RIP D'Angelo 🕊️🤍

[Mel Hopkins]

 

I love this performance. Maxwell was supposed to battle D'Angelo in Verzus, but he didn't show up. D'Angelo went on and did that damn thing anyway. Then H.E.R. showed up to do this duet - and it was heaven.

Thank you, D'Angelo, for sharing your beautiful talent! May beautiful music follow you as you continue your journey. 

D’Angelo, Grammy-winning R&B singer, dies at 51 | AP News

[ProfD]

Michael Archer aka D'Angelo was the pioneer of Neo-Soul music. His Brown Sugar record turned R&B upside-down back in 1995. His live performances were straight fire. 

 

D'Angelo was extremely gifted and talented. He leaves behind a body of musical work that will stand the tests of time.

 

Thanks for the musicianship and music. RIP Mr. Michael Archer aka D'Angelo.

[Pioneer1]

Man, what's the world coming to.......

He allegedly died from Pancreatic Cancer, which is said to be very painful.
I hope our brother is resting in peace and is free from his suffering.

 

I remember Brown Sugar.
And when I hear, for some reason I also think of Domino's "Sweet Potato Pie"....lol.

Most of the ladies remember D'Angelo's "How Does It Feel" video when he came on nearly naked grinning and licking his lips and shit, lol.
 

[Delano]

I have been listening to Charade the live versions 

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IRCLjK5OWjU

So him on the Vodou tour.

[ProfD]

21 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

Most of the ladies remember D'Angelo's "How Does It Feel" video when he came on nearly naked grinning and licking his lips and shit, lol.

That video was one of those music industry executive decisions. 

 

The folks writing checks aka suits are always looking for the best way to *sell* the product.

 

D'Angelo was a shy dude.  Obviously, he did the video but didn't really think he had to be s8x symbol.  He just wanted to put out great music and live performances.  Thankfully, he was able to define his musical legacy on those terms. 

 

[Delano]

1 hour ago, ProfD said:

D'Angelo was a shy dude.

Apparently he didn't want to do the video. He wanted the music to speak for itself. He didn't want to be a sex symbol. when the music video blew up, it became exactly what he wanted to avoid. He became a bit of a recluse, gor really big.  Jesse Johnson is on Guitar on Black Messiah. In the video you can see the Prince influence. I am going to listen to the album. I think he also did some work with Rafael Saadiq and a musician that made his own instrument by combining bass and guitar.

[Mel Hopkins]

2 hours ago, ProfD said:

Obviously, he did the video but didn't really think he had to be s8x symbol.

Powerful observation, Brotha ProfD!

Many women in the industry feel the same way - but again, look who runs the industry.  I wonder how the music industry would look if people from the African diaspora were at the top? 

[aka Contrarian]

Not surprising, the only thing I remember about DeAngelo is his name, and a poster - or album cover of him that showed off his beautifully muscular body.  

It's also now being reported that he didn't like his work being labeled as "neo-soul" but just wanted it to be music that appealed to black folks.

His life and death are getting a lot of coverage on all the TV entertainment "magazine" shows, even mention on the nation network news as well. 

Tributes are pouring in from all the successful black musicians who were inspired by him including Lauren Hill, his contemporary.

Nile Rogers claimed DeAngelo consulted him for advice early in his career and asked him to critique his work. After checking out the cuts, Nile told him they were all album worthy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

D'Angelo was a shy dude.  Obviously, he did the video but didn't really think he had to be s8x symbol.

 

I'm glad he did it.
We needed that.

 

We actually need another "D'Angelo" type brother today to offset some of the White male sex symbols being promoted so heavily in the media.
The Black youth today don't know what they're missing because they're growing up in a SO-CALLED "multi-cultural" environment but most of those cultures are anti-Black and anti-dark skin.

 

Those of us over 40 take certain things for granted.
If you grew up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s...you grew up seeing Black love and Black men and women....dark skinned as well as light and brown skinned...being promoted as handsome, beautiful, sex symbols.

Today, many people equate muscular Black men like D'Angelo's picture.....not as a "sex symbol" but as someone who is locked up in prison or a gang member.
This is a result of decades of conditioning.

[ProfD]

11 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

I'm glad he did it.

