Brown Sugar (D'Angelo album)

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Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: July 3, 1995 | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Live at the Jazz Cafe1998studioBrown SugarD'Angelo - Brown Sugar.jpgD'AngeloJuly 3, 19951994–1995* Battery (New York City)

Brown Sugar is the debut studio album by the American musician D'Angelo, released on July 3, 1995, through EMI. The album was recorded during 1994 and 1995 in sessions at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City and at the Pookie Lab in Sacramento. Its production, instrumentation, arrangements, and songwriting were primarily handled by D'Angelo, who employed both vintage recording equipment and modern electronic devices. The songs feature earnest lyrics about love and romance, set against a fusion of contemporary R&B and traditional soul music with elements of funk, quiet storm, and hip hop music.

Brown Sugar debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, selling 300,000 copies in its first two months. With the help of its four singles, it spent sixty-five weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and received Platinum certification within a year of its release. Brown Sugar was met with widespread acclaim and earned D'Angelo accolades including four Grammy Award nominations. Regarded by music journalists as a pivotal release in neo soul, the album brought commercial exposure to the burgeoning musical movement amid the prominence of producer-driven, digitally approached R&B. Brown Sugar is also widely credited with launching the neo-soul movement, with the term "neo soul" in fact even being coined by D'Angelo's manager Kedar Massenburg in the short time after the album became a success.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Kot, Greg. "Dusting of Old King Soul Template:Webarchive". Chicago Tribune: 1. July 21, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2025.</ref>

Background

By 1991, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael D'Angelo Archer had formed his native–Richmond, Virginia, musical group—Michael Archer and Precise—and had achieved success on the Amateur Night competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Soon after, he dropped out of school and moved to New York City<ref name="cbb"/> to develop his career.<ref name="NME">D'Angelo: Biography. NME. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref> The group had previously enjoyed some notice in Richmond, evenly dividing their repertoire between soul covers and originals, while D'Angelo accumulated compositions of his own and developed his songwriting skills.<ref name="cbb"/> The group's turnout on Amateur Night resulted in three consecutive wins and a cash prize,<ref name="Samuels"/> after which, upon returning home to Richmond, D'Angelo was inspired to produce his own album and began composing material.<ref name="Touré">Touré. Untitled Document: D'Angelo, May 2000. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011.</ref>

After a brief tenure as a member of the hip hop group I.D.U. (Intelligent, Deadly but Unique),<ref name="cby">H.W. Wilson Co. (2001), pp. 36–39.</ref> D'Angelo signed a publishing deal with EMI Music in 1991 after catching the attention of record executives through a demo tape, which was originally by the group.<ref name="Huey">Huey, Steve. [{{#ifeq: yes | yes | https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p68127/biography{{

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}} D'Angelo: Biography]. Allmusic. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref><ref name="Much">D'Angelo: Artist Bio. MuchMusic. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref> After impressing EMI execs with a three-hour impromptu piano recital,<ref name="Samuels">Samuels, Allison. Pop Music: A One-Man Soul Revival. Newsweek. Retrieved on April 15, 2014.</ref> D'Angelo was signed to a recording contract in 1993.<ref name="cbb">Oblender (2001), pp. 35–36.</ref> A&R-man Gary Harris was primarily responsible for his signing,<ref name="Peisner">Peisner, David (2008). Body & Soul. Spin, pp. 64–72.</ref> while manager Kedar Massenburg helped negotiate the contract as well.<ref name="kedar">Gale Staff (1998), pp. 138–139.</ref> Massenburg became D'Angelo's manager after hearing of him through "the buzz on the streets".<ref name="kedar"/> He had previously managed hip hop group Stetsasonic and formed the artist management firm Kedar Entertainment in 1991, which he diversified into production, music publishing and publicity.<ref name="kedar"/>

In 1994, his first significant success came in the form of the hit single "U Will Know".<ref name="Huey"/> D'Angelo co-wrote and co-produced the song for the all-male R&B supergroup Black Men United, which featured the R&B singers Brian McKnight, Usher, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Raphael Saadiq and Gerald Levert.<ref name="PRWeb">D'Angelo Signed to RCA Music Group (J Records). PRWeb. Retrieved on December 8, 2008.</ref> D'Angelo composed the music for "U Will Know", while his brother, Luther Archer, wrote the lyrics.<ref name="cm">Onnell (1997), pp. 103–105.</ref> Featured on the soundtrack to the film Jason's Lyric (1994), the single peaked at number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="jason">[{{#ifeq: yes | yes | https://www.allmusic.com/album/r203601/charts-awards/billboard-single{{

