>1000 jacks the shit outta Sly & The Fam
>(possibly my fave group of
>all time), and I still like it.

yeah, i can def see the sly comparisons. but "1000 deaths" is harder and louder than anything on "riot."

>"Charade"

i initially thought "diamonds and pearls" era prince. specifially "money don't matte 2nite". but after i got really got into "charade" i realized those were just surface comparisons.

>"Prayer"

man, i ain't never heard a song like "prayer"! those severely drunk ass drums??? no chorus??? which song sounds like this???

>"Untitled"

sure. definitely a controversy era prince tribute. bass popping on a ballad, that riff, etc.

>"When We Get By"

kinda thought so, but i can't identify any particular song that sounds like it. jazzy, shuffle song, with drums up front like that. it definitely had a hip-hop feel to it, even though none of the parts were hip-hoppy. any similar songs?

every once in a while i hear some specific elements that are tributes/derivatives of earlier stuff, but the sum of the whole is somthing new. i think "ain't that easy" is a good example of this: funkadelic vox, "raspberry beret" clap, etc. but again, it's the alchemy of these elements that make it into something new.

now, here are some d'angelo songs i've never ever ever heard anything similar to before: "jonz" "SDMF" "dreamin eyes" "the root" "devil's pie" "chicken grease" "greatday" "africa"

and truly unique d'angelo element is his singing voice. no one has his tone, his enunciation, his cadence, coupled with his layers, vox arrangements, etc. not prince, not phillip bailey, not marvin, not al green, not james brown, not aaron hall, not...etc. and if any new singer comes along and tries anything similar, we'll think "he's channeling d'angelo!"