SoundNexx

D'ANGELO "MISSING IN ACTION!"
Who remembers the first time they heard a D'Angelo song? I do!! It was in May of 1995 when I first heard that "Brown Sugar" track for the first time, which definitely changed the R&B game in my eyes. That song was so dayum funky and soulful, there was no way it could be denied! All I kept thinking was, "Who is this soulful kat, and when can I get the album?" I immediatelyran over to the music store the morning it dropped, and I actually bought the last copy of the "Brown Sugar" album the store had. Remember, this way before new albums leaked 5 months before they're released and downloading music was an option? I like to call it, "The Good Ole' Dayz!" Anyhoo, I got the Brown Sugar CD into the whip, quickly ripped the plastic off and dropped it into the Kenwood CD player! The Brown Sugar joint (track 1) came on and I was in music lovers bliss! After I played that cut about 3 times, I finally started moving through rest of the album! Back then I had a bad habit of skimming through albums? Skimming is when I would listen to approximately 20 seconds of a song, and if it didn't grab me within that time frame, I would skip to the next track! Needless to say, I skimmed through the whole album. I became pissed and disappointed!! I felt like I had been ripped off tremendously? So, I put that album on the shelf for many many weeks, thinking that I hated it? When people would try to discuss the album with me, I would immediately say that I didn't like it! So, a few weeks later I was riding with my partna and he had that Brown Sugar album in his CD changer in his car. He had the CDs in shuffle mode, so all of a sudden "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine" came on. At first I wasn't paying any attention and then it caught my attention. So, I immediately asked, "Who is this?" He said it was D'Angelo. I got mad at myself! I couldn't believe that this great song was on the album, and I had totally missed it. As soon as I got home that evening, I dusted off that "Brown Sugar" album and listened to all 10 tracks completely. I quickly realized that this was actually a great and important album, which some say pioneered the Neo-Soul movement that we have today? This was classic material that I was definitely sleeping on....?

The "Brown Sugar" album did two things for me musically. The first thing it did was opened up my earbuds to a new music, which made me want to explore new genres. Secondly, it got me to stop "skimming" through music like I used to. I realized that most great music needs a few listens before it really starts to make an impression. I take my time with music now. If I am not really liking something on the first or second listen, I wait a few days and then play it again. Now, if it's crap...it won't matter how many times I listen to it. Crap is crap!! As I have gotten older I have watched my taste in music broaden further than I could have ever imagined.

As every D'Angelo fan knows, he has been missing in action for a minute now! Hell, more like a few years! Of course he's a man first and then a singer, and sometimes the being a blackman is difficult enough? Rumor has it that he's been dealing with some personal drama like drug usage, weight gain and a terrible car accident? D'Angelo has definitely been pretty invisible these last few years, but he has been working with a few artists on the side during his absence. He's been featured on tracks with Roy Hargrove, Q-Tip, Raphael Saadiq, Common & J Dilla over the years, but we still haven't heard when his next album will be coming out? He supposedly made a statment after his car accident that he was in the studio working on the new album?? I'll believe it when I see it! Until that day comes I guess D'Angelo fans will have to keep playing his previous albums, which isn't that bad? I mean it's a lot better than listening to most of the trash that's been forced upon us in the last few years, right? Hopefully, D'Angelo's new project will be as great as his previous ones, which will make the music world a better place? If not, his true fans will still remain by his side debating with the foolish skeptics about why D'Angelo has been so great for soul music...?

Until then...I dug up a compilation that I made for a friend a minute ago that has some of my favorite D'Angelo tracks from his portfolio. They are a combination of his guest appearances, live performances, album tracks and remixes! Hopefully, this compilation will make some D'Angelo fans happy, or just make for some good conversation? Either way...enjoy! If any of you folks have any new D'Angelo news worth sharing, please leave your comments. As usual, all comments are welcomed, unless you are trying to sell used condoms or something like that? In that's the case, KEEP IT MOVIN'! I get some crazy advertisement "ish" left in the comment section sometimes....?

Okay, on to the compilation! I was trying some new stuff (mixing) when I made this, so don't let your confusion distract you from the music...

MO' BROWN SUGA TRACKLIST:

1) D'ANGELO - DEVIL'S PIE (HOTT REMIX)
2) D'ANGELO - ALRIGHT
3) D'ANGELO - ME AND THOSE DREAMIN EYES OF MINE (REMIX) FEAT. REDMAN
4) D'ANGELO - CHICKEN GREASE
5) SLUM VILLAGE FEAT. D'ANGELO - TELL ME
6) D'ANGELO FEAT. AZ - LADY (DJ PREMIER REMIX)
7) THE ROOTS FEAT. D'ANGELO & ERYKAH BADU - THE NOTIQ
8) D'ANGELO - UNTITLED
9) D'ANGELO - CRUISIN' (DALLAS AUSTIN REMIX)
10)D'ANGELO - EVERBODY LOVES THE SUNSHINE (LIVE)
11)D'ANGELO - SMOOTH
12)RAPHAEL SAADIQ FEAT. D'ANGELO - YOU SHOULD BE HERE
13)COMMON FEAT. D'ANGELO - GHETTO HEAVEN
14)J DILLA FEAT. COMMON & D'ANGELO - SO FAR TO GO
15)D'ANGELO - BROWN SUGAR (BOP MIX)
16)D'ANGELO - CAN'T HIDE LOVE (LIVE)
17)D'ANGELO - SEND IT ON
18)D'ANGELO - THEE INSTRUMENTAL

DOWNLOAD "MO' BROWN SUGA" HERE!

Oh yeah...click the photo above to see what D'Angelo looks like the last time he was photoed in public? The infamous mug shot....