We needed that.

 

We actually need another "D'Angelo"

type brother today to offset some of the White male sex symbols being promoted so heavily in the media.

What do Black people gain from our people being viewed as s8x symbols?

 

11 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

The Black youth today don't know what they're missing because they're growing up in a SO-CALLED "multi-cultural" environment but most of those cultures are anti-Black and anti-dark skin.

Young Black people have their own s8x symbols.

 

More importantly, they need pathways to prosperity and wealth. 

 

11 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Those of us over 40 take certain things for granted.
If you grew up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s...you grew up seeing Black love and Black men and women....dark skinned as well as light and brown skinned...being promoted as handsome, beautiful, sex symbols.

It's cool from an entertainment perspective but didn't benefit Black folks in terms of wealth building. 

 

11 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Today, many people equate muscular Black men like D'Angelo's picture.....not as a "sex symbol" but as someone who is locked up in prison or a gang member.
This is a result of decades of conditioning.

The media does a bang up job of spinning narratives. 

 

Black folks need to own and control more of the media for those narratives to change.

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

 

 

What do Black people gain from our people being viewed as s8x symbols?

 

For men:  It generally means more sex for us
For women: It generally boosts their self esteem for them to know they are indeed desirable in a world that calls them ugly

 

 

More importantly, they need pathways to prosperity and wealth. 

 

Ultimately, a lot of the desire to generate wealth comes from the desire to have sex or be more sexually appealing.
Especially for men.

Many men work hard, buy expensive cars, even buy houses....to impress women and be seen as a "good catch" and successful.
Why?
More opportunities for sex.

This isn't the ONLY reason obviously, but it's a major reason for most men.

Outside of the instinct for survival, the instinct to have sex and reproduce is among the strongest.

 

 

 

It's cool from an entertainment perspective but didn't benefit Black folks in terms of wealth building. 

 

I'm sure the pole dancers and strippers at any Black themed titty-bar will beg to differ with you.

Regardless as to how one feels about it (I personally don't have a problem with it) most sistas who go that route will bear witness that pole dancing and other forms of sex work DOES generate a lot of money.
Now if they're using that money to buy property and other forms of wealth...that's their business.

Sex sells.
Always has....always will.

 

 

Black folks need to own and control more of the media for those narratives to change.

 

More importantly, they need to be more perceptive and realize when White folks are trying to humiliate them and make fools out of them.

Even if we don't control the media we can atleast refuse to participate in these humiliation rituals that demean our people and cast them in a negative light.
 

I remember years ago SNL did a skit where a White man was in prison and 2 Black men walked up on him and all 3 joked about him being raped.

Why would Black men even PARTICIPATE in a skit where THEY are seen as rapists of White men?
The entire world is watching this shit.

Why would any man with good sense and average intelligence ALLOW the world to see him in this light, unchallenged???

It makes no sense, unless you're dealing with somebody who is simply intellectually deficient.
 

[aka Contrarian]

JESUS H. CHRIST! Enough of the vapid subterfuge! 

A good body is a good body! Stop bitchin and go sign up for a health club  membership if you can stop oogling and salivating  and objectifying women long enough!

 

 

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Ultimately, a lot of the desire to generate wealth comes from the desire to have sex or be more sexually appealing.
Especially for men.

More access to s8x is not the end goal for wealthy men. 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Many men work hard, buy expensive cars, even buy houses....to impress women and be seen as a "good catch" and successful.
Why?
More opportunities for sex.

This isn't the ONLY reason obviously, but it's a major reason for most men.

Outside of the instinct for survival, the instinct to have sex and reproduce is among the strongest.

That's a broke man's mentality.

 

Rich and wealthy men instinctively know they will have more s8xual access. 

 

Most s8x is recreational and doesn't result in reproduction. 

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

I'm sure the pole dancers and strippers at any Black themed titty-bar will beg to differ with you.

Regardless as to how one feels about it (I personally don't have a problem with it) most sistas who go that route will bear witness that pole dancing and other forms of sex work DOES generate a lot of money.
Now if they're using that money to buy property and other forms of wealth...that's their business.

They may be earning a living but definitely not building wealth. 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Sex sells.
Always has....always will.

