D'Angelo and the Vanguard

D'Angelo and the Vanguard is the name D'Angelo used for his backing band and collaborators on his long-awaited third studio album, «Black Messiah», released in December 2014, fourteen years after his landmark record «Voodoo». The Vanguard included songwriter and vocalist Kendra Foster, rapper and producer Q-Tip, drummer and Roots leader Questlove, and bassist Pino Palladino, among other musicians who had worked with D'Angelo throughout the 2000s.

Musically, the group continued D'Angelo's exploration of neo-soul, funk, and psychedelic rock, blending dense, layered arrangements with socially conscious lyrics. «Black Messiah» arrived amid heightened political tension in the United States and was widely read as a response to that moment, with songs like «The Charade» directly addressing police violence and racial injustice. Tracks such as «Really Love» and «Sugah Daddy» showcased the band's ability to fuse intimate balladry with loose, live-band grooves reminiscent of Sly and the Family Stone and Prince.

The album was met with widespread critical acclaim and is regarded as one of the defining soul records of the 2010s, cementing D'Angelo's reputation as one of the most influential voices in modern R&B. The Vanguard's contribution helped give the record its organic, jam-session feel, distinguishing it from the more polished, electronic-leaning R&B dominating the charts at the time.