Wow there are a lot of nods to Prince in that press release. Fitting &
appropriate, but still surprising.
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 8, 2008, at 9:08 AM, "Derek" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
D'Angelo Signed to RCA Music Group (J Records), a Unit of Sony Music
Entertainment, Inc.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/dangelo/rcamusicgroup/prweb1717364.htm
Contrary to various media reports, producer, composer, performer,
D'Angelo
has not signed with Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records. Both
gentlemen hold
one another in the highest regard, however the stories circulating
in the
press are false, according to D'Angelo's manager, Lindsay Guion.
D'Angelo is
signed to the RCA Music Group (J Records), a unit of Sony Music
Entertainment, Inc.
New York (PRWEB) December 8, 2008 -- Contrary to various media
reports,
producer, composer, performer, D'Angelo has not signed with Sean
"Diddy"
Combs' Bad Boy Records. Both gentlemen hold one another in the highest
regard, however the stories circulating in the press are false,
according to
D'Angelo's manager, Lindsay Guion. D'Angelo is signed to the RCA
Music Group
(J Records), a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.
D'Angelo is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on
his
eagerly anticipated full-length album, scheduled for release in
Spring 2009.
Thus far, he has recorded with Raphael Saadiq, Q Tip and Roy Hargrove.
D'Angelo is expected to collaborate with Prince, Cee-Lo and other
stellar
talents. A single entitled, "I Found My Smile Again" was recently
released
and is available exclusively on iTunes.
About D'Angelo:
Whenever there's a discussion about the constantly-evolving pantheon
of soul
music, the spirited conversation will invariably be whittled down to a
needle-point, and the discourse dominated by several titans whose
amazing
artistry and larger than life persona has served as a working
blueprint for
those who would dare follow in their proverbial footsteps. Any
modestly
informed exchange inevitably lands at the doorstep of Marvelous
Marvin Gaye
who dominated the 60's and 70's with poignant compositions of social
commentary that remains as relevant today as they were before the
legendary
studio sessions wrapped, and the prolific powerhouse Prince Rogers
Nelson
who owned the 80's and early 90's with classic hits that explored the
eternal dichotomy of Spirituality vs. Sexuality, while bulldozing
through
the color-barrier that previously existed at MTV during its infancy.
The
very next sentence uttered has to firmly steer the focus solely to the
Dynamo-Also-Known-As D'Angelo, whose heralded arrival as a musical
prodigy
on the soul music landscape with an instantly recognizable musical
styling
and trademark vocal affectations, birthed a whole new movement in
black
music.
Moviegoers were the first to be treated to D'Angelo's remarkable
talents as
a songwriter, composer, and musician via his contribution to the
1994 hit
film Jason's Lyric starring then-starlet Jada Pinkett Smith and
future Oscar
award winning actor Forrest Whitaker. D'Angelo truly served up one
of the
most satisfying appetizers to date before the release of a debut
album, when
he penned the uplifting male rite-of-passage anthem "U Will Know,"
which
boasted an All-Star line-up of all-male R&B heavy hitters, including
but not
limited to Brian McKnight, Usher, R.Kelly, Joe, Keith Sweat, Boyz II
Men,
Tevin Campbell, Raphael Saadiq, and the late great Gerald Levert.
D'Angelo
chose not to feature his own vocals, but instead just tickled the
ivories
and served as a New-Jack choir director in the accompanying music
video and
the memorable live performance at the Soul Train Music Awards. The
song was
a smash and D'Angelo had yet to sing a single note.
