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Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins in Oakland, California; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend. He and D'Angelo were occasional members of The Ummah, a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (also known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village.

Saadiq's critically acclaimed album, The Way I See It, released on September 16, 2008, featuring artists Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone and Jay-Z, received three Grammy Award Nominations and was voted Best Album on iTunes of 2008. His fourth studio album, Stone Rollin', was released on March 25, 2011.[1] Featured artists include steel guitarist Robert Randolph; former Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn; Swedish/Japanese indie rock songstress Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon fame); plus hip hop newcomer Taura Stinson.[2]

Early life

Saadiq was born in Oakland, California, the second-youngest of 14 siblings and half-siblings.[3] His early life was marked by tragedy; he experienced the deaths of several of his siblings as a young child. When Saadiq was seven years old, his brother was murdered. One of his brothers overdosed on heroin and another committed suicide because he was unable to deal with his addiction to the drug. His sister died as a result of a car crash during a police chase in a residential neighborhood. Saadiq states that he does not want his music to be reflective of the tragedies he experienced, saying that "And through all of that I was makin' records, but it wasn't comin' out in the music. I did it to kinda show people you can have some real tough things happen in your life, but you don't have to wear it on your sleeve."[3]

He has been playing the bass guitar since the age of six, and first began singing at age nine in a local gospel group.[4][5] At the age of 12, he joined a group called "The Gospel Humminbirds". In 1984, shortly before his 18th birthday, Saadiq heard about tryouts in San Francisco for Sheila E.'s backing band on Prince's Parade Tour. At the audition, he chose the name "Raphael", and had difficulty remembering to respond to the name when he heard that he got the part to play bass in the band.[3] He says of the experience, "Next thing I was in Tokyo, in a stadium, singin' Erotic City. We were in huge venues with the biggest sound systems in the world; all these roadies throwin' me basses, and a bunch of models hangin' round Prince to party. For almost two years. That was my university."[3]

Career Tony! Toni! Toné!

After returning to Oakland from touring with Prince, Saadiq began his professional career as the lead vocalist and bassist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné! He used the name Raphael Wiggins while in Tony! Toni! Toné!, where he was joined by his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. In the mid-1990s, he adopted the last name Saadiq, which means "man of his word" in Arabic.[3] His change of surname led many to speculate that he had converted to Islam at that point; in reality, Saadiq is not a Muslim, but rather just liked the way "Saadiq" sounded and changed his last name simply to distinguish himself from and avoid potential confusion with his brother, Dwayne Wiggins.[6] As he confirmed by telling noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in May 2009, "I just wanted to have my own identity!"[7]

Tony! Toni! Toné! would become major R&B superstars throughout the late-1980s and 1990s. However, after the 1996 album entitled House of Music, which did produce several hits, nonetheless failed to duplicate previous success, Tony! Toni! Toné! went their separate ways.

Lucy Pearl

In 1999, Saadiq's next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. He recorded the self-titled album with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). The group only lasted for one album.

Solo work "Ask of You"

In 1995, Saadiq had his biggest solo hit to date, when "Ask of You", featured on the Higher Learning Soundtrack peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart. In 1997, Saadiq hooked up with EPMD for the tune "Da Joint". Two years later, he teamed up with Q-Tip for another minor hit, "Get Involved", which was featured on the animated TV seriesThe PJs and on its soundtrack.

Instant Vintage

He released his first solo album Instant Vintage in 2002 and earned 5 Grammy nominations.

Ray Ray

Released the album Ray Ray in 2004 on his own record label Pookie Entertainment.

All the Hits at the House of Blues

Released a 2 disc live album All The Hits AT The House of Blues in 2003 on his own record label Pookie Entertainment.

The Way I See It Saadiq performing in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2008.

Saadiq's latest release, his third solo album, The Way I See It, released on Columbia Records on September 16, 2008, available in a collector's edition box set of 7" 45 rpm singles as well as on traditional CD, was critically well-received, made several critics' 2008 best albums lists, and garnered three Grammy nominations including Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals (for "Never Give You Up", featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton); Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (for "Love That Girl") and Best R&B Album for The Way I See It.

