Recording artist D'Angelo performs at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on August 21, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesThose that were waiting to see D'Angelo versus a worthy opponent on Verzuz got a little something different for the latest "match" as D pretty much battled himself and had some homies drop in to support. The event—D'Angelo & Friends—held at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York on Saturday night (Feb. 27) started off about an hour late. Yet, it wasn't a Keyshia Cole type hour late, as DJ Scratch (formerly of the legendary hip-hop group EPMD) held down the wheels of steel with a strong blended mix set and pre-show that spanned '80s, '90s, and 2000s hits of Black music.
Once D'Angelo sat behind the piano and thanked everyone for coming through, he played a song that set the tone that many didn't know (I still don't know that one), before easing into the familiar tracks: "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine," "Lady," and "Left And Right," with the latter punctuated by a surprise funk performance by the duo of Redman and Method Man. The smoke twins Red and Meth came out hyped as always and did their street version of the uncles at the BBQ doing the two-step. Many of the comments on the Instagram Live comment feed were filled with "Black don't crack..." and "Those guys are aging backward." Red and Meth were fire and showed love to the furry overcoat and wide brim-wearing D'Angelo. "Legends," is how D dubbed the duo when they walked off the set.
DJ Scratch continued to control the energy of the night as his cuts weaved in and out of D's storied favorites and the banter between the two was light and hearty. D'Angelo told the story of how he first came to Harlem and the Apollo as a teenager to compete on the famous Wednesday's Amateur Night. DJ Scratch asked, "So what happened?" D'Angelo sharply replied, "I won!" They laughed and D expressed how that's how he got his start in the music industry.
What was special about the night was how D was really surprised by the "Friends" that showed up for him. He seemingly found out who was on the bill with him at the same time as the live viewers. His moment with the songstress H.E.R. was so genuine as they turned their cordial fandom for one another into the coolest tune performance of "Nothing Even Matters." H.E.R. exclaimed, "I'm singing with D'Angelo right now! What is life?!"
Knowing that D'Angelo isn't much for the fanfare and bright lights of stardom, to see him perform for the Verzuz crowd sans a worthy opponent was a rare treat that we didn't know we needed. Normally everyone wants to see some musical bloodshed with a head-to-head battle, but it was good to see soul music just be soul music and that be the focus rather than the "Who won..." convo was a nice break in the Verzuz series. Even though D' didn't have someone to battle, the star of the night was his full-length, dark brown sheared mink coat. Look up the convos about it on various comment sections and you'll know why.
You can watch the full event down below or on Apple Music...or if you just want to run those incredible D'Angelo vintage vibes back, you can create a playlist with the songs he and his friends performed down below.
Interesting Fact: In a post-Verzuz live chat between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, Swizz shared that D'Angelo was supposed to go against Maxwell on Valentine's Day, but it didn't work out.
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Dave Mustaine has chosen to bring Megadeth to an end after completing one final tour due to ongoing health challenges.
The band plans to step away next year once they wrap up their farewell run and release their final album. Frontman Dave, 64, has now shared that he reached this decision because arthritis and issues with his back have left him “unable to give a hundred per cent every night”.
Speaking on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Dave said, “It had been building up for a long time, just physical things happening with my hands … My hands were starting to fail me.
“And there were other difficulties tied to everything going on with my neck and my trunk. That whole area has arthritis and some bulging discs.
“I have a fractured lumbar bone. And of course, my back has been fused near my shoulders and neck. There is just a lot going on …
“I always said that when the time came where I could no longer give a hundred per cent each night, that would be the moment I would start thinking about slowing down.”
He continued by sharing that the choice became clear after the band completed recording their final self-titled project.
Dave explained, “It was not that I couldn’t give a hundred per cent, because we finished the album and I feel we did well with it, but while we were working I had a moment where I told my manager … ‘I am not sure how much longer I can continue. My hands are really hurting.’
“I did not intend to set things in motion. I was just talking, but it led to conversations with the band, then taking time to reflect, speaking with my family, and praying about it.
“And the answer was obvious to me that by the time the album was finished, I would know how it would perform. If it does really well, I can still deliver one final strong tour.
“And the idea of a farewell feels connected to that. We have certain shows we want to play so we can say goodbye to the people who have supported us.”
Dave added, “We are an American band, but we perform all over the world. We are not weekend performers like some country acts in the States. We have a lot of ground to cover if we want to say goodbye the right way.”
The band’s seventeenth studio album, Megadeth, will arrive in January, and their This Was Our Life tour begins in Canada in February.
