[4] The group had previously enjoyed some notice in Richmond, evenly dividing their repertoire between soul covers and originals, while D'Angelo accumulated compositions of his own and developed his songwriting skills.

[3] The group's turnout on Amateur Night resulted in three consecutive wins and a cash prize,[5] after which, upon returning home to Richmond, D'Angelo was inspired to produce his own album and began composing material.

(Intelligent, Deadly but Unique),[7] D'Angelo signed a publishing deal with EMI Music in 1991 after catching the attention of record executives through a demo tape, which was originally by the group.

[11] He had previously managed hip hop group Stetsasonic and formed the artist management-firm Kedar Entertainment in 1991, which he diversified into production, music publishing and publicity.

[12] After his successful performance with his group Precise at the Apollo Theater in 1991, D'Angelo received a US$ 500 check for his work at the venue and used most of it to purchase a four-track recorder and a keyboard.

[20] While most of the production was handled by D'Angelo, other producers contributed as well, including Saadiq, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and studio engineer Bob Power.

"[13] For the album, D'Angelo and the production personnel utilized antiquated, vintage equipment, including Wurlitzer musical instruments and dated effects boxes, as well as modern electronic devices such as drum machines and computers.

[13] The album has been noted by critics for its classic soul elements and influences,[20][23][24] as well as the sound of live instruments and organic grooves, which are reminiscent of the work of Stevie Wonder and Sly & the Family Stone.

[26] The album's sound is prominently driven by keyboards, sensual vocals, and smooth melodies,[27] while it evokes the work of such artists as Prince, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Isley Brothers.

[29] Along with the album's modern aesthetic and vintage texture,[15] Brown Sugar also encompasses the sounds of the blues, gospel and jazz in a contemporary fashion.

[29] Most of the songs on the album have a stripped-down feel, without complex orchestrations, and have heavy drum beats and bass lines, which are accompanied by electric piano riffs and minimal guitar work.

[29] According to D'Angelo, the hip hop influence present on the album "came from the Native Tongues movement - Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr and Main Source.

"[13] With the exception of the title track, a thinly veiled ode to smoking marijuana, most of the album's material consists of traditional romance ballads and love songs, in the style of classic soul music.

[29] Music critic Christopher John Farley described the chorus as a "little like the Fuhrman tapes, with a beat",[15] while Mark Anthony Neal found the song to be "drenched with Marvin Gaye’s paranoia.

The bonus material included instrumentals, a cappella versions, and remixes by CJ Mackintosh, Dallas Austin, King Tech, Erick Sermon, and Incognito; seven of the 21 additional songs had never been released before commercially, while the others were previously available only on vinyl.

[44] Martin Johnson of the Chicago Tribune praised D'Angelo's fusing of "elements of Prince, early '70s Smokey Robinson and post-Woodstock Sly and the Family Stone".

[60] Time magazine's Christopher John Farley said that D'Angelo's austere sound on the album serves as a reminder of the 1970s' musical atmosphere, but updated for listeners in the 1990s.

"[64] Rolling Stone magazine's Cheo H. Coker praised Brown Sugar for its soulful sound and musical deviation from the New Jack-style of R&B at the time, stating: Call him an ndegéocello (Swahili for "free as a bird"), a rebel soul... Like his fellow retrolutionaries Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Joi, Omar and Dionne Farris, he's shattering the conventional definition of "black music."

Music's Jeff Watson commended D'Angelo for his musicianship and wrote that his "marvelous voice and smooth instrumentation complement his solid songwriting skills".

[65] Having been lukewarm toward the record in a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau later wrote in MSN Music that he "wasn't surprised to have warmed to it ... D'Angelo's concentration is formidable, his groove complex yet primal.

[67] In a 1996 article for the Chicago Tribune, critic Greg Kot cited Brown Sugar as "arguably where the current soul revival started".