Before going viral was even a thing, D’Angelo managed it with one of the most iconic music videos of all time for “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” that grabbed the attention of an entire generation with a simple, stark visual.
The music industry has suffered a huge loss with the death of Grammy-winning R&B soul singer D’Angelo. The singer passed away Tuesday morning in New York City, according to TMZ, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born Michael Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974, D’Angelo blasted onto the music scene with his debut album Brown Sugar going platinum in 1995 and helping usher in the neo soul sound.
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After collaborations with multiple artists, including his girlfriend at the time, Angie Stone, as well as Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo’s sophomore effort, Voodoo, debuted at number one. The album would go on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Album, a feat he would repeat in 2016 for Black Messiah.
D’Angelo would also score a Grammy for the lead single off of Voodoo, “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” which was helped by its music video’s stark imagery, with just a seemingly nude D’Angelo singing as the camera zoomed in and out, capturing the imaginations of a generation of fans.
The artist is survived by two sons and a daughter, with his oldest son shared with the late Angie Stone, who died in a car accident earlier this year on March 1 at just 63 years old.
Jill Scott was one of the first to pay tribute to D’Angelo, with her message on X coming just one day after she’d honored the artist in another post where she expressed her love for his artistry, alongside Erykah Badu, Bette Midler, The Roots and others.
“I told you a long time ago-You ain’t gon understand everything & everything ain’t meant 4 U ,nor I, to understand. I never met D’Angelo but I love him, respect him, admire his gift,” she wrote on Tuesday. “This loss HURTS!! Love to my family that are family to him. I’m so sorry. R.I.P. GENIUS.” She added two broken heart emojis.
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Doja Cat also took to the platform, penning, “Rest in peace D’angelo. My thoughts, love and prayers go out to his family and friends. A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come.” Flavor Flav shared an image of the artist, captioning it, “R.I.P. ICON D’Angelo” with praying hand and angel wing emojis.
“Danggit!Say it ain’t so, but we just lost a friend, a creator & legend, D’Angelo! Prayer’s going out to his family & friends! We all lolve u lil-brother. R.I.P…” wrote Bootsy Collins, while DJ Premier commented, “Such a sad loss to the passing of D’angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’ Love You KING”
“Rest Peacefully D’Angelo,” Missy Elliott penned. “No parent want to see their children go but it’s painful for children to see their parents go to so send prayers up for his son who also lost his mom this year for strength.”
You can see more celebrity and fan reactions below.
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