viridescence (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} viridescence) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} howtheylooknow,@ 2008-10-13 12:54:00 |
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D'Angelo.
Even if the name means nothing to you, you might recognize him. In 2000, R&B artist D'Angelo (real name Michael Archer) released a video for his second single from his second album, titled "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." The video featured the artist naked (he was actually wearing very low-slung pants), displaying his incredibly ripped body and singing soulfully to the camera. Women everywhere swooned. His album Voodoo was critically acclaimed. He was named one of the "50 Artists to See Before You Die" by Q Magazine and seemed poised for superstardom. D'Angelo's first CD album, Brown Sugar, was credited with ushering in the neo-soul movement, paving the way for artists like Maxwell and Erykah Badu. Below are stills from the "Untitled" video.
Aside from guest appearances on CDs by artists including Common, Snoop and Dr. Dre, D'Angelo has not released anything since 2000. He hasn't given an interview since then, either.
Although the video for "Untitled" was popular, D'Angelo didn't feel that it was really representative of him. He had been a pudgy kid with glasses for most of his life. At concerts, women screamed for him to take off his clothes, and he felt that he wasn't being respected as a musician. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, he had a difficult time reconciling his sexy image with his religious beliefs. After the successful Voodoo tour, D'Angelo had big plans for other projects, including a live album. But it didn't happen.
After the suicide of a close friend, D'Angelo became a heavy drinker. He worked in the studio, but disagreements with his label, Virgin, ended in them cutting off funding in 2004 after he refused to allow anyone to listen to his work. In 2005, D'Angelo was arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine, disturbing the peace, carrying a concealed weapon, driving without a valid license and reckless driving. Mugshots below.
He spent time in rehab in L.A. that year. D'Angelo was close to a new record deal with J Records in late 2005, but it was pulled after he was seriously injured while driving drunk. He entered rehab in 2006 at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Last year, he finally signed a deal with J Records and is supposedly nearly finished with an album titled "James River" that he will release sometime this year. On June 24, 2008, Virgin released an enhanced greatest hits CD/DVD. His A&R man at J says that although he won't be doing anything like the "Untitled" video again, D'Angelo is into martial arts and is back in shape.
Even if the name means nothing to you, you might recognize him. In 2000, R&B artist D'Angelo (real name Michael Archer) released a video for his second single from his second album, titled "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." The video featured the artist naked (he was actually wearing very low-slung pants), displaying his incredibly ripped body and singing soulfully to the camera. Women everywhere swooned. His album Voodoo was critically acclaimed. He was named one of the "50 Artists to See Before You Die" by Q Magazine and seemed poised for superstardom. D'Angelo's first CD album, Brown Sugar, was credited with ushering in the neo-soul movement, paving the way for artists like Maxwell and Erykah Badu. Below are stills from the "Untitled" video.
Aside from guest appearances on CDs by artists including Common, Snoop and Dr. Dre, D'Angelo has not released anything since 2000. He hasn't given an interview since then, either.
Although the video for "Untitled" was popular, D'Angelo didn't feel that it was really representative of him. He had been a pudgy kid with glasses for most of his life. At concerts, women screamed for him to take off his clothes, and he felt that he wasn't being respected as a musician. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, he had a difficult time reconciling his sexy image with his religious beliefs. After the successful Voodoo tour, D'Angelo had big plans for other projects, including a live album. But it didn't happen.
After the suicide of a close friend, D'Angelo became a heavy drinker. He worked in the studio, but disagreements with his label, Virgin, ended in them cutting off funding in 2004 after he refused to allow anyone to listen to his work. In 2005, D'Angelo was arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine, disturbing the peace, carrying a concealed weapon, driving without a valid license and reckless driving. Mugshots below.
He spent time in rehab in L.A. that year. D'Angelo was close to a new record deal with J Records in late 2005, but it was pulled after he was seriously injured while driving drunk. He entered rehab in 2006 at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Last year, he finally signed a deal with J Records and is supposedly nearly finished with an album titled "James River" that he will release sometime this year. On June 24, 2008, Virgin released an enhanced greatest hits CD/DVD. His A&R man at J says that although he won't be doing anything like the "Untitled" video again, D'Angelo is into martial arts and is back in shape.