There is not an individual multimillionaire or billionaire who made their fortune selling themselves s8xually.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

More importantly, they need to be more perceptive and realize when White folks are trying to humiliate them and make fools out of them.

Even if we don't control the media we can atleast refuse to participate in these humiliation rituals that demean our people and cast them in a negative light.

Dangle enough money in front of some people and they will do.something strange for change i.e. money. 

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

I remember years ago SNL did a skit where a White man was in prison and 2 Black men walked up on him and all 3 joked about him being raped.

Why would Black men even PARTICIPATE in a skit where THEY are seen as rapists of White men?
The entire world is watching this shit.

Those Black men didn't have to be on the show but that's how they got paid.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Why would any man with good sense and average intelligence ALLOW the world to see him in this light, unchallenged???

It makes no sense, unless you're dealing with somebody who is simply intellectually deficient.

Again, people will do all types of sh8t for money. It has little or nothing to do with intelligence or lack thereof.

[Troy]

7 hours ago, Mel Hopkins said:

I wonder how the music industry would look if people from the African diaspora were at the top? 

that is hard to imagine the ones in high places seem to propagate the same imagery.

 

Sounds like the stuff of speculative fiction and the world of Wakanda.

 

3 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

I personally don't have a problem with it

Would you feel differently if it was your mother or daughter, twirling around naked on a pole and turning tricks in the champagne room?

 

3 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

Why would any man with good sense and average intelligence ALLOW the world to see him in this light, unchallenged???

Money, obviously.

 

1 hour ago, ProfD said:

There is not an individual multimillionaire or billionaire who made their fortune selling themselves s8xually.

 

Melaniia?

 

 

 

[ProfD]

13 minutes ago, Troy said:

Melaniia?

Sure. That can be said for any woman married to a wealthy man.

 

Otherwise, a woman doesn't become a multimillionaire or billionaire on a stripper pole or turning tricks on the street or working for an escort service.

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

 

More access to s8x is not the end goal for wealthy men. 

 

It depends on the man.
Wasn't Bill Cosby wealthy at the time he was allegedly slipping mickeys in the drinks of women to have sex with them?

 

 

 

 

 

That's a broke man's mentality.

Rich and wealthy men instinctively know they will have more s8xual access. 

 

You know, there IS a "middle ground" between being broke and rich/wealthy.
The vast majority of men fall inside this category.

 

 

 

 

They may be earning a living but definitely not building wealth. 

 

If not, perhaps this is a result of poor choices.
Because sex definitely sells and unless you're a victim of human trafficking....you're getting enough money to invest and generate wealth.



 

There is not an individual multimillionaire or billionaire who made their fortune selling themselves s8xually.
 

No, but there are PLENTY of multimillionaires and probably some billionaires who made their fortune by selling OTHERS sexually.

Again, people will do all types of sh8t for money. It has little or nothing to do with intelligence or lack thereof.
 

Most intelligent people would weigh the consequences of doing certain things against the money they receive for it.
Like we often talk about the Arab men and how it would be hard to find one to put on a dress and play a sissy.
You can pay him as much as you want, but he'd be so fearful for his life and the consequences that would come from OTHER Arab men for him doing that....no amount of money would sway him.



 

Troy

 

Would you feel differently if it was your mother or daughter, twirling around naked on a pole and turning tricks in the champagne room?

 
Come on man, you know that's not a fair question because most people will treat their own family different than they treat perfect strangers.

That's like asking a person who believes women should have a right to abortions, 
"How would you feel if your mother had aborted YOU?"

Who wants to THINK about their mother or daughter stripping, or having sex?
Although if your mother didn't have sex you wouldn't be here...lol...but who THINKS about that???

So that's not a fair question, IMO.
 

However to answer it.....
It would be whatever they WANT and CHOOSE to do.
They are adults.
As adults, it's about what THEY want to do...not what I WANT them or DON'T want them to do.
 

You talk about women being equals.
And I agree.
So why do you all of a sudden want to be chauvinistic and "protective" when it comes to women in the sex industry?

 

[ProfD]

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

More access to s8x is not the end goal for wealthy men. 

 

It depends on the man.
Wasn't Bill Cosby wealthy at the time he was allegedly slipping mickeys in the drinks of women to have sex with them?

