When you think of the so-called “Neo Soul” movement, few names are held in as much reverence as D’Angelo.
Breaking through the music scene in the mid-1990s, D’Angelo blended classic R&B sounds with Hip-Hop influence. The method to his madness was rather simplistic in nature. In a 2014 conversation with longtime friend/collaborator Questlove (captured by The Guardian), the musician was authentically pure. “It’s about capturing the spirit, capturing that vibe,” he said. “I’m a first-take kinda dude.”
He also politely pushed back on the Neo Soul label. What he said next best summarized how his legacy would be remembered.
“I don’t want to disassociate, and I respect it for what it is, but any time you put a name on something, you put it in a box. I never claimed I do neo soul. When I first came out, I said, I do black music.”
With that said, here are 15 B-Sides of D’Angelo’s that are soulful, riveting, and, yes, unapologetically Black.