D’angelo Scheduled To Do the Next Verzuz Battle

One of the few good things to come out of this pandemic have been Timbaland and Swizz Beats popular Verzuz battles.

Notable battles for me were Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu, Gladys Knight vs. Patti Labelle, Rza vs. DJ Premier, Brandy vs. Monica, Gucci mane vs. Jeezy, Alicia Keys vs. John Legend, Jagged Edge vs. 112, T-pain vs. Lil Jon, Ludacris vs. Nelly, and Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer.

According to the verzuztv Instagram page, D'Angelo vs Friends is scheduled to happen at the legendary Apollo theater Feb. 27th. It is not known yet who D'Angelo will be going up against. Thinking about who it could be based on the word "friends" alone, you just know they're gonna be some great singers who will make it a legendary battle indeed.

The singer-songwriter is one of the most influential musicians to come out of the  1990s and has earned comparisons to such musical geniuses as Prince and Marvin Gaye. Born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia, he began playing piano at 3-years-old  and honed his skills on the organ at  his father’s Pentecostal church.

His debut album Brown Sugar was released in 1995 and sold 2 million copies on the strength of hits like “Lady” and “Cruisin.” which by the way two of my favorite songs off of the album.

His suggestive video for the single “Untitled” (from his 1999 sophomore LP Voodoo) featured the singer seemingly naked, making D’Angelo a reluctant sex symbol. He has collaborated with Lauryn Hill, Common, and The Roots. After more than 10 years without new music, D’Angelo returned to the scene in 2014, releasing his third studio album Black Messiah to critical acclaim and which I am digging.

I had the pleasure of watch D'Angelo back in 2015 during SXSW and again in 2016! I will be tuned on the February 27th not only to hear some D'Angelo hits from his albums, but to see which friends he brought along for an epic night.