New York, USA – Omo, wahala no dey finish for this life! Yesterday, we receive serious palava as D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B king and neo-soul pioneer, don go meet Baba God at the age of 51. The singer wey they carry our hearts with sweet jams like ‘Brown Sugar‘ and ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’ go don leave us on October 14, 2025. Na true wetin we dey hear, him family talk say na pancreatic cancer wey carry am go heaven.
In as much as e painful, his family drop statement wey full of love and appreciation. “The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” dem talk. E no easy for dem as dem dey cope with this loss. D’Angelo, wey all of us sabi as Michael D’Angelo Archer, start his journey for Richmond, Virginia on February 11, 1974, and his music dey dioreh (stretch) like palm wine wey dey flow with sweet aroma.
D’Angelo no just be musician, him be multi-instrumentalist wey sabi play many instruments. This guy na big deal for the music industry! Him debut album ‘Brown Sugar’ wey come out for 1995 no just bring him to the limelight but also open door for neo-soul movement wey dey soon follow. Imagine millions of copies wey dey sell like hot cakes! This album na the darling of many music lovers. The title track and ‘Lady’ make everybody dey groove, including your padi wey no fit sing properly!
Nawah o! E even get second album ‘Voodoo‘ for 2000 wey blow our minds again. This album come like food wey make you dey hungry for more – dense instrumentation wey dey burst brain, with collabo from big boys like Questlove and J Dilla. D’Angelo collect Grammy for Best R&B Album wey follow like say make dem no forget him name. The album’s single ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’ no just rock the charts, but also make people do ‘konko’ as dem dey play am for everywhere.
But wait, d’you sabi say after all this fame, D’Angelo come do disappear? No be small matter! E run from spotlight for long years but later come back for 2014 with ‘Black Messiah’, wey carry weight like e dey trotro! Dis album no just sweet, e dey pepper body with political charge wey wey feel well-wel, especially during those protesters wey dey take place for Ferguson, Mo.
By the time D’Angelo be come back, dem don see am as father figure for new school artists wey dey come up like Frank Ocean, Anderson .Paak, and H.E.R. Everybody dey shout about him fine musicianship and how e no dey compromise for his artistry. Na so him create legacy wey go dey shine forever!
Omo, as we dey reminisce this man wey dey make our heart dey do ‘gbim gbim’, e dey sweet to know say him go always be part of our favorite playlist. D’Angelo don leave three children behind – Michael, Imani, and Morroco wey go carry him name and legacy carry go. My padi, if you dey hear me, make we join hands together celebrate this legend wey don carry music level go higher.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
