D’Angelo, photo by Marc Millman

D’Angelo, the R&B innovator who helped to define neo-soul with three groundbreaking albums, passed away yesterday at 51.

From his 1995 debut, ‘Brown Sugar,’ D’Angelo was a revelation in R&B, summoning the gravity and passion of soul forebearers like Al Green and Marvin Gaye and marrying it with the beats and slick atmosphere of hip-hop. His vocals, often layered in intricate harmonies, simmered in a rich, seductive baritone before exploding into his howling falsetto. He refined his smoldering style further with his classic 2000 sophomore offering Voodoo, then withdrew for 14 years before returning with the revered soul-jazz epic Black Messiah, which swirled together an expansive and unprecedented blend of rock, shadowy funk, fiery gospel testifying and more.

In the decade that followed his last full-length release, D’Angelo’s esteem only increased as listeners and critics reckoned with the profound impact of his work. By endeavoring not just to update but reinvent Black musical traditions, he pulled a lineage of artistry into the present to bolster R&B against trends he felt were depleting the style’s meaning.

D’Angelo pursued his musical vision with a litany of acclaimed collaborators. Before his solo breakthrough, he made connections as a songwriter, working closely with Raphael Saadiq, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and his future partner Angie Stone. While he created his debut almost entirely independently, Voodoo fielded contributions from the loose collective of the Soulquarians; Questlove, Roy Hargrove, James Poyser, Pino Palladino and J Dilla recorded on the album, while the group’s wider orbit included Eykah Badu, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Common. For Black Messiah, he formed The Vanguard, adding Isaiah Sharkey, Chris Dave, Jesse Johnson, Kendra Foster and more to his previous band.

Outside of his own output, D’Angelo was a recurring contributor to storied production outfit The Ummah, also featuring Q-Tip, Muhammad, Saadiq and Dilla. With the team and on his own, he lent his talents to recordings from many more notable acts, including Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Common, Brandy, Slum Village, The Roots, B.B. King, Rapsody, A Tribe Called Quest and Lauryn Hill, with whom he collaborated on “Nothing Even Matters” from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Beyond his immediate peers, D’Angelo’s powerful music profoundly influenced generations of artists who followed in his footsteps and others across the musical spectrum. After his passing, many of these connections reflected on his legacy through social media posts, included below. Read a full obituary for D’Angelo here.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ms. Lauryn Hill (@mslaurynhill)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by James Poyser (@jamespoyser)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Black Thought (@blackthought)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Yasiin Bey (@yasiinbey)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Official Slum Village (@officialslumvillage)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @anderson._paak

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kedar Massenburg (@kedarmassenburg)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by WACO Theater Center (@wacotheater)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Flea (@flea333)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tyler, The Creator (@feliciathegoat)

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Eric Krasno (@erickrasno)