10 Times D’Angelo Smoked His R&B Feature on a Hip-Hop Song

As we continue to mourn the unfortunate passing of neo-soul legend D’Angelo, it’s important to remember how his style eclipsed more than just R&B. His voice, tone, and overall genius became a bridge into hip-hop, soul, jazz, and everything in between.

The smooth and distinct vocals of D’Angelo are linked with a wide range of artists. From Method Man and Common to Slum Village, Q-Tip, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, and J Dilla.

But don’t get it twisted, his influence stretches far beyond mere features. D’Angelo literally rewrote what neo-soul meant. He inspired a generation to combine live instruments and emotional vulnerability. Artists like Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, and newer voices like Leon Bridges or H.E.R. carry threads of his style forward. He shifted a change in the way R&B and hip-hop converse, and that brilliance will live on forever.

From the chart-toppers to b-side faves, D’Angelo’s music and influence had it all.

Keep scrolling to listen to 10 times D’Angelo smoked his R&B feature on a hip-hop song.

Method Man – “Break Ups 2 Make Ups” (1998)

D’Angelo took heartbreak and made it sound smooth enough to dance through. Method Man spit the pain, but D’Angelo made you feel it.

Common – “So Far to Go” (2007)

This was soul food for the backpackers. D’Angelo and Common float all over J Dilla’s production on this underappreciated classic.

Slum Village – “Tell Me” (2000)

When Dilla cooked this up, he knew exactly who to call.

Q-Tip – “Believe” (2008)

Tip was on his grown-man right here. And D’Angelo gave it wings.

Common – “Geto Heaven Part Two” (2000)

Common plus D’Angelo never missed. Geto Heaven Part Two was no different.

The Roots – “The ’Notic (I Got An …)” (1997)

Another perfect mix of hip-hop and soul. Black Thought laid the foundation, and D’Angelo painted this joint gold.

GZA – “Cold World (Remix)” (1995)

It doesn’t get more hip-hop than Wu-Tang in the ’90s. GZA and Deck were a perfect collab for this dark and soulful ensemble.

J Dilla – “So Far to Go” (2006)

Dilla gave us the blueprint, Common added the story, and D’Angelo brought the soul.

Snoop Dogg – “Imagine” (2006)

D’Angelo’s distinct voice turned this West Coast bop into a Sunday service.

The Roots – “Caravan” (2001)

The Roots live band was made for D’Angelo. We would be blessed to dive into an entire album based on this song alone.

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