It was recently reported in Black Music Notes that D'Angelo has signed a record deal with J Records to release his long awaited third opus this fall. But many still wonder what the hell was the reason for his near ten year recording hiatus anyway. Yeah, the Richmond, Virginia native has had his run-ins with the law. But so have many of his contemporaries and fellow musicians.

Some have still managed to contribute to their musical repertoire in between prison stints, legal woes, rehab jaunts and other dubious activities. But not D'Angelo (real name: Michael Eugene Archer). His last full length music project, 'Voodoo,' was released Jan. 11, 2000. And he has been virtually absent since the promotion of that masterful platter subsided from radio playlists. The biggest track from the opus was the sensual Raphael Saadiq-produced single 'Untitled (How Does It Feel?),' which seemed to have taken on a life of its own. Have some tell it: the sex-charged single and its equally stimulating music video (where the chisel-chested singer/songwriter, arguably, simulated receiving fellatio) is what was the beginning of the end of D'Angelo, who at that time was considered a progenitor of the burgeoning neo-soul music movement.

"'Untitled' wasn't supposed to be this mission statement for 'Voodoo,'" his former manager Dominique Trenier said in the August 2008 edition of 'Spin' magazine. "I'm glad the video did what it did, but he and I were both disappointed because, to this day, in the general populace's memory, he's the naked guy," he continued, even admitting feelings of his own "guilt.