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}} Jason's Lyric: Charts & Awards]. Allmusic. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref> The music video for "U Will Know" featured D'Angelo as the group's choir director; he reprised the role for the live performance of the song at the Soul Train Music Awards.<ref name="PRWeb"/> That same year, he wrote and produced the song "Overjoyed" for the Boys Choir of Harlem,<ref name="Farley"/> which appeared on their album The Sound of Hope (1994).<ref name="hope">Amazon.com: The Sound of Hope. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.</ref> The success of "U Will Know" helped build the buzz surrounding D'Angelo, which was followed by a number of highly promoted performance showcases, and added to the buzz among music industry insiders.<ref name="PRWeb"/>

Recording and production

File:D'Angelo Pori Jazz 2012.JPG
D'Angelo (pictured in 2012) played a variety of instruments on the album, including guitar.

After his successful performance with his group Precise at the Apollo Theater in 1991, D'Angelo received a $500 check for his work at the venue and used most of it to purchase a four-track recorder and a keyboard. At his mother's house in Richmond,<ref name="rsbio">Biography: D'Angelo. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.</ref> he began writing and recording most of the material that would constitute Brown Sugar during 1991 and 1992.<ref name="cbb"/> Recording for the album took place during 1994 and 1995 at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City, and at the Pookie Lab studio in Sacramento, California,<ref name="credits"/> which served as the personal recording studio of R&B musician and record producer Raphael Saadiq.<ref name="pookie">News Review: SN&R - Full gospeldelic. Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Retrieved on February 3, 2009.</ref> Additional recording took place at Back Pocket Studios in New York City for the track "Cruisin'".<ref name="credits"/>

In contrast to the production style of contemporary R&B at the time, which sought well-known record producers for an artist's project, D'Angelo handled most of the album's production, as well as contributing all of the vocals.<ref name="Muze">Product Page: Brown Sugar. Muze. Retrieved on February 3, 2009.</ref> While most of the production was handled by D'Angelo, other producers contributed as well, including Saadiq, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and studio engineer Bob Power.<ref name="credits"/>

D'Angelo's expertise and ability to play various instruments, including drums, saxophone, guitar, bass, and keyboards, aided him in the recording of Brown Sugar,<ref name="cm"/> as most of the album's instrumentation and production were credited to his name.<ref name="credits"/> In a 1995 interview, he discussed the influence that musician Prince had on his approach to recording the album, stating "I was one of those guys who read the album credits and I realized that Prince was a true artist. He wrote, produced, and performed, and that's the way I wanted to do it."<ref name="cm"/> For the album, D'Angelo and the production personnel utilized antiquated, vintage equipment, including Wurlitzer musical instruments and dated effects boxes, as well as modern electronic devices such as drum machines and computers.<ref name="NME"/> Notable instruments used by D'Angelo were the Fender Rhodes electric piano and the Hammond organ.<ref name="Muze"/><ref name="Norris">Norris, Chris. "Review: Brown Sugar". New York: 81. July 17, 1995.</ref> The album was later mastered by engineer Herb Powers Jr. at The Hit Factory mastering studio in New York City.<ref name="credits"/>

Music

Born to a Pentecostal-minister father, D'Angelo was brought up to an early appreciation of gospel music, while his mother, a jazz enthusiast, introduced him to the musical complexities of trumpeter Miles Davis and the funk and soul music of the 1970s.<ref name="cbb"/> In addition to old gospel records,<ref name="shapiro1">Shapiro (2006), p. 103.</ref> these factors inspired him during the making of Brown Sugar, as D'Angelo drew upon his roots of traditional gospel and soul, and infused the sound of contemporary R&B and hip hop music to create a stylistically unique and soulful sound for the album.<ref name="cm"/> The album has been noted by critics for its classic soul elements and influences,<ref name="Muze"/><ref name="Erlewine"/><ref name="Mukherjee"/> as well as the sound of live instruments and organic grooves, which are reminiscent of the work of Stevie Wonder and Sly & the Family Stone.<ref name="Samuels"/><ref name="itunes">iTunes Store: Brown Sugar. Apple Inc. Retrieved on February 8, 2009.</ref> Its production contrasts the producer-driven and digital approach of contemporary R&B at the time of its release.<ref name="Wells">Wells, Chris. Pop: Just Got to Keep It Real. The Independent. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref>

File:Ali Shaheed Muhammad 2008.jpg
The album's title track was produced by D'Angelo and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (2008).

