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By Chris Richburg
Eight
years. While some say that’s a long time, for music lovers, eight years
is an eternity. Especially if it involves your favorite artist.
While Michael Archer has made legal news in a courtroom near you, his musical alias D’Angelo is approaching Dr. Dre Detox levels as fans hold out for a new album.
Eight years since the last D’Angelo
project dropped and the music still lingers. His presence and influence are felt among those who embrace that movement he started. Something
called Neo Soul. Still,
even the Neo disciples have to wonder what is going on with the man
behind it all and whether or not he will be able to sit atop of the R&B throne.
And while no one has christened himself or herself ruler, we only need to listen to the talent around us to know that the soul is still alive. Question is, who stole the soulster?
All the missing persons talk seems a far cry from when D’Angelo stood out among R. Kelly, Raphael Saadiq and a who’s who of ‘80s and ‘90s R&B heavyweights as the writer and producer of the Black Men United single "U
Will Know." The talent was there, but with the veterans on hand for the
song and accompanying video, we couldn’t fully embrace the potential of
D'Angelo, let alone the movement he was about to usher in.
's release. No doubt. Life for the soul stirrer was good. Damn good.
Then
something strange happened on the way to the Voodoo follow-up. Michael
Archer returned, along with a string of legal problems.
The
year 2005 proved to be time of lows as the singer was charged with
possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and
driving while intoxicated in January. A guilty plea on the DUI and
marijuana charge resulted in a fine, suspended sentence and a revoked
driver’s license in April. Five months later, Archer answered to the
cocaine possession charge by receiving a three-year suspended sentence. Mugshots surfaced of a D'Angelo with very noticeable weight gain, slightly resembling a singer we once knew.
And
if things couldn’t get worse, the crooner’s luck went from bad to worse
as he suffered bruised ribs and contusions after being ejected from an
SUV he was riding in a week after he was sentenced. Close to a year
later, a light seemed to be at the end of the tunnel as reports began
surfacing about Archer completing a stint in rehab on the island of
Antigua.
D’Angelo
sightings were even spoken of as rumblings of work being done on a
follow up to Voodoo came to light in addition to a string of appearance
on albums from J. Dilla, Red, Hot and Riot, the RH Factor, Snoop Dogg and Common, who brought D’Angelo out of hiding to appear on "So Far to Go," a song off his latest album Finding Forever.
Despite
things looking up, Archer reemerged on Aug. 10, 2007 to appear in court
on charges related to the September 2005 car accident. The singer
pleaded guilty to reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.
As a result, he was fined $1,000, with $500 suspended, and sentenced
the crooner to nine days in jail -all suspended- and revoked his
license for 90 days on the suspended license charge.
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