I want to take hip-hop and funk and make it new again. I want to take it back to basics. I'm tired of all the synthetic stuff. In his search for a fresh sound, D'Angelo has recruited an eclectic crew of musicians to work on the new CD, including jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. It wasn't like now, where you have one producer working for a slew of artists, who all sound the same.
Artists are no longer self-contained and are more prone to conform.
In the '60s, people were defying what people expected. That's what's missing now. Hill, D'Angelo and Maxwell are distinct performers, but they share a willingness to challenge musical orthodoxy. For too long, critics, taking the public with them, have looked to rock and gangsta rap to fill the pantheon of pop heroes. But there was a time when auteurs had soul, when Marvin was asking what's going on, when Stevie was singing songs in the key of life, when Aretha was demanding respect.