Throwback: Happy Black History Month!/Happy 52nd Birthday, D’Angelo!

Today is the eleventh day of Black History Month. Because the current administration is racist, fascist and wants to deny the existence and histories of anyone that isn’t cis-het and white, there are some important things everyone should remember during this month — and every single month: 

• You can’t love Black artists and their work, and not see them as people 
• Black lives — and Black art matters 
• Black culture is American culture 

As we go through the month, I’m going to talk about a collection of Black artists. It’ll be fairly comprehensive and eclectic list — although it won’t be a complete list. So far I’ve talked about the following: 

• Big Boi, who celebrated his 51st birthday on February 1
•  Rick James, who was born 78 years ago on February 1
• Sudan Archives, one of the most talented and dynamic artists performing out there today
• The Temptations‘ second and longest tenured lead vocalist Dennis Edwards who was born 83 years ago on February 3 
• Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, bassist and JOVM mainstay Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner
• Bobby Brown, who celebrated his 57th birthday on February 5 
• The legendary Bob Marley, who was born 81 years ago on February 6 
• Natalie Cole, the daughter of the legendary jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole, who was born 76 years ago on February 6
• J. Dilla, who was born 52 years ago on February 7
• The pioneering Sister Rosetta Tharpe
• The uncompromising and trailblazing Tracy Chapman
• The legendary Roberta Flack, who was born 89 years ago on February 10

Michael Eugene Archer, best known to music fans and the rest of the world as D’Angelo was born on this day 52 years ago. He’s widely considered one of the pioneers of the neo-soul movement, thanks to his critically and commercially successful debut, 1995’s Brown Sugar. The album which featured the famous album title track, a cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin'” and “Lady” peaked within the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually being certified platinum by the RIAA.

He collaborated with Angie Stone, Eyrkah Badu and Lauryn Hill. His collaboration with Hill, “Nothing Even Matters” appears on her critically and commercially successful 1998 debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

2000’s Voodoo debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200. The critically acclaimed album was certified platinum, and may be best known for “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” which led to win winning a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The album also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album.

His last album, 2014’s Black Messiah debuted in the Top Five of the US Billboard 200 and topped The Village Voice‘s Pazz & Jop critics poll. Album single “Really Love” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and Record of the Year, winning Best R&B Song. Black Messiah also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.

He was working on his long-awaited fourth album when he died last year from pancreatic cancer. Although he died at the way too young age of 51, his work and his influence on contemporary soul, neo-soul and R&B will be massive.

Happy birthday, brother. Happy birthday, wherever you are!

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