Hip-Hop Reacts to D’Angelo’s Death After a Reported Battle Cancer

Neo-soul singer D’Angelo has died following a reported battle with pancreatic cancer and the hip-hop community is offering condolences.

The music industry is reeling after reports surfaced on Tuesday (Oct. 14) that D’Angelo has passed away at the age of 51. Several hip-hop artists have commented on the crooner’s passing on social media.

“Such a sad loss to the passing of D’Angelo,” DJ Premier wrote on X. “We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’. Love You KING.”

The Alchemist also weighed in on the sad news, posting, “Man. Rest in peace D’ Angelo.”

“RIP Icon D’Angelo,” Flavor Flav posted.

A native of Richmond, Va., D’Angelo rose to prominence in the mid-1990s with his breakout album, Brown Sugar, which featured the hit singles “Brown Sugar” and “Lady.” His 2000 sophomore album, Voodoo, contained the song “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” in addition to “Left & Right” featuring Method Man and Redman, and the DJ Premier-produced “Devil’s Pie,” which also appeared on the soundtrack for the film Belly.

D’Angelo went on a 14-year hiatus before returning with the album Black Messiah, which featured contributions from Questlove and Q-Tip. The following year, he confirmed he was working on a new album.

In 2021, D’Angelo headlined a Verzuz special event called D’Angelo & Friends, where he performed a medley of his hits. Last year, he appeared alongside Jay-Z on The Book of Clarence soundtrack song “I Want You Forever.”

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