The album's sound is prominently driven by keyboards, sensual vocals, and smooth melodies,<ref name="farley">Farley (2002), pp. 56–57.</ref> while it evokes the work of such artists as Prince, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Isley Brothers.<ref name="Farley"/><ref name="b&n">Barnes & Noble: Brown Sugar. Barnesandnoble.com llc. Retrieved on February 8, 2009.</ref> The quiet storm love song "Cruisin'", a cover of Robinson's 1979 hit of the same name, features a string section.<ref name="shapiro2">Shapiro (2006), p. 104.</ref> Along with the album's modern aesthetic and vintage texture,<ref name="Farley"/> Brown Sugar combines the sounds of blues, gospel and jazz in a contemporary fashion.<ref name="Muze"/> According to music journalist Peter Shapiro, "Lady" uses "the jazzy hallmarks of bohemian soul to emphasize the singer's insecurity".<ref name="shapiro2"/> Most of the songs on the album have a stripped-down feel, without complex orchestrations, and have heavy drum beats and bass lines, which are accompanied by electric piano riffs and minimal guitar work.<ref name="cby"/> Music writer Robert Christgau finds Brown Sugar to be "bass-driven rather than voice-led".<ref name="Christgau">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Vocals

D'Angelo's singing throughout Brown Sugar is a gospel-influenced, falsetto crooning style,<ref name="Norris"/> which critics have compared the singing of Prince,<ref name="shapiro2"/> Al Green,<ref name="eventful"/> Donny Hathaway, and Sam Cooke.<ref name="hoard">Jon Caramanica et al. Hoard (2004), p. 210.</ref> Despite the album's retro influence, music writers have noted his delivery as having a hip hop approach and "swagger", as one critic described the album as a "blend of classic soul and urban attitude".<ref name="b&n"/> Another writer described the album's vibe as "sultry" and D'Angelo's vocal delivery as "sly".<ref name="vibe">Vibe.com: VIBE 150 R&B. Vibe Media Group, Inc. on February 8, 2009.</ref> Music journalist Jon Caramanica later called D'Angelo a "classicist, in other words, cloaked in the guise of a hip-hop roughneck."<ref name="hoard"/> Shapiro viewed the vocal production as similar to that of Prince's Sign o' the Times (1987).<ref name="shapiro2"/> The album's closing track "Higher" features D'Angelo's organ set to a choir of his overdubbed vocals,<ref name="Muze"/> while "Jonz in My Bonz", which compares love to an addiction, features D'Angelo's falsetto moans overdubbed in an array for effect.<ref name="shapiro2"/>

According to D'Angelo, the hip hop influence present on the album "came from the Native Tongues movement - Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr and Main Source."<ref name="Farber">Template:Cite news</ref> The title track features the most hip hop influence on the album, as Ali Shaheed Muhammad's co-production for the song developed a seamless integration of hip hop beats into D'Angelo's old school-influenced material.<ref name="cm"/> The vocal delivery on the track resembles the flow of most emcees at the time.<ref name="PRWeb"/> In a 1995 interview, D'Angelo cited hip hop artists Rakim and KRS-One as influences, and explained his affinity with rapping, stating "All rap is street soul. They just have a different method."<ref name="cm"/>