With the stage set thanks to the runaway success of "U Will Know" and
industry insiders abuzz following several highly-touted showcases,
D'Angelo
was indeed ready for his close-up. He set the summer of 1995 ablaze
with the
provocative scorcher, Brown Sugar, his debut single from an album of
the
same of name. The track didn't remotely sound like any of the producer
driven hits pervasive on Black radio at the time, all featuring drum
machines and endlessly looped samples. Instead, as soon as the song
begins
and his buttery falsetto ad-libs play cat and mouse with the organ
refrain,
and as authentic musical instruments produce the heavenly groove, you
instantly feel you've been allowed beyond the velvet rope into an
intimate
nightclub featuring Roy Ayers. However, as the verses unfurl, not
only is
there D'Angelo's distinctly soulful tenor to feast on, but the
delivery is
much aligned with the flow of many MC's of the day. The Brett-Ratner
helmed
music video presented D'Angelo as an organ player on lead vocals in
jazz
trio in a "cigarette-smoke filled" throwback nightclub setting, all
the
while looking the very essence of Hip-hop edginess rocking cornrows
and a
swagger that would make him an overnight sex symbol. To further blur
and
ultimately blend the lines of the seemingly mutually exclusive camps
of the
mature R&B audience and the rising Hip-hop generation, Brown Sugar was
interpreted as a traditional love song about a femme-fatale by the
former
and as an ode to the joys of pot by the latter. In one fell swoop,
D'Angelo
appeared to have done the impossible, bridging the chasm that
existed in
black music at the time by virtue of his artistry and iconic image.
The follow-up single "Cruisin'" was a perfect vehicle for D'Angelo
to pay
homage to a soul legend and musical influence, Smoky Robinson, while
making
the classic song palatable for a whole new generation unfamiliar
with 70's
soul. The third time was indeed the charm with the release of
"Lady", a
musical collaboration with former Tony Toni Tone front-man, and
renaissance
soul man, Raphael Saadiq. The song featured what was quickly becoming
D'Angelo's signature sound: an undeniable mid-tempo groove with a
heavy
front-and-center bass line, prominent piano, and gloriously
intricate vocal
harmonies. The song became his most successful to date, becoming a
top 10
pop hit and pushing album sales north of two million in the U.S.
alone. The
musical partnership forged between D'Angelo and Saadiq would prove
to be a
successful pairing many times in the future.
There was a five year hiatus between Brown Sugar and his sophomore
effort,
but there would not be a drought in musical offerings. D'Angelo's
talents
were in high demand by a host of music artists and the film
industry, and he
graciously obliged, producing some of the most beloved material in his
illustrious catalogue. He and newcomer Erykah Badu teamed up for the
dreamy
re-working of the Marvin and Tammi Terrell classic "Your Precious
Love" for
the High School High soundtrack (1996). Erykah went on to become his
female
counterpart for this new chapter in soul music. Diehard Prince fans
were
gleefully stunned when D'Angelo covered the obscure B-side "She's
Always in
My Hair" to perfection for the Scream 2 soundtrack in 1997, just as
old
school heads were treated to an arguably definitive remake of
"Heaven Must
Be Like This" by funk pioneers Ohio Players for the Down in the Delta
soundtrack in 1998. One of the most stunning productions delivered
during
D'Angelo's "sabbatical" that closed the decade on a lofty high note,
was a
colossally celestial coupling with Lauryn Hill on "Nothing Even
Matters" for
the seminal album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998).
D'Angelo helped to usher in the new millennium with his highly
anticipated
second opus Voodoo (2000) that effectively lay to rest any fears of
the all
too common sophomore slump; rather, he delivered on the promise of
Brown
Sugar exponentially. The single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", an
obvious
tribute to the classic slow jams created by His Purple Highness,
presented
D'Angelo at the apex of his crooning game. However, it was the music
video
that caused pure pandemonium, featuring D'Angelo as a shirtless
Adonis that
catapulted him into the stratosphere and firmly cemented his place
as the
reigning King of Soul. The music video was nominated for four MTV
Video
Music Awards, "Untitled" itself went on to garner a Grammy for Best
Male R&B
Vocal Performance and Voodoo seized the trophy for Best R&B Album.
To learn more about D'Angelo visit Myspace.com/dangelo
(http://www.myspace.com/dangelo).
###
Contact Information
Theola Borden, Publicity
J Records
http://www.myspace.com/dangelo
212-833-5592
Lindsay Guion
Management
212-851-3730
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