Reclusive R&B star D'Angelo is apparently back at work on his decade-plus-in-the-making third album. A studio session took place in New York late last night with two longtime D'Angelo collaborators, Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and bassist Pino Palladino, as well as producer/engineer Russell Elevado, according to posts from Questlove on Twitter.

"Most people use midnight as a time to sleep. others are working on their 11 year followup. this of course being hour number one," wrote the drummer.

The album, which was at one point provisionally titled "James River," is being eyed for release before the end of the year through J Records, according to a source, but could move to early 2012 depending on when it is finally turned in. It will be D'Angelo's long-awaited follow-up to the 2000 album "Voodoo," which won the 2001 Grammy for best R&B album and has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Questlove and Palladino later backed D'Angelo on an acclaimed tour in support of the album.

The new project has been plagued by long breaks in recording and other delays, and many collaborators have come and gone. Last year, producer Mark Ronson told Billboard.com he was about to hit the studio with D'Angelo, but it is unknown if any of his work will make the final cut. Prince, Raphael Saadiq, John Mayer, Cee Lo Green and Roy Hargrove have also been mentioned as contributors at various times during the process.

Since the release of "Voodoo," D'Angelo has endured a serious car accident and arrests for drug possession and solicitation. In lieu of new music of his own, he's made sporadic guest appearances on albums by Ronson, Common, Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip and the late J Dilla. His last release under his own name was the 2008 Virgin compilation "The Best So Far," which rounds up highlights from "Voodoo" and its 1995 predecessor "Brown Sugar," along with soundtrack contributions.

source

*HEAVY SIGH!*

Nope,,,,I'm gonna leave this alone.

Co-sign. I'm leaving this one alone too.

What do you think will be released first....D'Angelo's new album or a new Lauryn Hill album?

Timmy84 said:

SoulAlive said:

What do you think will be released first....D'Angelo's new album or a new Lauryn Hill album?

Dr. Dre's will come out before either of those two.

Timmy84 said:

SoulAlive said:

What do you think will be released first....D'Angelo's new album or a new Lauryn Hill album?

Dr. Dre's will come out before either of those two.

yeah yeah yeah

that is one lazy motherfucker................man i have to work five fucking days a week and this lazy cat cant be arsed to record eight songs in thirteen years

i dont want his flabby middle aged ass album now

squandered talent

ahhh buddy what a fucking waste

and that was some cheeky record co bullshit releasing "best of"

best of!!!!

two fucking albums

at least macy released three average joints before her record company milked her fat ass

I wanna know why folks continue to start these threads. Can we put a moratorium on the new D'angelo, Lauryn, Dr. Dre albums threads until we can actually get that shit on iTunes???

According to astronomers, Halley's Comet will be visible from the Earth again in the year 2062. Interestingly enough, that's also when D'Angleo will finish his third album.

Within a year we saw/are seeing releases by Kate Bush, Wendy & Lisa, Sade and Bjork. Never lose faith.

?uestlove once said that D'Angelo is sitting on materials that could feed him for the rest of his career.

Listening to to the leaked material that surface in the past few years, its pretty evident that he's still enthusiastic about his music. I'm assuming the only reason why he's reluctant to release music so far is not wanting to deal with the business aspect of it, which he will eventually if he decides to go ahead and release this supposedly upcoming album.

Anyway, here's a track that got leaked last year which shows that the brother still got it.

Ghetto Music(Feat. Q-Tip): http://hypem.com/item/18c...+Ft.+Q-Tip

[Edited 7/14/11 17:43pm]

SCNDLS said:

I wanna know why folks continue to start these threads. Can we put a moratorium on the new D'angelo, Lauryn, Dr. Dre albums threads until we can actually get that shit on iTunes???

For real. I remember the threads about Maxwell before "Blacksummer's Night" came out...and some still complain because of the two "promised" albums that haven't come out yet. Shucks I'm thankful he even put Blacksummers' Night after his hiatus...I mean at least he put out something. Now I'm looking for his recent version of Storytellers to hit iTunes

As far as D goes, he'll put an album on his own time, until then, I go about life and appreciate the music of the artists that are actually putting it out for us to hear.

[Edited 7/14/11 18:14pm]

[img:$uid]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j220/gowes/OK-1-1.gif[/img:$uid]

bullshit

missfee said:

SCNDLS said:

I wanna know why folks continue to start these threads. Can we put a moratorium on the new D'angelo, Lauryn, Dr. Dre albums threads until we can actually get that shit on iTunes???

For real. I remember the threads about Maxwell before "Blacksummer's Night" came out...and some still complain because of the two "promised" albums that haven't come out yet. Shucks I'm thankful he even put Blacksummers' Night after his hiatus...I mean at least he put out something. Now I'm looking for his recent version of Storytellers to hit iTunes

As far as D goes, he'll put an album on his own time, until then, I go about life and appreciate the music of the artists that are actually putting it out for us to hear.

[Edited 7/14/11 18:14pm]

It doesn't help when you block book a studio for months, Questlove and Pino and others turn up but you don't show up because of your crack habit.

Just telling how it is.

In terms of what's leaked out of the inner circle, 1000 Deaths is lame and Ghetto Music is better, but pretty much Chicken Grease Part 2.

Fingers crossed he comes up with the goods.

YODA.

jonylawson said:

and that was some cheeky record co bullshit releasing "best of"

best of!!!!

two fucking albums

at least macy gray released three average joints before her record company milked her fat ass

well,to be fair,the record company probably felt that they had to release something They wanted a new album but D'Angelo didn't deliver,so can we really blame them? lol

OVA

Harlepolis said:

?uestlove once said that D'Angelo is sitting on materials that could feed him for the rest of his career.

Listening to to the leaked material that surface in the past few years, its pretty evident that he's still enthusiastic about his music. I'm assuming the only reason why he's reluctant to release music so far is not wanting to deal with the business aspect of it, which he will eventually if he decides to go ahead and release this supposedly upcoming album.

Anyway, here's a track that got leaked last year which shows that the brother still got it.

Ghetto Music(Feat. Q-Tip): http://hypem.com/item/18c...+Ft.+Q-Tip

[Edited 7/14/11 17:43pm]

I read this too about the material he has. I hope it's true. Call me naive, but I hope he does release a new album. Good luck D!

Harlepolis said:

?uestlove once said that D'Angelo is sitting on materials that could feed him for the rest of his career.

Listening to to the leaked material that surface in the past few years, its pretty evident that he's still enthusiastic about his music. I'm assuming the only reason why he's reluctant to release music so far is not wanting to deal with the business aspect of it, which he will eventually if he decides to go ahead and release this supposedly upcoming album.

Anyway, here's a track that got leaked last year which shows that the brother still got it.

Ghetto Music(Feat. Q-Tip): http://hypem.com/item/18c...+Ft.+Q-Tip

[Edited 7/14/11 17:43pm]

That is some lame sh*t lol. It doesn't take 11 years to come up with that. it sounds like a voodoo outtake unfinished and repetitive. Surely its just a demo. We can only hope. He has definitely missed the boat career wise.

I hope D does come back... very talented

Timmy84 said:

MMmhhmmm

[img:$uid]http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/friday_gif_collection_05.gif?w=360&h=270[/img:$uid]

Whenever it comes, it'll be worth the wait.

Graycap23 said:

OVA

I knew you'd weigh in on this.

As for the "leaked" track above, *sigh* well all I heard was a repetitive "Yeaah...", some sparse guitar plunking, and and whole lot of mumbling.

Hey, I love the guy, but let's be honest: mumbling is one of D's special talents.