Rockstar Fans Pay Tribute To The Late D’Angelo, The Artist Behind RDR2’s Best Song

D’Angelo, the voice behind one of Red Dead Redemption 2^[1]‘s most memorable moments, has passed away. While tributes pour in from the music industry, D’Angelo is also being remembered by Rockstar Games and the legions of gamers who will never forget his contribution to the RDR2 soundtrack.

D’Angelo was a pioneer in the neo-soul movement, releasing three studio albums throughout his career–his 1995 debut Brown Sugar, Voodoo in 2000, and Black Messiah, which was released in 2014 after a long break. Gamers might be more familiar with his later single Unshaken, which was recorded for the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack.

A big fan of the original Red Dead Redemption, D’Angelo ended up playtesting the sequel while it was still in development, after he reached out to a contact at Rockstar. Seeing his enthusiasm for the game, Rockstar invited D’Angelo to contribute to a song for RDR2’s soundtrack–a collaboration that eventuated in the single Unshaken.

Unshaken plays during the gameplay of RDR2, creating a cinematic moment as Arthur Morgan rides his horse back to camp following a pivotal story mission. The soulful song created an unforgettable moment within the game’s narrative, and Unshaken has since become the most-streamed song on the RDR2 soundtrack.

Rockstar paid tribute to the artist on social media following news of his death, and many gamers have followed suit, recounting their memories of hearing D’Angelo’s voice while playing RDR2. Fan tributes have proliferated across social media, including the comments^[4] of various versions of Unshaken on YouTube.

D’Angelo died on Tuesday morning at the age of 51, following a private battle with cancer, Variety reports^[5].