Bill Cosby wasn't using his wealth to get at those women if he was slipping mickeys in their drinks.

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

That's a broke man's mentality.

Rich and wealthy men instinctively know they will have more s8xual access. 

 

You know, there IS a "middle ground" between being broke and rich/wealthy.
The vast majority of men fall inside this category.

That majority of men have no problems attracting women. 

 

It is the handful of INCELS who are complaining about their lack of s8xual access. 

 

Interview those dudes and it will be evidently clear why they aren't getting women.

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

They may be earning a living but definitely not building wealth. 

 

If not, perhaps this is a result of poor choices.
Because sex definitely sells and unless you're a victim of human trafficking....you're getting enough money to invest and generate wealth.

We may be communicating from different planes.  Tell me how you define wealth in terms of net worth.

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

There is not an individual multimillionaire or billionaire who made their fortune selling themselves s8xually.
 

No, but there are PLENTY of multimillionaires and probably some billionaires who made their fortune by selling OTHERS sexually.

That's different from an individual becoming a multimillion or billionaire selling themselves s8xually. 

 

The only individuals who have made that kind of money from s8x got it from a lawsuit.  They sued a rich man or woman.  There's not very many of them especially among Black folks.

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Most intelligent people would weigh the consequences of doing certain things against the money they receive for it.

It really depends on individual circumstances.  Humans can rationalize almost anything under certain conditions. 

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Like we often talk about the Arab men and how it would be hard to find one to put on a dress and play a sissy.
You can pay him as much as you want, but he'd be so fearful for his life and the consequences that would come from OTHER Arab men for him doing that....no amount of money would sway him.

Right.  Their culture does not play those kinda games to the same extent. 

 

AfroAmericans have adapted to American culture which is different. 

 

I do not foresee AfroAmericans turning against the acceptance of and participation in the alphabet soup aspect of American culture anytime soon.

 

That's why Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Tyler Perry, etc. have made millions of dollars wearing a dress.

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Come on man, you know that's not a fair question because most people will treat their own family different than they treat perfect strangers.

That's like asking a person who believes women should have a right to abortions, 
"How would you feel if your mother had aborted YOU?"

Who wants to THINK about their mother or daughter stripping, or having sex?
Although if your mother didn't have sex you wouldn't be here...lol...but who THINKS about that???

So that's not a fair question, IMO.

I know you were responding to @Troy but his questions are very valid. 

 

It is easy for people to look at other folks as objects when it doesn't hit home. 

 

Sometimes, as the late brotha Joe Madison used to say, "you have to put it where the goats can get it".

 

18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

You talk about women being equals.
And I agree.
So why do you all of a sudden want to be chauvinistic and "protective" when it comes to women in the sex industry?

Regardless of how a person chooses to live, they are still a human being first and foremost.

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

 

 

Bill Cosby wasn't using his wealth to get at those women if he was slipping mickeys in their drinks.

 

To a certain extent he did,  however my point was that it depends on the wealthy man.
SOME wealthy men actually do have sex as an "end goal" or "major goal" in their lives.

 

 

That majority of men have no problems attracting women. 

 

The vast majority of men have no problem attracting A woman or maybe a FEW women, but are they attracting the women they WANT to attract?
I'd say a large percentage...probably 50%...aren't.
They tend to settle with who they can get.
 

 

 

It is the handful of INCELS who are complaining about their lack of s8xual access. 

 

Perhaps, but I think the percentage of incels in this society is growing...for various reasons.
Sure there is usually something wrong with THEM; however if society is PRODUCING more and more incels....then something is wrong with THAT SOCIETY too.

Nature didn't produce men to be involuntarily celibate.

You have a few freaks of nature here and there, but if it gets to the point where nearly 20% or more of the men can't find women willing to have sex with them and that number is GROWING...something is seriously wrong in the system itself to be producing such men (or women who for some reason don't want the men in their society)

 

It's like the growing cases of Autism.
What's producing it???

 

 

 

We may be communicating from different planes.  Tell me how you define wealth in terms of net worth.

 

To me wealth is having a lot of money AND power and influence to go with it.

