10 Essential D'Angelo Tracks

There are few acts in R&B music that have had the type of impact D'Angelo has had over his 24 year career. Despite the fact that he's only released three albums, each one has had a huge impact on music at the time. 

Brown Sugar blended the worlds of R&B, soul, and funk to help usher in the movement of "neo-soul." Voodoo refined the movement through studio sessions at Electric Lady with the Soulquarians. More recently, Black Messiah commented on social equality while delivering a stellar album that was worth the fourteen year wait.

While he isn't prolific, he is potent when he's around. There isn't another man like the "R&B Jesus," and so we've decided to highlight D'Angelo's ten essential tracks in this week's segment.

The title track off his debut album is possibly the most essential D'Angelo track there is. It's a perfect center point between hip hop, soul, R&B, and funk, as sweet as brown sugar, indeed.

"Cruisin'" is a Smokey Robinson cover, and falls along the lines of classic soul and 90's R&B for that reason. Despite the legendary status that the song has, D'Angelo does a great job of putting his own flair on it while respecting the original art.

Best believe that this R-rated R&B was as progressive as anything else that came out in the year 1995. D'Angelo gets a little bluesy with "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker." 

D'Angelo linked up with the one and only DJ Premier for his first single off Voodoo. The track, which was used for the soundtrack of the movie Belly, is a perfect represent of that neo-soul sound that the Soulquarians were working on. Hip hop drums, trippy noises and soulful vocals never worked so well together. 

It wasn't all hip hop drums, though, on Voodoo. "Send It On" was a great slow jam that embodied that classic feel.

Another classic D'Angelo cut is the latin-spiced "Spanish Joint." It's vibrant and danceable while staying true to that Voodoo sound.

This is the song that really set D'Angelo into the spotlight. He reached a sex symbol status that he never really wanted, and it kind of backfired on him in the long run. Either way, despite all of the hype and troubles it caused him, "Untitled (How Does It Feel?)" is a Grammy-winning, defining moment in the star's career.

If you need some quick, easy, concrete proof that the man is back, look no further than the "Really Love" D'Angelo and his band brought to SNL recently.  

D'Angelo created a modern funk masterpiece with "Sugah Daddy." While the words aren't exactly audible, the feeling is there 110%. Q-Tip helped to write this one as well.

If you needed proof that D'Angelo could ride on a slow joint, look no further than "Another Life," the album-closing track from Black Messiah.