Soul Fixin'

he speaks, finally!
It's been 10 years since D'Angelo released an album of new material. It's been 9 years since he granted the press an interview. Nine years later, the reclusive artist who has been making headlines for criminal activity and so-called comebacks decided to speak with The Urban Daily. I wouldn't file this particular interview under 'the one interview we've all been waiting for' but it is worthy of a read. D'Angelo touches on a few things including his discovery of the 70's black rock band Black Merda, his affinity for Rick James & The Bar-Keys, and the musical and cultural movement known as Afro-Punk. D'Angelo ends the interview by stating, " I just want them to know that I’m coming. That’s all. I’m in the kitchen and I’m cooking up something real nice." My side-eye is in full effect. My faith in D'Angelo has come to a painful demise, I'll believe his colorful tales of "cooking up" new music when it comes in the form of a compact disc on store shelves with a $9.99 price tag affixed to it. Click here for the complete interview.

Soul Fixin'

Call It A Comeback
Long lost but not forgotten soul man D'Angelo is steadily working towards a comeback. Rumors surrounding a comeback have been floating around for years. Now, it seems like D'Angelo is following in the footsteps of Maxwell. This comeback is real, so I think. Let's keep our fingers crossed. According to Billboard D'Angelo plans on collaborating with Prince for his long awaited new album, reportedly titled James River. The album is expected to drop this summer via J Records. Collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, Mark Ronson, and Roy Hargrove are complete. D'Angelo plans on touring this summer, starting in Europe before hitting the road in the States. Cities and dates have yet to be announced.

Soul Tracks

Yes, today's Soul Tracks selection comes from a rapper. Can rap music be considered soul music? It sure can. Some define soul music as the output of music from the 60's and 70's. Soul music is not only Aretha and Donny or Stax and Motown. Soul music is Jay-Z, The Clark Sisters, Cassandra Wilson, Talib Kweli, John Mayer, Teena Marie, Shirley Caesar, and Kanye West. Soul music is jazz, blues, gospel, hip-hop, and rock. Soul music is 'forever music.' Common breaks it down for us "music can be forever if you make it from the heart, if you make it from the soul and it’s good. And I look at the music of like Bob Marley or Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder or A Tribe Called Quest, that's forever music. And I’m continuing on the quest to make forever music." Common's 'So Far To Go' is definitely forever music. The track is significant for two reasons, one, it was produced by J Dilla, who passed away in 2006, and two, it features missing in action soul brother D'Angelo, who, let's keep our fingers crossed, is working on a new album. The track borrows the love making theme from the composition it samples, The Isley Brothers' 'Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love).' Common isn't your average rapper. Common is a grown ass man who has lived a lifetime of experiences. It is the 'grown ass man' within Common that allows him to rhyme about sexual intercourse without being brash, raunchy, or explicit. The mind stimulating lyrics in 'So Far To Go' are thought provoking, intelligent, and sensual. It takes a few listens before you realize Common is actually rhyming about sex. Common is deep like that. Peep the poetry in motion "let me live inside you...what your mouth don’t say...baby your thighs do...I want us to arrive together...I love it when the weather...is wet and sticky."

Soul Tracks

While I was diggin' through the crates I came across D'Angelo's sophomore set, 2000's Voodoo, considered by many to be his magnum opus. I've still got plenty of love for the man even though he has been away for so long. Actually, he has been away for too damn long!!! But anyway, he is currently signed to J Records and word on the street is that we can expect a new album to drop early next year. I'm sure your lost-soul-singers side eye is in full effect right now because rumors of a new D'Angelo album have been floating around for a handful of years but if Maxwell can make a comeback so can D'Angelo. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Voodoo came to us five years after his brilliant debut Brown Sugar, it was well worth the wait. The recording sessions all took place at Electric Lady Studios, the Greenwich Village-based studio built by Jimi Hendrix. ?uestlove, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, DJ Premier, Q-Tip, Roy Hargrove, Angie Stone, and Raphael Saadiq all contributed to the soulfully funky and organic sound that can be heard on Voodoo. ?uestlove described the recording sessions as a "left-of-center black music renaissance," frequent visits to the studio were made by artists such as Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def and The Roots band, visits that shaped and influenced the recording atmosphere of the Voodoo sessions. D'Angelo and Angie Stone co-wrote the song 'Send It On,' a song that explores faith and honesty in a relationship. The arrangements are reminiscent of classic 70's soul. It has an Aretha/Marvin/Al Green feel to it. It's one of those songs that forces you to make that ugly face and shake your head because it sounds so damn good. While we wait, hope, and pray for some new D'Angelo music, enjoy this 8 year old classic.

