Word: voodooed
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Well, finally he is, and the brilliant, smoldering Voodoo (Cheeba/Virgin) is due in stores next week. Now you're waiting for the man himself. And waiting. And waiting. You make a mental note: Make some sort of reference in lead of D'Angelo profile to Waiting for Godot. Ten minutes later you make another mental note: Only pretentious journalists who aren't really very well read lead stories off with references to Beckett. Put Beckett reference in second paragraph...
...Angelo and his crew--Brian, Pee-Wee and a third member, Malcolm--stop off at the Jackson Ward Cafe. It's a modest, cafeteria-style place. D'Angelo orders chicken, corn bread and greens, and you sit down. You have a lot to ask. Voodoo is a richly imagined CD with an all-star supporting cast: drummer Ahmir ("?uestlove") Thompson (his nickname is pronounced "Questlove") of the hip-hop band the Roots, jazzman Roy Hargrove, rappers Method Man and Redman. The music blends hip-hop with smooth soul and gritty funk. The songs don't rush to please, like puppy...
...says happily. He sits down and starts to play. He only strokes out a few chords, just a short spell of rich, gospelly magic, but it's enough. It took a whole childhood for him to go from here to stardom, it took five years for him to finish Voodoo, it took half the day for him to get to the interview. But in a few seconds, with a few notes, he gives a glimpse of the power of his talent, its roots in the church, and all is forgiven. Some artists make music that makes them look cool...
...hard to tell whether D'Angelo's got a winner on his hands with Voodoo, his sophomore effort. Hard to tell because while the album's come out overseas, the whole thing's not out in the United States yet, even to the media. Judging by the six-track press sampler, though, D'Angelo's reputation as the leader of the vanguard of nouveau soul is permanently cemented...
...good old-fashioned baby-let-me-put-you-on-a-pedestal-and-worship-you sensuality. Since then, a few heads, led by Maxwell, have emerged and stolen a good part of the spotlight from the angelic one's cornrowed head. Never fear though. D'Angelo has reclaimed center stage. Voodoo is thick with the same sensuality as Brown Sugar and doubly infused with bottomed-out, layered funk that recalls a smoke-filled Brooklyn bar or greasy Southern kitchen. Highlights include the funk-spiritual "Devil's Pie," "Left & Right" (a remarkable collaboration with Method Man and Redman) and "How Does...