The Way I See It was released in September 2008, and Saadiq is currently touring and promoting the project. Touring with a nine piece band, Saadiq hit the 2009 summer music festival circuit with performances at Bonnaroo, Hollywood Bowl, Outside Lands, Pori Jazz Festival, Stockholm Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Essence Music Festival, Summer Spirit Festival, and Nice Jazz Festival, Bumbershoot Music Festival and Austin City Limits. Saadiq has been touring Europe extensively, and held a five-night residency at the House of Blues in Tokyo, Japan in June 2009.

Music from The Way I See It is featured in the following motion pictures: Madea Goes To Jail, Bride Wars, Cadillac Records, Secret Life of Bees,In Fighting (Rogue), and It's Complicated.

Stone Rollin'

Saadiq's next album will be titled Stone Rollin'.[8][9]

Music producer

In 1995, Saadiq produced and performed on Otis & Shug's debut album, We Can Do Whatever.

His 2000 song collaboration "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" won D'Angelo a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance; it was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.[10] The song was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone's "End of Year Critics & Readers Poll" of the top singles of 2000.[11] D'Angelo's album Voodoo won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

In 2004, Saadiq produced a remix of the song "Crooked Nigga Too" by the late Tupac Shakur which is featured on the album Loyal To The Game.

In 2007, Saadiq produced Introducing Joss Stone, the third album of British soul singer Joss Stone.

He produced songs for LeToya Luckett's forthcoming second album Lady Love, released August 2009.

In 2009, Saadiq produced "Please Stay" and "Love Never Changes" for Ledisi's August 2009 release "Turn Me Loose". Saadiq also was the executive producer for an emerging group called Tha Boogie. Tha Boogie's first EP was released on iTunes and is titled Love Tha Boogie, Vol. 1 (Steal This Sh*t).

Other artists he has collaborated with include Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, The Isley Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Teedra Moses, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Macy Gray,Angie Stone, Snoop Dogg, Devin the Dude, DJ Quik, Kelis, Q-Tip, Lil' Skeeter, Ludacris, The Bee Gees, Musiq Soulchild, Jaguar Wright, Chanté Moore, Lionel Richie, Marcus Miller,Noel Gourdin, Nappy Roots, Calvin Richardson, T-Boz from TLC, Floetry, Leela James, Amp Fiddler, John Legend, Joss Stone, Young Bellz, Anthony Hamilton, Babyface, Ledisi,Goapele, Ghostface Killah, Ginuwine, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bilal, Chali 2na, Larry Graham, Luniz as well as many others.

Other

In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts.

In 2008, Saadiq formed a new label called Velma Records, a place where Raphael promises "people can express themselves like I did with The Way I See It... where they can dream something up and just go with it".[12]

In 2009, Saadiq announced his video game development company called IllFonic. The first video game in development by IllFonic is titled Ghetto Golf, with an expected release late in 2010.

In 2009, Saadiq teamed up Bentley Kyle Evans, Jeff Franklin, Martin Lawrence, and Trenten Gumbs to create a new sitcom called Love That Girl! starring Tatyana Ali. Raphael is an executive producer and composer for Love That Girl!. The show is currently in development.

In 2010, Saadiq sang as part of the chorus in the 2010 remake of "We Are the World" for Haiti.

In 2011, Saadiq was the guitarist/bandleader for the group backing Mick Jagger for Jagger's tribute performance of the Solomon Burke R&B classic, "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and on CBS. The band that accompanied the performance was Saadiq's touring band called Stone Rollin.[13]

Awards/Nominations BET Awards 2009, BET Centric Award (nominated) Grammy Awards 2009, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group "Never Give You Up" (nominated) 2009, Best R&B Album The Way I See It (nominated) 2009, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance "Love That Girl" (nominated) 2007, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance "I Found My Everything" (nominated) 2005, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group "Show Me the Way" (nominated) 2003, Best Urban/Alternative Performance "Be Here" (nominated) 2003, Best R&B Song "Love of My Life (Ode to Hip-Hop)" (winner) 2003, Best R&B Song "Be Here" (nominated) 2003, Best R&B Album Instant Vintage (nominated) 2003, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture of Television Special "Love of My Life (Ode to Hip-Hop)" (nominated) 2002, Best R&B Song "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" (nominated) 1995, Best R&B Song "Anniversary" (nominated) Soul Train Awards 2009, Best R&B/Soul Male Artist (nominated)