Read on Twitter
The History of Voodoo by D’Angelo and what it means to Dedee: A THREAD 
Questlove becoming the executive producer for Voodoo wasn’t a simple task. Questlove refused to work on Brown Sugar due to his distaste for 90s R&B at the time. It wasn’t until he played drums for D in a style that would become his signature that he was willing to work with him.
When Questlove agreed to work with D for Voodoo, The Roots were finishing Illadelph Halflife. D flew out to Philly to help finish up the album and even laid down some vocals. They began to work on Voodoo shortly afterwards.
The time between Brown Sugar and Voodoo was filled with life changing experiences for D. Not only did he become a father, but he also spent time learning the history of black music. He wanted Voodoo to be reminiscent of the funkiest greats that came before him.
D wanted to honor black music in the best way possible. He watched old performances, read books, listened to as much music possible, & he even recorded in the same studio and used the same instruments. D became a full-time student of black culture.
D becoming a full-time student of black culture transcends art. He was also learning about spirituality that inspired the album name. He strayed away from his strictly religious upbringing and explore. This allowed D to transition into being his own person completely.
D’s music became even more groundbreaking. He wanted Voodoo to sound “dirty” and with the help of J Dilla he achieved that. He also began to sing in his own way called D’Bonics. D’Bonics usually focuses on inflection instead of enunciation. This makes Voodoo beautifully unique.
D’s crave to be inspired while working on Voodoo brought people together. D turned Electric Lady Studios into a place where ideas flourish. Artists like Erykah Badu, The Roots, J Dilla, Mos Def, and more fed off each other to create at their best.
The minds filled with unparalleled creativity became The Soulquarians. The name is a combination of what they have to offer and a common zodiac sign amongst the group. This team was simply hip hop & R&B at its finest.
A lot of classics were made during The Soulquarians studio sessions that inspired Voodoo. One of those classics is Like Water For Chocolate by Common. D overheard how funky Chicken Grease was and he HAD to have it. He traded Geto Heaven with his vocals added for that song.
D wasn’t a stranger to trading songs or vocals with artists for Voodoo. D did a feature for Lauryn Hill. Lauryn didn’t pay him for it instead they negotiated a trade. If D added vocals to Nothing Even Matters, Lauryn would have to add vocals to Feel Like Makin Love.
Sadly, there was a delay with Lauryn’s vocals due to everything that was going on at the time. This is the biggest “what if” for Voodoo, I know it would’ve been magical.
Voodoo originally consisted of features from The Soulquarians members and affiliates. Q-Tip was supposed to feature on Left & Right until D’s label heard it. The label suggested that the song feature Redman & Method Man to be a hit. It went against D’s wishes, but he did it.
Love is what brings Voodoo together. Send It On was inspired by D’Angelo becoming a father and it was written the day his son was born. Spanish Joint was supposed to be an instrumental until D experienced an extremely toxic relationship and wrote the lyrics.
The same relationship that inspired Spanish Joint also inspired Really Love on Black Messiah. Every song D wrote for Voodoo is personal, this adds a special intimacy between D and the listener. It what makes me love the album.
The intimacy is what makes the album special, but it contributed to a dark time in D’s career. It made him into a sex symbol and he wasn’t mentally fit for that especially with all that he was going through at the time. That’s a thread for another day though 
.
.
Voodoo took D’s career to the next level. The first 2 songs on the album had plans for the big screen. Devil’s Pie featured in Belly and Playa Playa was planned to be featured in Space Jam. The album won 2 Grammys and currently certified platinum.
Voodoo is considered amongst the GOAT albums and has one of the most iconic music videos of all time attached to it. Voodoo is cemented in history as a turning point for R&B. Beyoncè says Voodoo is “the DNA of black music” and I couldn’t agree more.
The first time I heard Voodoo it stuck to me like cupid’s arrow. I fell in love with everything about the album. Each listen uplifts from the destruction of my thoughts into a state of nirvana. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for this masterpiece.
Voodoo by D’Angelo, forever my GOAT album.
Thank you for the likes, RTs, and taking time to read this thread! I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the likes, RTs, and taking time to read this thread! I hope you enjoyed it!
