History Music / BlackMessiah

* {{Sampling}}: Utilized throughout the record, but most apparent on "1000 Deaths" which samples speech's from [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_Abdul_Muhammad Khalid Abdul Muhammad]] and [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hampton Fred Hampton]]

Upon release, the record received near-unanimous praise, being favorably compared to albums such as ''Music/ToPimpAButterfly'' and ''Music/ASeatAtTheTable''. Many also cited it as a comeback for D'Angelo and a progressive soul record in its own right, with it winning a UsefulNotes/GrammyAward for Best R&B Album and being considered one of the best records of the decade. It was included in the [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 2020 edition]] of ''Rolling Stone''[='=]s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, placing at number 395.

[[caption-width-right:350:''In another life, I bet you wouldn't know that'']]

-->- Fred Hampton, sampled from ''The Murder of Fred Hampton'' on the intro to "1000 Deaths"

->''All we wanted was a chance to talk\\
'Stead we only got outlined in chalk\\
Feet have bled a million miles we've walked\\
Revealing at the end of the day, the charade''
-->- "The Charade"

''Black Messiah'' is the third studio album by African-American musician, Music/DAngelo, credited to D'Angelo and the Vanguard, released in 2014 on RCA Records.

In 2000, D'Angelo had released his sophomore record, ''Music/{{Voodoo}}'', to critical acclaim and commercial success. Unfortunately, what would follow would be a series of troubles both personal and professional would plague him while in the process of recording, of which was apparently in production since 2002. Constantly delayed, newer news on the album wouldn't come until 2007, when [[Music/TheRoots Questlove]], a producer and drummer on the record and on ''Voodoo'', leaked a track from the record (at this time, under the working title of ''James River'') called "Really Love", a move which at the time would cause conflict between the two. The record would still not materialize at this time, with Billboard evn asking Questlove about the status of the album in 2013 (four years after that leak), and was told that "99% of it is done".

Around this time, D'Angelo was performing more often, including European club dates and scattered festival appearances. And in that that December, cryptic posts on various social media platforms announced "''Black Messiah'' is coming." One of the earliest warnings came from author, critic and filmmaker Nelson George, who had recently had D'Angelo on for his ''Finding the Funk'' documentary. On the evening of December 14th, George hosted an exclusive listening party for ''Black Messiah'', an album credited to D'Angelo and his backing band, a mix of old and new musicians dubbed the Vanguard. The LP was released the following day on RCA.

An broad-ranging record, ''Black Messiah'' would experiment with jazz, funk and psychedelia and would be lyrically influenced upon by current events such as the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Eric_Garner#:~:text=On%20July%2017%2C%202014%2C%20Eric,prohibited%20chokehold%20while%20arresting%20him killing of Eric Garner]] and the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_unrest Ferguson protests]], lending to the record's terse atmosphere and experimental nature, that itself leading to comparisons to artists such as Music/CurtisMayfield, Music/MarvinGaye and Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone. The latter of which's seminal funk record, ''Music/TheresARiotGoinOn'', would be looked towards as a comparison and influence upon the record, due to their similar use of analong recording techniques and deep, psychedelic funk sound.

Upon release the record would receive near uniamous praise, being favourably compared with other experimental black music albums such as ''[[Music/KendrickLamar To Pimp A Butterfly]]'' and ''[[Music/{{Solange}} A Seat At The Table]]''. Many also cited it as a comeback for D'Angelo and a progressive soul record in its own right, with it winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and being considered one of the better records of the decade. It would also be included in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ranking the album at number 395.

** "Till It's Done (Tutu)" is another example with noting various issues from climate change to war.

** "The Charade" is also particularly forthright about the former song subject matter:

''Crawling through a systematic maze\\

** "Till It's Done (Tutu)" is a more forthright example with noting various issues from climate change to war.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The cover art, which depicts the raised hands of Afro-Americans in either protest or religious ecstasy in black and white.

Upon release the record would receive near uniamous praise, being favourably compared with other experimental black music albums such as ''[[Music/KendrickLamar To Pimp A Butterfly]]'' and ''[[Music/{{Solange}} A Seat At The Table]]'' with many citing it as a comeback for D'Angelo and a progressive soul record in its own right, with it winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and being considered one of the better records of the decade. It would also be included in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ranking the album at number 395.