Lauryn Hill issued a poignant tribute to D’Angelo following the news of his death, offering words both personal and reverent. The neo-soul icon died Tuesday at age 51 after a battle with cancer.
Hill’s tribute began with regret. “People need reflection. I regret not having more time with you,” she wrote on social media. She framed D’Angelo as a divine presence. “Your undeniable beauty and talent were not of this world,” she continued, “and a presence not of this world needs protection in a world that covets light and the anointing of God.”
In her message, Hill elevated D’Angelo’s role in music history. She thanked him “for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond who had no remembrance of the legacy that preceded us.” She also recognized how he reshaped perceptions of Black masculinity in artistry. “You imaged a unity of strength and sensitivity in Black manhood to a generation that only saw itself as having to be one or the other,” she wrote.
Hill recalled their shared artistic bond. The two famously collaborated on “Nothing Even Matters,” a song from Hill’s 1998 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Though rare, that collaboration remains a touchstone of late-’90s soul.
She closed her message with love and prayer. “I Love you and I miss you. May God grant peace and shelter to your family, true friends and genuine appreciators, Brother, King.”
A Legacy Remembered
The outpouring of tributes from across the music world underscores D’Angelo’s deep impact. Beyoncé hailed him as transformational, while Missy Elliott, Jill Scott and Jamie Foxx shared condolences and memories. John Legend called D’Angelo’s albums “events” that reshaped R&B.
D’Angelo’s recorded legacy is concise but potent: Brown Sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000), and Black Messiah (2014). His style fused gospel, funk, soul, and hip hop, helping define neo-soul.
The bond between Hill and D’Angelo resonated beyond their collaborations. Hill’s tribute affirmed their shared commitment to musical depth and spiritual expression.