About five years ago, a rare demo titled “Ghetto Music,” featuring D’Angelo and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, quietly surfaced online. The track quickly sparked debate among fans about who was actually playing on the recording. It’s loose, funk-driven groove led many listeners to assume it featured the same musicians from the legendary Soulquarians collective or musicians from D’Angelo’s band The Soultronics.
But recently, I had the chance to speak with a reliable source directly involved in the session who cleared up exactly who played on the record and how the track actually came together.
Who Really Played on “Ghetto Music”
According to our source, the track was recorded in 1999 and the core lineup was:
- D’Angelo – lead vocals, guitar, and drum machine programming
- Raphael Saadiq – bass and background vocals
- Q-Tip – rap verse
For years, many assumed the bass might’ve been played by Pino Palladino or the guitar by Chalmers “Spanky” Alford. But the reality is much more intimate: it was just Raphael and D’Angelo handling the entire instrumentation themselves.
This doesn’t come as a surprise for anyone familiar with the duo’s many collaborations. D’Angelo and Saadiq have a long history of funk-infused, boundary-pushing hits, such as “Lady” (1995), “She’s Always In My Hair” (1997), and “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” (2000).
There’s no doubt that the chemistry between them is immensely powerful. Two musical geniuses speaking the same spiritual language, always pushing each other to the limit, and somehow making it all feel effortless.
The Influence Behind the Sound
The inspiration for the groove behind “Ghetto Music” came from two legendary funk influences:
- Sly and the Family Stone
- Parliament-Funkadelic
The essence of Sly Stone’s psychedelic soul and P-Funk’s “Do That Stuff” can be heard all throughout the track. Both D’Angelo and Saadiq are students of deep funk, and “Ghetto Music” is a natural continuation of that lineage: honoring the past while pushing the sound forward.
The SuperGroup: Linwood Rose
The recording also connects to a lesser-known chapter in 90s-00s soul music history.
Around that time, D’Angelo, Saadiq, and Q-Tip briefly formed a collaborative group known as Linwood Rose (sometimes spelled Lynwood Rose), with “Ghetto Music” standing as the only known recording featuring all three members together.
The name was a tribute to a man named Linwood from D’Angelo’s grandma’s church who was known for his intricate, rhythmic foot-patting. The “Rose” was a nod to the iconic Floyd Rose guitar bridge. In true D’Angelo fashion, the foundation is always rooted in the sanctuary.
Although the group never developed into a formal project, an unofficial mixtape was released in 2009 under the label Think Differently Music, reminding us of the creative heights these three reached whenever they occupied the same space. The mixtape featured songs like “I Believe” (Q-Tip ft. D’Angelo) and “Get Involved” (Saadiq ft. Q-Tip).
A Full-Circle Moment
The story of “Ghetto Music” found its heartbeat again in 2022, during what would become a historic night at the Hollywood Bowl. After five years away from the stage, D’Angelo returned for a special performance, and one of the musicians joining him that night was Raphael Saadiq. Together, they locked into the groove for a set that many fans described as “otherworldly”. “Ghetto Music” was one of the songs they performed that night and the only time it was performed live.
In the wake of D’Angelo’s passing in October 2025, that performance has become sacred ground. It stands as his last time sharing his gift with the world, and it feels like divine alignment that Saadiq was the one anchoring the stage with him. It was a musical masterclass and a closing transmission of the funk from two of its greatest disciples.
Even though phones were tucked away that night at the Bowl, a brief glimpse of that magic still exists. Watch a snippet of D’Angelo, Saadiq, and members of the Vanguard bringing “Ghetto Music” to life one last time:
A Snapshot of a Special Era
“Ghetto Music” captures the loose, experimental spirit of the early ’90s and 2000s progressive soul and funk movement. Even though the track often gets lumped into the broader Soulquarians mythology, the reality is a little simpler and even more compelling.
Just a few extraordinary, multitalented musicians in a room, pulling inspiration from funk legends and creating something powerful that still resonates decades later.
As we continue to celebrate D’Angelo’s towering legacy, we thank Raphael Saadiq & Q-Tip for being constant guardians of the funk and true friends to one of our greatest icons.
