D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

The landmark debut album from a visionary soul and once-in-a-lifetime artist, D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar brought the golden age analog sounds of the past (gospel, soul, jazz, funk) into the age of hip-hop in a smooth, sophisticated way that no other artist had done before. Taking cues from his hero Prince, D’Angelo (born Michael Archer) handled nearly all the production Brown Sugar, including the instrumentation, arrangements and songwriting, and while the album didn’t receive as much mainstream success as it’s followup Voodoo, it remains an early testament to D’Angelo’s raw talent. His virtuosic Hammond organ playing, perfected during his years singing and performing in church, dynamic high-register singing, which certainly drew from a lineage of soul singers, but was something completely its own, and soulful storytelling, reflecting all the highs and lows of the black experience, are on full display here. Brown Sugar signaled to the entire world in 1995 that a new musical force had arrived, and thirty years later, D’Angelo remains one of the greatest artists of our time. His music influence on contemporary music cannot be overstated… Rest in peace Michael D’Angelo Archer <3

Recommended – Full Listen