guide the sound of his next LP. Jesse Johnson of The Time, a one-time affiliate of the crooner’s idol Prince, was the first to put the instrument in his hand. And as they say, the rest is history.
John, Paul, George, Ringo
The Voodoo mastermind has an amalgam of musical influences, so it’s not surprising that he’d speak highly of The Beatles. He made sure to mention that he’s always admired their ability to package radical and innovative ideas into a pop song format that resonated with listeners
Bad Acronym, Great Bars
If you ever happen to see D’Angelo in the streets, be sure to ask him about I.D.U. That’s an acronym for a rap group that he was a part of as a teenager. Yes, the man renowned for his buttery smooth vocals was once and MC. And let him tell it, he was damn good, too.
Slave Song?
We’ll never hear “Devil’s Pie” the same and neither will you, as D’Angelo explained how he imagined what it was like to be a slave working in a chain gang to pen this regard. This is the song he imagined them singing.
Playa’s Ball
“Playa Playa” is the well known Voodoo intro, but it was originally intended for the Space Jam soundtrack. As the lyrics go:
“Steal you with my two shot/ Control you with my drop/ Blaze you with my handle/ And bless you with my pop/ Play you like a pro/ And take over the show/ Stick you and defeat you/ Rob you of your glow/ Rob you of your glow.”
Make sense now?
James Mtume With The Assist
Little to the knowledge of most, D’Angelo couldn’t nail a line or two on his Brown Sugar tracks “Cruisin'” and “Brown Sugar.” That’s where legendary musician James Mtume came in with his veteran ear. As you can see, the Soulquarian had some irreplaceable folks in his corner.
Penning Jason’s Lyric
D’Angelo’s second writing placement was the first song on the Jason’s Lyric film soundtrack. Titled “Black Men United,” it featured nearly any notable male R&B singer at the time, including Gerald Levert, Boyz II Men, R. Kelly, a young Usher, Aaron Hall, Al B. Sure, and more.
The Brown Sugar Story
Questlove played a major part in last night’s festivities not once, but twice. The first time, he discussed how D’Angelo passed him a sampler of Brown Sugar at the 1995 Source awards — the very same one that ignited the East Coast/West Coast beef. After seeing Suge Knight give his infamous speech about record exec’s wanting shine like artists, Quest thought it best to leave the venue before things got too hectic.
That’s when he was greeted by D’Angelo, who he dismissed during a previous encounter because of his disposition towards R&B singers at the time. The Virginia native passed him an advanced listen of his debut LP, which Quest later listened to. Soon enough, he’d try to work with D’Angelo, which blossomed into the Soulquarians movement and more importantly, a brotherhood over time.
