Editing D'Angelo (section)

=== 1991–1995: ''Brown Sugar'' ===
At the age of 17, D'Angelo met [[Afropunk Festival]] partner Jocelyn Cooper,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Naasel|first=Kenrya Rankin|date=2015-05-11|title=Jocelyn Cooper|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3043954/jocelyn-cooper|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}</ref> who signed him to Midnight Songs LLC,<ref>{{Cite web|last=ago|first=Music-8 months|date=2021-07-01|title=The Origin Story of D'Angelo|url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/dangelo-brown-sugar-making-neo-soul.html|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Okayplayer|language=en-US}}</ref>  her joint venture publishing company administered by [[Universal Music Publishing Group]] after hearing a demo of the [[hip hop group]] I.D.U. (Intelligent, Deadly but Unique), which D'Angelo produced and rapped in.<ref>{{Cite web|title=D'Angelo|url=https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/dangelo|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.redbullmusicacademy.com|language=en}}</ref> After signing, Cooper introduced D'Angelo to musicians [[Raphael Saadiq]], [[Ali Shaheed Muhammad]], and [[Angie Stone]] to collaborate as songwriters. Cooper then introduced D'Angelo to Fred Davis,<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Goodman|first=Fred|date=2019-04-11|title=Meet Fred Davis, One of the Industry's Biggest Dealmakers (And, Yes, Clive's Son)|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/fred-davis-the-raine-group-industry-dealmaker-interview-8506624/|access-date=2022-02-17|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US}}</ref> Head of A&R and Gary Harris at [[EMI Music]]. After an impressive audition D'Angelo was signed to a recording contract in 1993.<ref name="cbb">Oblender (2001), pp. 35–36.</ref> Cooper also introduced D'Angelo to attorney [[Kedar Massenburg]] who helped negotiate his contract.<ref name="kedar">Gale Staff (1998), pp. 138–139.</ref> Massenburg later became D'Angelo's manager.

In 1994, his first significant success came in the form of the hit single "U Will Know".<ref name="Huey">Huey, Steve. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p68127/biography|pure_url=yes}} D'Angelo: Biography]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved January 28, 2009.</ref> D'Angelo co-wrote and co-produced the song for the all-male [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] supergroup [[Black Men United]], which featured R&B singers such as [[Brian McKnight]], [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]], [[R. Kelly]], [[Boyz II Men]], [[Raphael Saadiq]], and [[Gerald Levert]].<ref name="PRWeb">[http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/dangelo-signed-to-rca-music-group-j/rfid165188542 D'Angelo Signed to RCA Music Group (J Records)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011013614/http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/dangelo-signed-to-rca-music-group-j/rfid165188542 |date=October 11, 2018 }}. [[PRWeb]]. Retrieved December 8, 2008.</ref> D'Angelo composed the music for "U Will Know", while his brother, Luther Archer, Midnight Songs LLC writer, wrote the lyrics.<ref name="cm">Onnell (1997), pp. 103–105.</ref> Originally featured on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Jason's Lyric]]'' (1994), the single peaked at number 5 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]] and at number 28 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="jason">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r203601/charts-awards/billboard-single|pure_url=yes}} Jason's Lyric: Charts & Awards]. AllMusic. Retrieved January 28, 2009.</ref> The music video for "U Will Know" featured D'Angelo as the group's choir director; he reprised the role for the live performance of the song at the [[Soul Train Music Awards]].<ref name="PRWeb"/> That same year, he wrote and produced the song "Overjoyed" for the [[Boys Choir of Harlem]],<ref name="Farley">Farley, Christopher John. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071221104947/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995906-1,00.html D'Angelo: Salvation Sex and Voodoo]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref> which appeared on their studio album ''The Sound of Hope'' (1994).<ref name="hope">[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008NGH Amazon.com: The Sound of Hope]. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved February 1, 2009.</ref> The success of "U Will Know" helped build the buzz surrounding D'Angelo, which was followed by a number of highly promoted showcases, and added to the buzz among [[music industry]] insiders.<ref name="PRWeb"/>

