D’angelo
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Michael Archer Jr., the son of the late Angie Stone and D’Angelo, took to social media earlier this week to honor his mother in a series of moving images and videos. An artist himself, Michael Archer Jr. used the moment to call attention to Angie Stone’s lasting musical contributions and the close bond the pair shared.
Michael Archer Jr., the only son of Angie Stone and D’Angelo, posted on his Instagram page on March 21 and posted a video that depicted his first thoughts about his mother’s loss, how he learned of her passing that fateful morning, and how he’s managing the process.
Between videos of Archer, who performs under the name SwayvoTwain, sharing his emotional remembrance with several images, he also mentioned the acknowledgement of observers that Stone and his two “aunties” from the group Sequence were the first female Hip-Hop group as being a fairly new occurrence.
In many respects, it appears that Archer is thankful for the love that fans had for his mother and the outpouring of support, but he seemed to say that was something his mother sought. In addition, Archer was clear in putting those who used his mother’s kindness and her passing as a means to call attention to themselves on notice.
The video can be video below.
—Photo: Matt McNeill – PA Images
Roy Ayers, the multi-hyphenate composer and artist nicknamed the ‘Godfather of Neo Soul,’ has passed away at the age of 84.
News of Ayers’ passing was confirmed on Wednesday (March 5), with a statement shared via his official Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” the post wrote. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers was surrounded by music from a young age thanks to his pianist mother and trombonist father. Ayers himself took to the vibraphone at the age of five when he was gifted a pair of mallets from Lionel Hampton.
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Performing music throughout high school thanks to a church choir and local bands, Ayers launched his musical career in earnest in 1962, serving as a sideman for saxophonist Curtis Amy and cool jazz outfit The Jack Wilson Quartet, releasing his debut solo album West Coast Vibes in 1963.
By 1970, Ayers had formed his own group under the name Roy Ayers Ubiquity, and in 1973 he found wider fame after soundtracking Jack Hill’s blaxploitation film Coffy, starring Pam Grier. Roy Ayers Ubiquity experienced years of chart success in the latter half of the decade, starting with 1975’s Mystic Voyage, which hit No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and 1976’s Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which reached No. 10 on the same chart, and No. 51 on the Billboard 200.
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The title track to the latter record would become one of Ayers’ best-known compositions, going on to be sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Common, and covered by the likes of D’Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper. It also cemented his status as one of the more prominent figures in the neo-soul scene, with the likes of Pharrell Williams citing Ayers as one of his most influential artists.
While 1977’s Lifeline saw “Running Away” hitting No. 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, Ayers’ career continued as a solo artist in the coming decades, with his biggest chart success coming by way of 1980’s No Stranger to Love, which reached No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
He remained a prominent force on the charts throughout the ‘80s, and while he never scored a track on the Hot 100, 1986’s “Hot” would hit No. 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while his Eric Benet collaboration “When You Think Of Me” would give him his last appearance on the same chart, peaking at No. 46 in 2000.
Ayers would continue composing and performing into the 21st century, working with the likes of Erykah Badu, Tyler, the Creator, Kerri Chandler, and more. He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.
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Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
It feels like it’s been forever and a day since we’ve gotten new material from D’Angelo. So it only makes sense that the man makes up for lost time with a new track that not only features the G.O.A.T himself, Jay-Z, but also has a running time of 9 minutes.
Collaborating with Hova on “I Want You Forever” off of the soundtrack for The Book of Clarence, D’Angelo goes into baby making mode and hits all the notes you’d want to hear with the lights dim and the candles lit. Even Jay-Z gets into the rhythm as he drops his bars with a slow style you’d expect to hear from a man looking to sweet talk his way into a woman’s heart saying “Life don’t the taste the same without you / tears in my champagne without you / Quit playin’ girl, you know I’m crazy about you / You know that week you ran back to ya mama house, ask my friends they can vouch / Slept on the couch cause the bed ain’t a bed without you…”
Jay out here reminding Beyoncé he’s all about their love. Heck, if we were married to her we’d be dropping 9-minute love songs for her too.
Check out the track in its entirety below and let us know if you rocking with this and whether you’ll be catching The Book of Clarence this weekend in the comments section below.
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