Rodney Carmichael

A sometimes reluctant icon, D'Angelo was best known for his hits Brown Sugar and Untitled.

How does it feel?

The neo-soul movement he helped define included contemporaries and collaborators ranging from Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Angie Stone to Raphael Sadiq, Questlove, and J Dilla.

The release of Voodoo in 2000 shot D'Angelo to superstardom and sex symbol status.

Following a long period of reclusion from the music industry, including battles with depression, he began his own creative resurrection, culminating with the release of his final studio album, 2014's Black Messiah.

DeAngelo had been battling cancer, according to a statement from his family.

Rodney Carmichael, NPR News.

This is NPR News.