''[[Brown Sugar (D'Angelo album)|Brown Sugar]]'' was released in July 1995. Although sales were sluggish at first, the album was eventually a hit. The album debuted at number six on the US ''[[Billboard charts|Billboard]]'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|Top R&B Albums]] chart in the week of July 22, 1995.<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/charts/1995-07-22/r-b-hip-hop-albums R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of July 22, 1995]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> It ultimately peaked at number four in the week of February 24, 1996,<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-02-24/r-b-hip-hop-albums R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of February 24, 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> and spent a total of 54 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&B">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=d'angelo|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Albums B}} Chart History: D'Angelo – R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> ''Brown Sugar'' also spent 65 weeks on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and peaked at number 22 on the chart.<ref name="bb200">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=d'angelo|chart=Billboard 200}} Chart History: D'Angelo – Billboard 200]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> It sold 300,000 copies within its two months of release.<ref>Coker, Cheo H. "[https://archive.today/20130131153936/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/21443066.html?dids=21443066:21443066&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+18,+1995&author=CHEO+H.+COKER&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Is+D'Angelo+the+Heir+to+Throne+of+Soul+Music%3F+21-Year-Old+Newcomer+Has+Fans+Swooning+Over+Voice+as+Sweet+as+%60Brown+Sugar'&pqatl=google Is D'Angelo the Heir to Throne of Soul Music? 21-Year-Old Newcomer Has Fans Swooning Over Voice as Sweet as `Brown Sugar']". ''Chicago Tribune'': 1. August 18, 1995.</ref> The album had been selling 35,000 to 40,000 copies a week through to November 1995,<ref name="Ayers"/> and by January 1996, it had sold 400,000 copies.<ref>Phillips, Chuck. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104021833/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4324243.html The New Payola // Record Companies Use Perks To Gain Ear of Radio Stations The New Payola // Record Companies Use Perks To Gain Ear of Radio Stations]". ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'': 1. January 3, 1996.</ref> With the help of its four singles, including the [[RIAA certification|gold]]-selling [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] hit "[[Lady (D'Angelo song)|Lady]]" and [[Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs|R&B]] top-ten singles "[[Brown Sugar (D'Angelo song)|Brown Sugar]]" and [[Cruisin' (Smokey Robinson song)|"Cruisin]]",<ref>[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Lady&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=Virgin%20Records&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25 Gold & Platinum – Searchable Database: Lady]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> the album reached sales of 500,000 copies in the United States by October 1995.<ref name="Ayers">Ayers, Anne. "[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem018.htm D'Angelo Cruisin' Through His First Tour]. ''[[USA Today]]'': 14.D. November 1, 1995.</ref><ref name="RIAA">[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Brown%20Sugar&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25 Gold & Platinum – Searchable Database: Brown Sugar] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019022802/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Brown%20Sugar&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=October 19, 2015 }}. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> On February 7, 1996, it was certified platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]], following shipments in excess of one million copies in the U.S.<ref name="RIAA"/> The album was certified gold in Canada on May 9, 2000.<ref name="CRIA">[http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php Search Certification Database: Brown Sugar]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126233429/http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |date=26 January 2010 }}. [[Canadian Recording Industry Association]]. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref> Its total sales have been estimated within the range of 1.5&nbsp;million to over two million copies.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Wells">Wells, Chris. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-just-got-to-keep-it-real-1127170.html "Pop: Just Got to Keep It Real"], ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref><ref>Staff. [http://soundslam.com/articles/news/news.php?news=050728_dangel "D'Angelo Reportedly Moving To J Records"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120714140348/http://soundslam.com/articles/news/news.php?news=050728_dangel |date=14 July 2012 }}. SoundSlam. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref><ref>Columnist. "[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EC59F8E2A641FDA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Soul Survivor]". ''[[The Miami Herald]]'': 1M. May 27, 2001.</ref><ref>Burch, Audra D. S. "[https://archive.today/20120716070239/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/timesdispatch/access/73722409.html?dids=73722409:73722409&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+03,+2001&author=Audra+D.S.+Burch&pub=Richmond+Times+-+Dispatch&desc=NEO-SOUL:+PAST+FUTURE+PERFECT&pqatl=google Neo-Soul: Past Future Perfect]". ''[[Richmond Times]]'': H.2. June 3, 2001.</ref><ref>Webster, Nicholas. "[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/journalnow/access/488437781.html?dids=488437781:488437781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+07%2C+2000&author=Nicholas+Webster+TEEN+PAGE+REPORTER&pub=Winston-Salem+Journal&desc=A+LITTLE+SUGAR%3A+FOLLOW-UP+ALBUM+IS+A+GOOD+LISTEN+IF+NOT+A+MARKET+HIT+%3B+LISTEN+UP&pqatl=google A Little Sugar: Follow-Up Albums Is a Good Listen If Not a Market Hit]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}". ''[[Winston-Salem Journal]]'': 2. February 7, 2000.</ref>