Lyrics

With the exception of the title track, a thinly veiled ode to smoking marijuana, most of the album's material consists of traditional romance ballads and love songs, in the style of classic soul music.<ref name="cby"/> The lyrical content of the album closer, "Higher", combines the spiritual love of God and the carnal love of a woman, and is similar to the lyricism of Prince,<ref name="musiccity">MusicCity.org: Brown SugarTemplate:Dead link. Music City. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.</ref> who has been noted by music writers for exploring the "eternal dichotomy" of spirituality and sexuality.<ref name="PRWeb"/> Music writers have noted the lyrical "openness" of the album, along with qualities of honesty and "earnestness" in D'Angelo's songwriting,<ref name="cby"/><ref name="eventful">Eventful: D'Angelo - Bio. Eventful, Inc. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.</ref> in comparison to most contemporary R&B at the time.<ref name="Muze"/> "Alright" deals with the consequences of a relationship and reassurance of its security.<ref name="mvremix">MVRemix Album Reviews: D'Angelo - Brown Sugar. MVRemix Media. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.</ref> "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" was cited by Shapiro as "the nastiest cheating song since that hoary old standard of 60s rock, 'Hey Joe'",<ref name="shapiro2"/> It features a string of emphatic interjections (the chorus line "shit, damn, motherfucker" describes his reaction)<ref name="mvremix"/> and rhetorical questions by the narrator after walking in on his wife and his best friend in bed together.<ref name="shapiro2"/> Music critic Christopher John Farley described the chorus as a "little like the Fuhrman tapes, with a beat",<ref name="Farley"/> while Mark Anthony Neal found the song to be "drenched with Marvin Gaye’s paranoia."<ref name="popmatters">PopMatters: D'Angelo - Voodoo. PopMatters.com. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.</ref>

Marketing and sales

Brown Sugar was released on July 3, 1995, by EMI.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart in the week of July 22, 1995.<ref>R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Week of July 22, 1995. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref> It ultimately peaked at number 4 in the week of February 24, 1996,<ref>R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Week of February 24, 1996. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref> and spent a total of 54 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&B">[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Chart History: D'Angelo - R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref> Brown Sugar also spent 65 weeks on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 22 on the chart.<ref name="bb200">[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Chart History: D'Angelo - Billboard 200]. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref> It sold 300,000 copies within its two months of release.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album had been selling 35,000 to 40,000 copies a week through to November 1995,<ref name="Ayers"/> and by January 1996, it had sold 400,000 copies.<ref>Phillips, Chuck. "The New Payola // Record Companies Use Perks To Gain Ear of Radio Stations The New Payola // Record Companies Use Perks To Gain Ear of Radio Stations". Chicago Sun-Times: 1. January 3, 1996.</ref> With the help of its four singles, including the Gold-certified, half-million-selling Billboard Hot 100 hit "Lady" and R&B Top 10 singles "Brown Sugar" and "Cruisin'",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="charts"/><ref>Template:Cite certification</ref> the album reached sales of 500,000 copies in the United States by October 1995.<ref name="Ayers">Ayers, Anne. "D'Angelo Cruisin' Through His First Tour. USA Today: 14.D. November 1, 1995.</ref><ref name="RIAA">Gold & Platinum - Searchable Database: Brown Sugar Template:Webarchive. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref>

In late 1995, D'Angelo toured in promotion of the album, and his concert at The Jazz Café in London produced the 1996 live album Live at the Jazz Cafe.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On February 7, 1996, Brown Sugar was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, following shipments in excess of one million copies in the U.S.<ref name="RIAA"/> The album was certified gold in Canada on May 9, 2000.<ref name="CRIA">Search Certification Database: Brown Sugar Template:Webarchive. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref> Its total sales have been estimated by several sources within the range of 1.5 million to over two million copies.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Wells"/><ref>Staff. D'Angelo Reportedly Moving To J Records. SoundSlam. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Brown Sugar was re-released as a two-disc deluxe edition on August 25, 2017, by Virgin and Universal Music Enterprises. The reissue featured remastering by Russell Elevado, a 20-page booklet essayed by Nelson George, and 21 additional songs. The bonus material included instrumentals, a cappella versions, and remixes by CJ Mackintosh, Dallas Austin, King Tech, Erick Sermon, and Incognito; seven of the 21 additional songs had never been released before commercially, while the others were previously available only on vinyl.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Critical reception and legacy

