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He retired for 14 years. But in the shadows, he composed. He prays. He was reborn.
These problems led to a period of low musical production and a withdrawal from the public scene.
In 2005, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine, and was involved in a car accident. Photos of him taken after his arrest showed him to be overweight and in poor health, in stark contrast to the muscular image he had when promoting Voodoo. He subsequently underwent rehab and his recording contract was acquired by J Records.
Flashmag! Issue 166November 2025
Despite his personal problems, D’ Angelo continued to collaborate with R & B and hip-hop artists during this period. He returned to the stage in 2012 with a series of European tours and festival appearances, where he performed new songs from his forthcoming album.
Black Messiah: the return of the prophet
In 2014, as the streets of Ferguson went up in flames, D’ Angelo returned with Black Messiah. A mystical and political cry. In it, he sings of the pain of the black people, their hopes, their anger. He says:“ I’ m not a leader. But if my music can help heal, then I’ m here.” The album is acclaimed. It became a song of resistance. This third and final album, Black Messiah, was unexpectedly released in December 2014. The album debuted in the top five of the U. S. Billboard 200 and dominated the Village Voice’ s annual Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. It won the Grammy Award for Best R & B Album at the 58th Grammy Awards, while the single“ Really Love” won Best R & B Song and was nominated for Record of the Year. Black Messiah featured a more rock and psychedelic sound, as well as more political lyrics than his previous works.
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