'Brown Sugar'

The only reason I gave D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar" a lick of attention is due to a story I recently read in SPIN magazine about the former R&B superstar, who basically fell off the face of the music world.

I'm always eerily fascinated by the story of the person who is not mentally capable of doing what he or she does best. Whether it's a baseball player, singer, actor or whatever.

It's more interesting when there doesn't seem to be any drugs involved. Or when drugs really aren't the story, but are in the scene. Read Johnny Cash's autobiography or whatever. Yes, he was popping pills, but there were a ton more problems with the guy other than a hectic schedule, the high or stress.

D'Angelo may never record or release another song or album ever. Or he may release 10. Who knows? What I do know is that in the late-1990s, he was the end-all, be-all of R&B music and he released a spectacular album, which probably defines him more than any breakdown or magazine story.