17/10/2025
Tonight, Iāll be spinning a very special set at dedicated to the musical legacy of Michael Eugene Archer, also known as DāAngelo.
Thirteen years ago, I had the privilege of seeing him perform live. Made in America was the first music festival I ever attended and I remember being intent on seeing DāAngelo and having a good spot in the crowd. As you can tell by the photo, I did just then. Those iPhones in 2012 didnāt have good zoom on them. This was the only thing I captured from his set, I was in a trance for the entirety of his performance.
I thought I would never have the opportunity to see him perform. This was three years before The Black Messiah dropped and Voodoo had dropped 12 years prior. That experience is one I will cherish and a part of the reason I started capturing concert footage. I really wish I even had one video from that day but the lone photo has to suffice.
While I love Brown Sugar and Voodoo, The Black Messiah is my favorite DāAngelo album of all time. I feel like people avoid crowning more recent albums as their favorite or the best from an artist, but Iāve felt this way since 2015. That album is his only album without a cover of someone elseās song. The DNA of it feels like itās entirely his. It was one of the soundtracks to that era of my life. It moved me deeply and made me feel so many different emotions. It addressed the state of being black in America but also so perfectly embodied how uniquely special black love is. The duality of that album is something that can only be achieved by a supremely gifted artist.
Iāve spent the last couple of days truly mourning the loss of this musical giant. Itās not often that I cry when an artist passes on, but Iāve shed a lot of tears over this one. Tonight I want to truly celebrate the musical legacy of DāAngelo in a joyful space. If you feel similarly, meet me there. Iām on 10pm to close.