Voodoo went on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2001, and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" earned D’Angelo the award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. More importantly, it changed the trajectory of alternative black music, paving the way for artists like Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, Alicia Keys, and later, Kendrick Lamar (whose To Pimp a Butterfly heavily channeled the Soulquarians' ethos).
Engineer Russell Elevado recorded and mixed the entire project to analog tape, deliberately avoiding ProTools. This method captured a "warm and round" sonic footprint, often utilizing vintage equipment like Stevie Wonder’s Fender Rhodes.
If you are looking to appreciate the full sonic landscape of Voodoo, hunting down a high-quality FLAC rip is highly recommended. Dangelo - Voodoo - 2000 -FLAC- -RLG-
Voodoo was born not from rigid studio timelines but from organic, free-flowing jam sessions. The album's texture is intentionally raw and "lived-in," with engineer Russell Elevado deliberately eschewing the polished, digital production of the era to capture a vintage, timeless warmth. The result is a dense, 13-track album that runs for nearly 79 minutes, anchored by deep, hypnotic grooves and D'Angelo's mellifluous vocals, which range from a whisper to a soaring falsetto. Songs like the politically charged "Devil's Pie," the playful duet "Left & Right" featuring Method Man and Redman, and the album's centerpiece, the seven-minute slow jam "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," showcased a newfound musical confidence and willingness to break every rule of conventional song structure.
On tracks like and "The Chicken Grease," Questlove plays the hi-hat strictly on the beat, but drags the snare drum micro-seconds behind the pulse. Simultaneously, Pino Palladino’s heavy, flatwound-string basslines sit visibly behind the kick drum. The result is a intoxicating, slumping tension—a rhythm that feels as though it is constantly on the verge of falling apart, yet remains perfectly locked in. Voodoo went on to win the Grammy Award
The rhythm section, featuring drummer Questlove and bassist Pino Palladino, played with a "drunken," laid-back feel.
Whether you are interested in exploring other (like Erykah Badu or Common) Share public link This method captured a "warm and round" sonic
The defining characteristic of Voodoo is its revolutionary approach to rhythm, often referred to as the "drunk groove" or "lagging."
The album features a legendary lineup of collaborators, including Questlove (The Roots) on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, James Poyser on keys, and Roy Hargrove on trumpet. The production is characterized by "imperfect" performances—drums that swing behind the beat, clavinet grooves that feel more like a jam session than a programmed track, and vocal arrangements that stack harmonies in a way reminiscent of Prince or Marvin Gaye, but with a distinctly raw, hip-hop-influenced edge.