Today, enigmatic R&B mystic D’Angelo celebrates his 50th birthday. The neo-soul pioneer earned enormous commercial and critical success with his first two albums, Brown Sugar (1995) and Voodoo (2000).
Particularly following the release of the video for Voodoo‘s lead single, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)“, D’Angelo began to feel uncomfortable with his growing “sex symbol” status. The discomfort he felt toward that distinction, in addition to a bevy of other adverse personal situations, led D’Angelo to step away from the spotlight at the peak of his fame, beginning a hiatus from the public eye which lasted nearly 14 years. He finally resurfaced with the release of his universally acclaimed third LP, Black Messiah, in 2014.
D’Angelo has played various shows in the few years since his return, but few have been as memorable as his performance as part of the New York edition of the annual Roots Picnic at Bryant Park in October 2016. On the event’s first day, the headlining set featured an incredible and diverse mix of musicians and entertainers, including John Mayer, Common, Rahzel, Dave Chappelle, and more, all held down by the baddest backing band in the business–event host/house band The Roots.
Watch a full crowd-shot video of the entire set below:
The Roots, John Mayer, D’Angelo, Common, & More – Roots Picnic in Bryant Park – 10/1/16
[Video: ChampD1012]
SETLIST: The Roots x D’Angelo x John Mayer | Roots Picnic | New York City | 10/1/18
The Roots Part 1: Game Theory, Section, Dynamite!, Clones, Proceed, Act Too (Love of My Life) (with Common)
Common with J Period: Go!, The Food, Black America Again (acapella freestyle), The Light
The Roots Part 2: The Next Movement (with a bass solo by Mark Kelley), Get Busy, Jungle Boogie, Jeremy Ellis beat box solo
John Mayer with The Roots and Pino Palladino: Paper Doll, Waiting on the World to Change, Gravity, Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone
The Roots Part 3: You Got Me (with John Mayer), Kirk solo
Rahzel with Black Thought: Lodi Dodi, Bam Bam, Transformers, If Your Mother Only Knew. (followed by an appearance by comedian Dave Chappelle)
D’Angelo with The Roots, John Mayer, Pino Palladino, and Isaiah Sharkey: Greatdayndamornin’/Booty, Playa Playa, The Root, The Line, Till It’s Done (Tutu), Brown, Sugar Pop Life
In honor of D’Angelo’s birthday, you can also take a listen to this ~6-hour D’Angelo mix of essential tracks courtesy of ConfessionsOfACurlyMind:
D’Angelo Mix Tracklist:
01. d’angelo – brown sugar platinum party invitation (feat. ursula rucker)
02. d’angelo – joe texan (voodoo outtake)
03. d’angelo – me & those dreamin‘ eyes of mine (jay dee remix)
04. d’angelo – left & right (promo version) (feat. redman & method man)
05. d’angelo – girl you need a change of mind
06. d’angelo – i found my smile again (alternate version)
07. d’angelo – superman lover (voodoo outtake)
08. b.b. king & d’angelo – ain’t nobody home
09. d’angelo – can’t hide love (live @ the jazz cafe, london) (1995)
10. d’angelo – 1000 deaths (demo version)
11. d’angelo, femi kuti + macy gray featuring roy hargrove, nile rodgers, the soultronics + positive force – intro – water no get enemy
12. d’angelo, femi kuti + macy gray featuring roy hargrove, nile rodgers, the soultronics + positive force – water no get enemy
13. d’angelo & marlon c. – talk shit 2 ya
14. raphael saadiq – be here (feat. d’angelo)
15. slum village – tell me (feat. d’angelo)
16. d’angelo – she’s always in my hair
17. d’angelo – jay dee marvine (voodoo outtake)
18. d’angelo – pete rock beat (voodoo outtake)
19. the rh factor – bullshit (feat. dangelo)
20. d’angelo – really love (demo version)
21. d’angelo – radio advertisement
22. d’angelo – brown sugar (incognito molasses mix)
23. d’angelo – encore (live @ the jazz cafe, london) (1995)
24. common – geto heaven part two (feat. d’angelo)
25. azur – so cold (unreleased)
26. faith evans – you used to love me (ali mix)
27. brandy – baby (uptown remix)
28. gza – cold world (rza mix) (feat. inspectah deck & d’angelo)
29. janet jackson – got ‚til it’s gone (ummah’s uptown saturday night mix)
30. mary j. blige – everyday (feat. d’angelo & angie stone)
31. twice – sparkle
32. the roots – the hypnotic (feat. d’angelo)
33. lauryn hill – nothing even matters (feat. d’angelo)
34. erykah badu & d’angelo – your precious love
35. d’angelo – spanish joint (acoustic)
36. b.m.u. (black men united) – u will know (extended version)
37. j dilla – so far to go (feat. common & d’angelo)
38. q-tip – believe (feat. d’angelo)
39. boys choir of harlem – overjoyed (feat. d’angelo)
40. common – cold blooded
41. the roots – the ’notic (feat. d’angelo & erykah badu)
42. d’angelo – ex to the next (voodoo outtake)
43. method man – break ups 2 make ups (feat. d’angelo)
44. the roots – break you off (original 2002 version) (feat. d’angelo)
45. d’angelo – hard to earn (voodoo outtake)
46. david sanborn & friends featuring d’angelo – use me (live @ united studios, new york) (1998)
47. d’angelo & questlove (as ‚brothers in arms‘) – tell me if you still care (live @ brooklyn bowl) (2013)
48. d’angelo – fair but so uncool (voodoo outtake)
49. the roots – the spark
50. d’angelo – soliloquay of chaos (voodoo outtake)
51. d’angelo – black hole sun (unreleased demo)
52. d’angelo – playa playa (promo version)
53. d’angelo – go back 2 the thing (voodoo outtake)
54. d’angelo & tony rich – stevie wonder tribute (live @ the grammys) (1996)
55. d’angelo & the soultronics – fall in love (live @ voodoo tour, los angeles) (2000)
56. d’angelo – everybody loves the sunshine (voodoo outtake)
57. mary j. blige – paradise (unreleased)
58. d’angelo – paradise (unreleased instrumental)
59. d’angelo – heaven must be like this (live @ the jazz cafe, london) (1995)
60. d’angelo – soul mate (acoustic) (behind the scenes @ gq photo shoot) (2013)
61. d’angelo & eric clapton – i’ve been trying (live @ rock n‘ roll hall of fame’s induction of curtis mayfield) (1999)
62. the rh factor – i’ll stay (feat. d’angelo)
63. vertical hold – pray
64. d’angelo – sometimes it snows in april (live @ jimmy fallon) (feat. princess) (2016)
65. d’angelo – africa (acoustic).
