NormanConnors
Detroit/MSU Spartan Life
There was R&B Soul and there was whatever was mainstream when D'Angelo debuted. These artists were considered R&B Soul. Raphael Saadiq, Sade, Gil Scott-Heron, Meshelle whatever her last name is, Jamariquai, whatever R&B music Q-Tip was working on, were all before D'Angelo. Their influence far trumps his, because he wasn't even as active. if you're gonna give the title to anyone, it goes to Raphael Saadiq. Neo soul ended up being some ish they threw out there to lump all of the "outside of the mainstream" artists they could no longer figure out what to do with. And by the time it became a subgenre, it was moreso a look.
Nah D'Angelo extended upon what Shuggie Otis was doing, both D and Prince are from that tree.