In October, the music world lost one of its most inspiring, revolutionary artists: Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo. And while his passing left a hole in the tapestry of pop culture no name, face, or voice could ever fill, his prolific creative drive meant that there could be plenty of music left for him to share.
D’Angelo’s longtime friend and collaborator Questlove seemingly confirmed that his unreleased music could be coming soon this past weekend as he attended the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. While on the red carpet, Quest was asked about the possibility of the release, telling entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno, “You’ll see soon. It’s always the sound of yesterday, but for the future. This record is no different.”
It’s no surprise that D’Angelo was constantly working on new music, even though his pace of actually releasing music was notoriously deliberate — four years between his first two albums, Brown Sugar and Voodoo, and another 14 until Black Messiah. Since he worked so heavily with Questlove on most of it, it’s also no surprise that The Roots drummer would have more insight into the readiness of that music than anyone else.
“I don’t think I’d have a moment like this if it wasn’t for his introduction to the world,” he said. “My heart and soul go out to his family and his spirit in heaven.”