With the loss last week of R&B singer D’Angelo, it was great to hear radio stations step up and embrace the moment. I had the opportunity to appear on a local TV station to talk about D’Angelo — what he meant to R&B music and what he did for urban radio.
In his relatively short time in the spotlight, he had a tremendous impact — one that radio should not pass on honoring.
While I have my opinions about the term neo-soul, D’Angelo was instrumental in keeping R&B prominently on the radio. Not that my approval is needed, but neo-soul was the box that helped R&B break through what was then the dominant genre: rap.
If you recall, the artists dominating the charts at that time were the ones who helped put rap on the map. Don’t act like you didn’t catch that. Just a year before D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar debuted, artists like Slick Rick, Keith Murray, Public Enemy, Da Brat, Redman, Method Man, Warren G — and a couple of other cats out of New York, Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. — were heating things up.
Following D’Angelo’s debut came a wave of artists with a similar sound and vibe. Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, and Angie Stone — the mother of D’Angelo’s son.
Heritage urban radio stations across the country owe a great deal to D’Angelo. It was good to hear the tributes continue even a week after his passing. Even more satisfying were the creative ways stations found to celebrate him. From concerts and local events to giveaways, on-air music blocks, and tribute promos.
During those discussions about D’Angelo’s passing, I was reminded of his deep passion for music. He was a real student of the genre. But I was also reminded of the darker side of fame. The pressures of being labeled a star, or more accurately, a sex symbol. That label came mostly, if not entirely, after the success of his single “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” — or more specifically, the video.
That image didn’t sit well with him, and the pressures that followed did what they often do. Reports of substance abuse and depression soon followed. What makes D’Angelo’s loss even more tragic is that he had to endure that kind of struggle. I don’t know the extent of his handlers’ efforts to help him. I suspect it’s what young Black men are often affected by historically. Hangers-on in the form of friends and family looking for a payday or just to ride the star.
My hope is that today’s artists — especially those who rise quickly because of social media — will hear D’Angelo’s story beyond the success and avoid similar pitfalls.
Hats off to urban radio for celebrating someone who did so much for the format. These are the moments that build esteem for urban brands. The things that set us apart from other stations in the market.
Unfortunately, these opportunities come all too frequently. So far in 2025, we’ve lost Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, Gwen McCrae, Roberta Flack, D’Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Angie Stone.
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Ken Johnson is an Urban/Hip-Hop columnist for Barrett Media. Born and raised in Washington DC, his career experiences include serving as VP of Urban formats for Cumulus Media, holding the Director of Urban Programming post at ABC Radio Networks, and programming stations in Birmingham, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. He has also managed affiliate relations for the Nick Cannon show, and worked as the Executive Producer of The Hughley Truth Podcast hosted by comedian DL Hughley. Ken currently runs Mean Ole Lion Media, a content creation company and podcast network. He can be reached by email at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.
