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D'Angelo: Brown Sugar (EMI)

James Hunter, Vibe, August 1995

THIS RISKY debut is puzzling. D'Angelo, a 21-year-old Virginia native, is determined to give pre-hip hop forms like blues, soul, gospel, and jazz a mid-'90s vibe. He sings about desire, reassurance, obsession, and clear-eyed joy in a whispery, totally confident falsetto.

Total word count of piece: 266

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