Angie Stone Exposed How the Industry Left Her Behind After D’Angelo Breakup In Resurfaced Clips Before Her Death
As the world mourns the death of hip-hop pioneer and neo-soul singer Angie Stone, fans are uncovering hard truths she shared months before her untimely passing.
In several posts on social media and YouTube, Stone exposed disturbing music industry practices and shared personal struggles that significantly impacted her career trajectory.
The Grammy-nominated singer, who tragically died at 63 in a car accident in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 1, also shared her belief that the industry’s obsession with her ex-partner and son’s father, D’Angelo, had a negative effect on her solo career.
The former pair dated in the 1990s and welcomed a son, Michael D’Angelo Archer II, in 1998.
In a particularly revealing post from Sept. 24, 2024, Stone described what she heard happened after her high-profile relationship with the “Brown Sugar” singer ended.
“Back when I was in a very high-profile relationship with D’Angelo … shortly after the breakup between us everything kind of slowed down in my world in terms of tour dates, work,” Stone said. “Um, you know, the perception was the worst, of course.”
Stone claimed she discovered a coordinated effort to damage her reputation.
“It was told to me that they were singlehandedly put in charge of sending out letters everywhere to make people think that I was the cause of him being exposed to alcohol to drugs, to everything that could have gone wrong,” she continued.
Stone emphatically denied these accusations, stating, “I don’t do drugs. I don’t do any of this stuff that a lot of people have fallen victim to. … I wouldn’t want the chastisement from God for being responsible for breaking another person’s gifting.”
According to the “Brotha” singer, an industry insider had confessed to being assigned “to destroy my credibility by way of making me look crazy in a relationship that was innocent and pure and real.”
She emphasized the authenticity of their connection, noting, “It was so real and pure you could tell by the nourishment of the music then was just pleasant it was real it was pure as a result and I can only imagine the damage that that stuff did to my career.”
In another video, Stone detailed how her songwriting was exploited.
She recalled how her song “Everything” was given to Mary J. Blige despite initial resistance from both Stone and D’Angelo, who were hired as staff writers for the Arista label.
“That particular song was very special for me and for D because it was the first song we had ever, ever written as a testament of our love together,” Stone explained. “And the lyrics permeated what we felt for each other at the time. Those lyrics say what we felt. That was personal.”
She described the release as “the ultimate disrespect” as it featured Blige singing over Stone’s original vocals. Not only did she feel dissed, but so did the Soulaquarian.
“We were just like Frick and Frack. We could lock like pancakes and syrup. That’s how tight we were, and we weren’t really happy with her mimicking me or trying to lock into my vocals,” she said.
Stone also addressed, in yet another clip, misconceptions about her hit “I Wish I Didn’t Miss You” from the 2001 “Mahogany Soul” album.
She said, “Andrea Martin, the young lady who passed away a couple years ago, is the one who wrote that song. … She and Ivan Matias wrote that song everybody thought I wrote it for D’Angelo. I did not write the song but Clive [Davis, head of her label] insisted on me singing the song.”
Perhaps most alarming were Stone’s claims regarding her finances. In another resurfaced video posted on Jan. 2., Stone alleged that Universal Music had taken her royalties for years.
“A lot of my publishing a lot of my royalties my mechanicals they have all pretty much been stolen,” she claimed. “I’m truly a walking testimony that God has carried all this time because if you only knew how much money they have taken from me how much they have stolen from me. … I should have been able to retire 20 years ago.”
Stone vowed to pursue legal action, saying, “Whatever is necessary to make sure they pay me for the legacy of my life for my children and my grandchildren, they’re going to have to give me my money.”
Following the release of these videos, fans have raised questions about the circumstances of Stone’s death.
One person tweeted, “Angie Stone was speaking about how Universal and Arista taking her royalties taking everything she literally owned… if you know about the death clauses in the industry, if you know, you know.”
So I went down a little rabbit hole real quick stay with me‼️ Angie Stone was speaking about how Universal and Arista taking her royalties taking everything she literally owned‼️ come to find out she said that she researched and found out what they were doing to her. And she was… pic.twitter.com/UO8jnk4iyk
— 💍𝒮𝓊𝑔𝒶🫶🏾 ❄️December’s 12/18 Coldest☃️ (@SagittariusN2U) March 1, 2025
After a clip of Stone’s confessions was posted on Golden Era Stories’ Instagram page, Veteran soul singer Chaka Khan commented, “THE NASTIEST ‘BUSINESS’ ON THE PLANET… WE ARE ALL VICTIMS.” She added, “GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU MY SISTER… You are ALREADY MISSED.”
One person had a slightly different take, “She performed because she had to make a living. She fought for her legacy and if those people had paid her her money, she wouldn’t have had tour. And there’s a huge chance that she’d had still been alive.”
A third bluntly stated, “Give her family (her children) the money she was owed.”
Stone leaves behind two adult children, son, Michael Archer II, and daughter, Diamond Stone.
At the time of her passing, Stone was actively performing. Her booking agent, Mark Green, told Atlanta Black Star that the night before her death, he had confirmed four bookings for her from April to July. On the day she died, Stone was traveling from Alabama to Maryland for another performance.
Angie Stone began her illustrious music career performing gospel before joining the pioneering female hip-hop trio The Sequence in the late 1970s.
She later became part of groups like Vertical Hold and Devox before launching a successful solo career with her 1999 debut album, “Black Diamond.” Her 2001 album, “Mahogany Soul,” featured the hit song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.”
Throughout her distinguished career, she collaborated with notable artists like D’Angelo, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, and Snoop Dogg, and released ten solo albums. Stone also ventured into acting, appearing in films, TV shows, and on Broadway. She is survived by her two children, Diamond and Michael.
