D’Angelo has whipped himself back into shape and returned to the music scene. The R&B crooner posed for his first photo shoot in over a decade for GQ magazine’s June 2012 issue.
Photographer: Gregory Harris
Stylist: Stefan Campbell
Hair: Roxanne George
Grooming: Holli Smith using MAC cosmetics
Shirt, Pants and Belt: Versace
Tie: Title of Work
Jewelry: Large Bracelet and Ring from Burkindy, smaller bracelets from David Yurman
Read on for an excerpt from the interview.
D’Angelo on battling his substance abuse during his hiatus: “I didn’t really think I had a problem like that. I felt like, you know, all I got to do is clean up and I’ll be fine. Just get in the studio and I’ll be f*cking fine.”
On his arrest for soliciting sex from an undercover officer: “It was just me making a stupid decision, a wrong turn, on the wrong night. I’m not the role-model motherf*cker. Look at all the sh*t that I’ve been in.”
On an incident with a female fan: “One time I got mad when a female threw money at me onstage, and that made me feel f*cked-up, and I threw the money back at he. I was like, ‘I’m not a stripper.’
On Madonna: When Madonna turned 39, she asked him to sing “Happy Birthday” at her party. One press report had her sitting on his lap and French-kissing him. In fact, two sources say that ultimately D rebuffed her advances at another gathering not long after. At that event, the sources say, Madonna walked over and told a woman sitting next to D, “I think you’re in my seat.” The woman got up. Madonna sat down and told him, “I’d like to know what you’re thinking.” To which D replied, “I’m thinking you’re rude.”
Questlove, D’Angelo’s former bandleader, on D’Angelo’s plans to escape stardom: “On the last day of the eight-month [Voodoo] tour, Questlove says D’Angelo told him, ‘Yo man, I cannot wait until this f*cking tour is over. I’m going to go in the woods, drink some hooch, grow a beard, and get fat.’ Questlove thought he was joking. ‘I was like, ‘You’re a funny guy.’ And then it started to happen. That’s how much he wanted to distance himself.”
For the full interview here.
Photo: Gregory Harris/GQ.
