The Death of a Black Messiah

"When I was a kid, living in Lawrenceville, Virginia, I heard tales about how the James River was haunted: perhaps by the spirits of Indigenous people who were forced off this land, or maybe by those who gave their lives to revolution, or maybe by enslaved men, women, and children who drowned while trying to escape their plantations. The ghost stories seemed to suit a river that's connected to America's soul."

"One of the greatest of those conjurers is now gone. D'Angelo, the musician born Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was an enigma who defined a musical era, a recluse who battled his own demons, a runner who-in the tradition of his forefathers-sought a modicum of liberation for himself and his people. At just 51 years old, D'Angelo joined the ranks of many Black luminaries who shined brightly but not long."

"For much of D'Angelo's career, critics seemed to most appreciate his brilliance by way of comparison. After the release of his 1995 debut album, Brown Sugar, he was anointed as the vanguard of the nebulously defined "neo-soul" sound-a modern-day Smokey Robinson with straight-back braids. With his follow-up masterwork, Voodoo, D'Angelo was deemed an heir to Prince, another funk virtuoso whose sex-charged music upended R&B orthodoxy."

The James River embodies layered American histories, invoking Indigenous displacement, revolutionary sacrifice, and enslaved people who perished seeking freedom. D'Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, died at 51 from pancreatic cancer, leaving a legacy as an enigmatic, era-defining musician and recluse. His early work, including Brown Sugar (1995), positioned him at the forefront of a neo-soul movement, while Voodoo prompted comparisons to Prince. Critical reception frequently framed his brilliance through predecessors, contrasting with his synthesis of influences—Prince, A Tribe Called Quest, Roberta Flack, and Marvin Gaye—into a distinct, singular musical voice.

Read at The Atlantic