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D’Angelo’s comeback has been one of hip hop’s best stories in the past year, and it looks the crooner is taking a stand against the current landscape of the culture. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, the Brown Sugar singer called out today’s musicians. D’Angelo kept it real in regards to this generation’s artists lacking social awareness and responsibility. Check out our favorite quotes below!
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“I grew up on Public Enemy, and it was popular culture to be aware.”
“People were wearing Malcolm X T-shirts and Malcolm X hats. It was a very cool thing to know who Malcolm X was. It was all in the lyrics. It was trendy to be conscious and aware. Now the trend … it’s just [expletive]. But to tell you the truth, there are a lot of people who feel the same way that I feel and that are making great music, conscious music. But for some reason or another it seems like the gatekeepers are not allowing that stuff to filter through to the mainstream. Kendrick Lamar, he’s an example of someone who is young and actually trying to say something. Who else? You got Young Jeezy and Young Thug. You know what I’m saying? It’s stupid. It’s ridiculous.”
“Now more than ever is the need to sing about it and to write songs about it,. And no one’s doing it. There’s only a chosen couple of people. I think it just takes one little snowflake to start a snowball to go down the hill. My contribution and say, Kendrick Lamar’s and some chosen others’ start the snowball. That’s all I can hope for. I don’t know if I’m comfortable being quote-unquote a leader. But I do realize and understand that my role as a musician, and in the medium that I am, that people are listening to me. Kids are listening to me. We have power to influence minds and influence lives. So I respect that power. I really do.”
