After announcing on Twitter in 2011 that D’Angelo was back in the studio recording his long-awaited follow-up to 2000's 'Voodoo,' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has confirmed that the album (tentatively titled “James River”) is “99% done.”
The singer’s longtime collaborator and Roots member recently revealed to Billboard that he has spent countless hours in the studio with the Grammy Award-winner refining “drum parts” and vocals, with hopes of completion by next month.
"I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation's version of Sly (and the Family Stone's) 'There's a Riot Goin' On.' It's potent. It's funky. It's an extremely hard pill to swallow,” the drummer declared. “He's one of those artists that have, of course, taken 13 years to follow up a record. It's going to take you about 10 years to digest this record.”
“Totally brilliant. Just the way this society works with music… being able to judge if something is a classic after the first listen, you can do that after thirty seconds on this,” he continued. “And the fact that we started this record in 2004, and it still sounds like it came out five years from now, it is a testament to the timelessness of it…If this record is not turned in by February, then something is extremely wrong. Because we worked to the bone in the entire month of January just to tighten up all the loose ends."
Last year the reclusive crooner made his return to the stage, performing at a number of events including Essence Music Fest, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Made In America Festival and the BET Awards to name a few.
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