Michael Archer II, son of neo-soul icons D’Angelo and Angie Stone, is experiencing unspeakable heartbreak. The 27-year-old recently experienced the loss of both of his parents within the span of a few months and is speaking publicly for the first time since news of D’Angelo’s death surfaced on October 14 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51.
Archer, who goes by the stage name of Swayvo Twain on Instagram, spoke out after a statement attributed to him was circulated online that he says didn’t actually come from him.
“I just sat here watchin my daddy die after feeling like it was the first time he and I were truly building,” he wrote in an Instagram story on Tuesday, Oct. 14. “He was there when I needed him most after the passing of momma. Unfortunately, time ran out.”
He concluded, “I know it wasn’t done with malicious intent, but today i’m not in any state of mind to make any statements. I wasn’t planning to.”
The 27-year-old is still grieving the loss of Stone, who died on March 1 at the age of 63 in a car crash in Alabama. Archer penned a message for Stone following her passing. It was a tearjerker.
“Hey mama, I ain’t want nothing, just wanted to say I love you,” he wrote, accompanying a clip of him speaking about life without her. “I know you up there enjoying your god body 😂 I hope you got to see grandma and granddaddy …….i want you know how proud I am at the person you are…. I want you to know how much you inspired me every single day …… you never failed me ever ever….you never were a burden to me EVER … if I had to do it all again I wouldn’t change nothing….im so grateful for the lessons that I learned from you, I hope to one day be as good to my kids as you were to me…..I just wanted to you to know that I got it from here , imma be okay… and imma LONG LIVE YOU 4Ever🕊️ love you mama.”
Many fans worldwide are grieving with Archer, especially considering it wasn’t public knowledge that the Brown Sugar singer was battling an illness. But the people who can relate most to his pain presently are his siblings. D’Angelo has two more children: a daughter, Imani, and a teenage son, Morocco. All three children share a passion for music, just like their father. Imani took to Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 15) to memorialize her dad.
“dear daddy,
there are no words to describe this immeasurable loss
I’m in absolute disbelief and shock.
you were my biggest hype man
my protector
my biggest musical inspiration
the kindest and most selfless man
and the best father anyone could’ve ever had. No one will EVER measure up to how brave and strong you are,” she wrote alongside a carousel of images of her with D’Angelo, both when she was a child, and as an adult. As her message continued, she spoke of him being a protector, of them spending time playing their favorite songs together, and more.
“You’re a one of a kind soul, and I’m so grateful you chose me to be your daughter. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to live on without you, but I’ll never forget all of your advice and things you’ve told me on how to get through this life. Dad…I miss you more than life and this is breaking my heart into a million pieces. I wish I could hold your hand just one more time. I will forever honor you and carry on your legacy Dad. Everything I do will always be for you. I’m gonna miss you and hearing your voice every single day. I’ll always be your BabyGirl,” she concluded.
D’Angelo didn’t often speak about fatherhood publicly. Still, around the release of Voodoo in 2000, he talked about dedicating the critically-acclaimed work to his eldest child, and in the process, spoke of the experience of having a kid, which made him a better man.
“I had a son. After his birth, I started writing for the album. This album is dedicated to my son,” he said at the time. “He inspired me to not just write songs but to be a better man. And to grow up, and that’s what the album is about. The music is about growth. I grew a lot.”