Video Soul

"you should be here in the evenin'
get to squeezin', teasin'
forget the reason..."

Soul Fixin'

Q- Tip Experiences A Renaissance
It's been 9 long years. Q- Tip is preparing for the release of his sophomore album The Renaissance. According to Q -Tip the changing landscape of hip hop makes it the perfect time to release The Renaissance, "I had to wait until the time was right. If I put it out a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t have been right. But now you have people like Santogold, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Common. It seems like it’s a bit more in tune with what I’m doing.”

The Renaissance features collaborations with D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq and Norah Jones.

In addition to The Renaissance, Q-Tip plans on releasing Kamaal The Abstract, an album that was shelved by Arista in '02, later this year. A release date for The Renaissance has not been set.

Saturday Soul

Betty Wright's Explosion[Okayplayer]
Perfect Combinations -- The Soul Duets[VIBE]
Smooth Soul Survivors [SoulTracks]
Q-Tip in Super Group with D'Angelo & Raphael Saadiq?? [The BoomBox]
Old School Friday: Hip Hop [Songs In The Key Of Life]
Snoop Dogg Goes Country [Billboard]

Soul Fixin'

Send It On...

For a number of years we've been skeptical, much like the look on D'Angelo's face, of any whispers of a new D'Angelo release. This time around it seems like Michael Eugene Archer bka D'Angelo has finally got his sh*t together. I think it is safe to say that we can expect a D'Angelo album early next year via J Records. D' Angelo's Virgin Records contract was purchased by J Records in 2005. According to a source close to the project, the as-yet untitled album features collaborations with Raphael Saadiq. D' Angelo also plans to record with John Mayer. Let's keep our toes and fingers crossed.

On Tuesday, Virgin will release a CD/DVD retrospective, The Best So Far..., featuring hits, unreleased tracks and previously unreleased videos. Hopefully this compilation can hold us over until we hear some new sh*t.

Saturday Soul

R. Kelly...Not Guilty!!!...[MTV]
Some New D'Angelo???[okayplayer.]
Erykah Badu done lost her mind!![Crunk +Disorderly]
Ayah...She's a Problem Woman[SoulBounce]

Video Soul

Trying to find the latest news on D'Angelo is like looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. A few years ago, rumors were swirling that he was working on a third album, James River. More recently, he was featured on Common's most recent album, Finding Forever, on the superb track "So Far To Go." Angie Stone, tell your baby daddy to get his @$$ back in the studio ASAP!!!!

Raphael Saadiq is working on a new album inspired by his love of the Motown sound.

Classic Album Revisted

D' Angelo's 1995 debut album Brown Sugar dispelled the myth that good soul music was a thing of the past. It is quite obvious that singer/songwriter D'Angelo was influenced by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Prince and Curtis Mayfield, however he has a style that is his own. "Brown Sugar" and "Lady" are the hit songs we all vividly remember but the album is full of sultry seductive grooves. "Brown Sugar" sets the mood for the album, D'Angelo's smooth falsetto cruises alongside the soulful rhythms. "Jonz In My Bonz" and "Alright" are the only songs that seem to have missed the mark. "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine", "Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*ker" and "Crusin", a remake of the Smokey Robinson classic, showcase D'Angelo at his soulful best. D'Angelo's sophomore album Voodoo was released in 2000. He was recently featured on Common's latest release,Finding Forever, on the track "So Far To Go." Like his female counterpart Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo has practically disappeared from the music scene.