Template:Album ratings Brown Sugar was acclaimed by contemporary music critics.<ref name="Ayers"/> Martin Johnson of the Chicago Tribune praised D'Angelo's fusing of "elements of Prince, early '70s Smokey Robinson and post-Woodstock Sly and the Family Stone".<ref name="Johnson"/> NME wrote that "D'Angelo's downbeat world blurs the borders..., kicking over the traces of the genre game".<ref name="NMErev"/> Time magazine's Christopher John Farley said that D'Angelo's austere sound on the album serves as a reminder of the 1970s' musical atmosphere, but updated for listeners in the 1990s.<ref name="Farley">Farley, Christopher John. Review: Brown Sugar. Time. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.</ref> In his review for Vibe, James Hunter wrote that he is "determined to give pre-hip hop forms like blues, soul, gospel, and jazz a mid-'90s vibe", and "inhabits his songs from odd angles, without non-stop Vandross-style aural showmanship."<ref name="Hunter">Hunter, James. "Review: Brown Sugar". Vibe: 125. August 1995.</ref> Rolling Stone magazine's Cheo H. Coker praised Brown Sugar for its soulful sound and musical deviation from the New Jack-style of R&B at the time, stating:

Template:Cquote

Despite calling it "lyrically a bit simple", Yahoo! Music's Jeff Watson commended D'Angelo for his musicianship and wrote that his "marvelous voice and smooth instrumentation complement his solid songwriting skills".<ref name="Watson">Watson, Jeff. Review: Brown Sugar. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.</ref> Having been lukewarm toward the record in a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau later wrote in MSN Music that he "wasn't surprised to have warmed to it ... D'Angelo's concentration is formidable, his groove complex yet primal."<ref name="Christgau"/> The song "Brown Sugar" was nominated for the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. The album was also nominated for Best R&B Album. "Lady" was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.<ref name="Muze"/> It was also ranked number 21 on The Village VoiceTemplate:'s 1995 Pazz & Jop critics' poll<ref name="Muze"/> and number 12 in The WireTemplate:'s annual critics' poll.<ref>Template:Cite magazine Template:Subscription required</ref>

Since its initial reception, the album's sound has been dubbed as "neo soul".<ref name="shapiro3">Shapiro (2006), p. 105.</ref> D'Angelo's commercial breakthrough with Brown Sugar has been credited by writers and music critics for providing commercial visibility to the emerging neo soul movement of the mid-1990s, as well as inspiration behind the coinage of the term neo soul.<ref name="shapiro3"/><ref name="Kot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Mitchell">Mitchell, Gail. "Soul Resurrection: What's So New About Neo-Soul?". Billboard: 30, 36. June 1, 2002.</ref> The term was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg to market D'Angelo's music, as well as work by Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell.<ref name="shapiro3"/> In a 1996 article for the Chicago Tribune, critic Greg Kot cited Brown Sugar as "arguably where the current soul revival started".<ref name="Kot" /> USA TodayTemplate:'s Steve Jones wrote that the album "paved the way for innovative albums by Maxwell, Tony Rich and Eric Benet".<ref>Jones, Steve. Gangsta Rap Still Hanging Tough. USA Today. Retrieved on July 18, 2009.</ref> Yahoo! Music's Jeff Watson wrote that the album "single-handedly revitalized the creatively-dormant R&B scene".<ref name="Watson"/> Robert Christgau has dubbed it a "modern wellspring" for neo soul.<ref name="Christgau"/> Mojo ranked it number 97 on its "100 Modern Classics" list, and Rolling Stone included Brown Sugar on its list of "Essential Recordings of the 90's".<ref name="Muze"/> In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 183 on their updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Track listing

Template:Tracklist

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="credits">Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Brown Sugar album</ref>

# Title Notes
Brown Sugar

All songs composed, written, arranged, performed and produced by D'Angelo, except where indicated.
Executive producer: Kedar Massenburg for Kedar Entertainment, Inc.
A&R direction: Gary Harris and Kedar Massenburg
Management: Kedar Entertainment, Inc.
A&R administration: Laura Rinaldi
Business management: V. Brown & Co.
Legal representation: Fred Davis, Esq.
Additional assistant engineers: Suz Dweyer, Julio Peralta, Martin Czember
Mastered by Herb Powers Jr. at Hit Factory Mastering, NYC
Art direction: Henry Marquez
Design: C.M.O.N.
Photography: Per Gustafson

1 "Brown Sugar"

Written by D'Angelo and Ali Shaheed Muhammed
Produced by D'Angelo and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
All instruments by D'Angelo
Drum programming by Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Recorded at Battery Studios, NYC
Additional engineering by Tim Latham at Soundtrack, NYC
Mixed by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot

2 "Alright"

Written by D'Angelo
Produced by D'Angelo and Bob Power
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
All instruments by D'Angelo
Guitar by Bob Power
Recorded by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot
Mixed by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC

