Busta Rhymes is honoring his late friend D’Angelo in a truly moving way. The rapper released a heartfelt tribute track titled “Magic,” marking one of his most emotional releases in years. The song celebrates the neo-soul legend D’Angelo, who sadly passed away earlier this month after a private battle with cancer. Over the smooth, soulful backdrop of D’Angelo’s “One Mo’ Gin” from his 2000 classic Voodoo, Busta reflects deeply, sharing raw and powerful emotions through his storytelling.
Throughout the seven-minute piece, Busta takes listeners on a journey through his 34-year friendship with D’Angelo. He recalls their early sessions with A Tribe Called Quest and describes the lasting connection they built over the decades. Instead of simply celebrating the music, Busta pays homage to the person behind it. He describes D’Angelo as a rare, once-in-a-generation artist who “never needed a co-sign” and “touched the souls of the people and everything between.”
During an interview with Okayplayer, Busta called D’Angelo “a godsend,” reflecting on his influence across R&B and hip-hop. “The Earth shifted when D came to do music,” he said, a statement that perfectly sums up D’Angelo’s impact. Anyone familiar with Brown Sugar, Voodoo, or Black Messiah knows his legacy speaks volumes.
“Magic” feels like a conversation between two lifelong friends. Busta Rhymes gives fans an intimate look at a bond that helped shape decades of soul-infused hip-hop. The tributes pouring in since D’Angelo’s passing highlight not only his extraordinary artistry but also the love and respect he inspired among peers. Lauryn Hill expressed it beautifully, writing, “Thank you for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond who had no remembrance of the legacy that preceded us.”
NEWS
Luke Bryan has spoken out to address the “misinformation” surrounding the sudden death of his sister.
During his appearance on Wednesday’s episode of the All There Is with Anderson Cooper podcast, Luke reflected on the loss of Kelly Bryan Cheshire, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 39. The country star explained why his family had “never really explained” the circumstances of her death.
“There’s some misinformation out there on the internet, and I think some people kind of, like, wonder what happened and think that we’ve tried to cover it up,” he shared. “A very, very small percentage of people die for no reason in the world.”
He went on to explain, “It’s called sudden death syndrome, and that’s essentially what they described my sister’s death as.”
Calling the loss “tragic beyond words,” Luke said Kelly had been doing laundry at the time, and it was as if “somebody just turned the switch off on her.”
The family was left with many “unanswered questions” after the autopsy offered no clear explanation for her passing.
Luke added, “We wanted to know, could there be a family history of something that her children might have or may have? Your typical findings of an autopsy of someone 39 would be an aneurysm or an embolism or a blood clot of some kind – and everything was inconclusive.”
According to Luke, Kelly had a “pretty severe” orbital bone injury at the time of her death, leading her loved ones to wonder if it might have played a role.
“So whether she fainted or not... she may have gone into the floor and kind of knocked herself out,” he explained.
Kelly was alone when she passed away, and Luke, 49, said he often wonders whether she might have survived if someone had been there.
Describing her as “the best mother you could ever dream of,” Luke said Kelly had been “everything in our lives” and admitted that the family is still learning how to cope with her loss.