 

In today's economy, I would say who we would call a "wealthy" person STARTS with having atleast $50 million in liquid assets.
And another $100 million tied up in investments, property, etc...
But he also has lawyers on retainer, knows judges and doctors personally, and can PROTECT his money as well as generate more.

 

 

 

 

 

That's different from an individual becoming a multimillion or billionaire selling themselves s8xually. 

 

True.
However MY point is that SEX SELLS.
It doesn't matter whether you're selling YOUR sexuality or someone else's.

 

 

 

It really depends on individual circumstances.  Humans can rationalize almost anything under certain conditions. 

 

True.
But most intelligent people tend to AVOID ending up in those "certain conditions" in the first place to where they have to make desperate choices.

I've known quite a few drug addicts since their childhood, and I can say that the majority of them were mentally deficient even as youth, which made them easily "turned out" to end up in that situation.

 

 

 

I do not foresee AfroAmericans turning against the acceptance of and participation in the alphabet soup aspect of American culture anytime soon.

 

What concerns me is if it only took a couple generations to get AfroAmerican to accept the LGBTQ agenda, WHAT ELSE will so easily be forced on AfroAmericans to accept?

 

 

 

 

It is easy for people to look at other folks as objects when it doesn't hit home. 

 

But is looking at a woman in a sexual manner the same as considering her an "object"?
And if a woman looks at a man the same way, is that a bad thing too?

 

If that's the case, are our fathers wrong for "objectifying" our mothers so that WE were conceived?

 

How far do we want to take this?

 

To me, allowing people the right to choose and do what they want to do is the noble thing.
Not telling women they CAN'T be sex workers or telling men they CAN'T pay.

 

 

Regardless of how a person chooses to live, they are still a human being first and foremost

 

Absolute facts.

[Troy]

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Come on man, you know that's not a fair question because most people will treat their own family different than they treat perfect strangers.

 

It is a perfectly fair question, as it reveals a level of hypocrisy... Don't you think?

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

"How would you feel if your mother had aborted YOU?"

 

Obviously, it would be impossible for me to have an opinion on the matter.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Although if your mother didn't have sex you wouldn't be here...lol...but who THINKS about that???

 

I don't have a problem a married couple procreating of rolling around in the hay for kicks -- including my mom.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

So why do you all of a sudden want to be chauvinistic and "protective" when it comes to women in the sex industry?

 

Where did you get that from? Seems like you would have run out of straw by now LOL!

 

53 minutes ago, ProfD said:

Sometimes, as the late brotha Joe Madison

 

Joe was an interesting talk show host.  I miss him. 

 

13 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

The vast majority of men have no problem attracting A woman or maybe a FEW women, but are they attracting the women they WANT to attract?

 

Intelligent, financially well off, tall, handsome, musicians living in the DMV, like @ProfD (where there are plenty of sistas) have no problem attracting women they find desirable. The rest of us schlubs have to settle for who we get LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

[Pioneer1]

Troy

 

It is a perfectly fair question, 

 

How is it fair if you PERSONALIZE a general question like that?

 

We all know that experiences that involve loved ones often establishes a conflict of interest when it comes to people exposing the truth.

This is why husbands and wives generally aren't called to testify against eachother in court.

Should a judge no longer sentence people to prison because HIS son may end up there?

 

 

 

as it reveals a level of hypocrisy... Don't you think?

 

Yes.
Among those who CLAIM not to be religious and be open minded, but turn around and impose THEIR OWN sexual hang-ups and reservations on others without anything to back it up besides their emotions.

 

 

Obviously, it would be impossible for me to have an opinion on the matter.

 

Philosophically, you could.

 

 

 

 

I don't have a problem a married couple procreating of rolling around in the hay for kicks -- including my mom.

 

Why do they have to be "married"?

Nature designed most people to have sex just fine without a wedding ring on their fingers..lol.

 

 

Where did you get that from? Seems like you would have run out of straw by now LOL!

 

Because it seems that you take objection to women being strippers as if it's some sort of "bad" thing, other than her own personal choice to make a living.
If I'm wrong, and you have no problem with it....my apologies.

 

 

 

 the DMV, like @ProfD (where there are plenty of sistas)

 

I've been to the DMV a few times.
And from the looks of things.....not ALL of them "sistas" were real sistas..lol.