3 "Jonz in My Bonz"

Written by D'Angelo and Angie Stone
Produced by D'Angelo
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
All instruments by D'Angelo
Guitar by Bob Power
Recorded by G-Spot at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: Rob Farrell, Chaz Harper
Mixed by Russell Elevado at Battery Studios, NYC
Additional engineering by Tim Latham at Battery Studios, NYC

4 "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine"

Written by D'Angelo
Produced by D'Angelo and Bob Power
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
Guitar by Bob Power
All other instruments by D'Angelo
Recorded by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot
Mixed by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC

5 "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"

Written by D'Angelo
Produced by D'Angelo and Bob Power
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
Guitar by Bob Power
All other instruments by D'Angelo
Recorded by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot
Mixed by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC

6 "Smooth"

Written by D'Angelo and Luther Archer
Produced by D'Angelo and Bob Power
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
Bass by Larry Grenadier
Guitar by Mark Whitfield
Drums by Gene Lake
All other instruments by D'Angelo
Recorded by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot
Mixed by Bob Power at Battery Studios, NYC

7 "Cruisin'"

Written by William Robinson and Marvin Tarplin
Produced by D'Angelo
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
All instruments by D'Angelo
Orchestra conductor and arranger: Dunn Pierson
Orchestra contractor and copyist: Eugene Bianco
Flute and piccolo: Laura Vivino
Violins: Gerald Tarack, Marilyn Wright, Regis Iandorio, Matthew Raimondi, Masako Yanagita,
Natalie Kriegler, Alexander Simionescu, Winterton Garvey
Viola: Julien Barber, Olivia Koppell, Sue Pray, Eufrosina Railenu
Cello: Jesse Levy, Seymour Barab
Recorded by G-Spot at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: Rob Farrell
Additional recording by Butch Jones at Back Pocket Studios, NYC
Mixed by G-Spot at Battery Studios, NYC
Additional engineering by Tim Latham at Quad Studios, NYC

8 "When We Get By"

Written by D'Angelo
Produced by D'Angelo
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
Trumpet by Bob "Bassy" Brockman
All other instruments by D'Angelo
Recorded by G-Spot at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: Rob Farrell
Mixed by Russell Elevado at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: Chaz Harper
Additional engineering by Tim Latham at Battery Studios, NYC

9 "Lady"

Written by D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq
Produced by D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq
Bass by Raphael Saadiq
Piano by Tim Christian
Guitar by Raphael Saadiq
Additional guitar by D'Angelo
Recorded by Darrin Harris at Pookie Lab, Sacramento, CA
Additional recording by G-Spot at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: Rob Farrell, Chaz Harper
Mixed by Russell Elevado at Battery Studios, NYC
Additional engineering by Tim Latham at Quad Studios, NYC

10 "Higher"

Written by D'Angelo, Luther Archer and Rodney Archer
Produced by D'Angelo and Bob Power
Vocal arrangements by D'Angelo
All vocals by D'Angelo
Musical arrangements by D'Angelo
Bass by Will Lee
Drums by Ralph Rolle
Rhythm guitar by Bob Power
All other instruments by D'Angelo
Recorded by Bob Power at RPM Studios, NYC
Additional recording at Battery Studios, NYC
Assistant engineer: G-Spot
Mixed by Bob Power at RPM Studios, NYC

Charts

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Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart
Chart (1995–1996) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) <ref name="ARIA Chart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref>

158
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Japanese Download Albums (Billboard Japan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

32

Template:Col-2

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 176
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 41
Chart (1996) Position
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 70
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 12

Template:Col-end

Singles

Year Single Peak
positions
US
Pop
<ref name="Hot100">[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Chart History: D'Angelo - Hot 100]. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref>
US
R&B
<ref name="R&Bsongs">[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Chart History: D'Angelo - R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]. Billboard. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref>
US
Dance
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}} Billboard Singles: Brown Sugar]. Allmusic. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.</ref>

US
R&B Airplay
<ref name="charts"/>
1995 "Brown Sugar" 27 5 14 26
"Cruisin'" 53 10 25 20
1996 "Lady" 10 2 7 10
"Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine" 74 25 2
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Certifications

Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Bibliography

Template:D'Angelo Template:Soulquarians Template:Authority control