Before release Lauryn Hillmasterful debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn HillThe singer met with D'Angelo to record one of the album's most exciting tracks.”Nothing even matters.“The duo would play a role in expanding and facilitating the soul revival of the nineties, while both artists individually would make an even more profound impact felt across all genres today. Lauryn Hill's record won five Grammy Awards, and D'Angelo continued releasing records in 2000. Voodoo and 2014s Black Messiah (after his own debut, Brown sugar).
Hill wrote a letter to D'Angelo on Tuesday following the visionary's passing. October 14 at the age of 51 after a long battle with cancer. “People need to think about it,” Hill began in her tribute. “I'm sorry I didn't have more time with you,” she continued. “Your undeniable beauty and talent were out of this world, and an out of this world presence needs protection in a world that yearns for the light and anointing of God. You, sir, have touched us, excited us, inspired us, and even intimidated others to act with your genius.”
She continued, “Thank you for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond that was unaware of the legacies that came before us. Thank you for charting a course and making space at a time when such space didn't really exist. You portrayed the unity of strength and sensibilities of black masculinity to a generation that only saw themselves as having to be this or that.”
“I sincerely pray that you are at peace, away from selfishness, fear and/or controlling interests. Away from possessiveness, away from greed, away from manipulation, away from exploitation, away from intentionally created chaos, and that you, Brother, are in peace, bliss, eternal light and contentment with our Heavenly Father,” Hill wrote. “I love you and miss you. May God grant peace and shelter to your family, true friends and true lovers, Brother, King.”
When we talk to Rolling Stone In 2008, D'Angelo recalled his time working with Hill, calling her “warm and sweet.” “We were originally going to trade tunes for each other's projects because I was working on Voodoo at the same time, and my keyboard player James Poyser was also working on it,” D'Angelo said at the time. “I went to her house in New Jersey and she played a lot of the songs for me and gave me a rough version to listen to. When Lauryn and I went into the studio together, I recorded my vocals in an hour.”
