More Info on Raphael SaadiqSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
BLP sources|date=September 2010Infobox musical artist|name = Raphael Saadiq|image = Saadiq-IMG 6218.jpg|image_size =|caption = Raphael Saadiq performing at the Eurockéennes de Belfort 2011|background = solo_singer|birth_name =Charles Ray Wiggins|birth_date = Birth date and age|1966|5|14|origin = Oakland, California , United States |instrument = Vocals , bass guitar , guitar , Keyboard instrument|keyboards |genre = contemporary R& B|R& B , Soul music|soul , neo soul |occupation = Singer-songwriter , Record producer|producer |years_active = 1983–present|label = Pookie Entertainment / Columbia Records , Sony Music Entertainment|Sony |associated_acts = Tony& #33; Toni& #33; Toné! , Lucy Pearl , Eve 6 , Joss Stone , Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip |website =Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins in Oakland, California ; May 14, 1966) is an United States|American singer , songwriter , musician , guitarist 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& #33; Toni& #33; Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC (band)|TLC , Joss Stone , D'Angelo , 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 (rapper)|Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest , and the late J Dilla of the Detroit-based group Slum Village .
Saadiq's critically acclaimed album, The Way I See It (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. http://www.austriancharts.at/showitem.asp? interpret=Raphael+Saadiq& titel=Stone+Rollin%27& cat=a Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' - austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 2011-04-13. For the album, Saadiq worked with steel guitarist Robert Randolph ; former Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn ; Swedish/Japanese indie rock songstress Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon fame); Funk legend Larry Graham (on the bonus cut Perfect Storm) http://souljoneswords.blogspot.com/2011/06/like-rolling-stone-raphael-saadiq.html Like A Rolling Stone - Raphael Saadiq Interview with Dan Dodds (aka Soul Jones) May 2011 plus soul newcomer Taura 'Aura Jackson' Stinson. http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/658/old_skool_new_cool/ Raphael Saadiq in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' April 2011
Early life
Saadiq was born in Oakland, California , the second-youngest of 14 siblings and half-siblings.cite news|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/apr/24/raphael-saadiq-interview|title=One step back, two steps forward|last=Batey|first=Angus|work=The Guardian|date=2009-04-24|accessdate=2010-12-31|location=London 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."
He has been playing the bass guitar since the age of six, and first began singing at age nine in a local gospel group.cite web|url= http://blogcritics.org/music/article/interview-raphael-saadiq-singer-songwriter-and/page-4/|title=Interview: Raphael Saadiq – Singer, Songwriter and Producer|last=Perry|first=Clayton|work=Blog Critics|date=2008-11-27|accessdate=2010-12-31cite web|url= http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun09/articles/saadiq.htm|title=Raphael Saadiq: Producing The Way I See It|last=Buskin|first=Richard|work=Sound on Sound|date=June 2009|accessdate=2010-12-31 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 (musician)|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. 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."
Career
Tony& #33; Toni& #33; 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& #33; Toni& #33; Toné! He used the name Raphael Wiggins while in Tony& #33; Toni& #33; Toné!, where he was joined by his brother Dwayne Wiggins , and his cousin Timothy Christian. In the mid-1990s, he stage name|adopted the last name Saadiq, which means "man of his word" in Arabic language|Arabic . 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.cite web |url= http://www.soulmusic.com/rasa20in.html |title=Raphael Saadiq 2008 Interview |accessdate=2008-09-27 |author= |first=Jeff |last=Lorez |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work=SoulMusic.com |publisher= |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= 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!"cite web |url= http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/409/raphael_saadiq_this_years_vintage |title=This Year's Vintage - Pete Lewis Interviews Raphael Saadiq |accessdate=2009-09-10 |author= |first=Pete |last=Lewis |work=Blues & Soul |publisher=Blues & Soul
Tony& #33; Toni& #33; Toné& #33; would become major Contemporary R& B|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& #33; Toni& #33; Toné& #33; 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 in music|1995 , Saadiq had his biggest solo hit to date, when "Ask of You", featured on the Higher Learning (soundtrack)| 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 series The PJs and on its The PJs (soundtrack)|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.
Saadiq's third solo album, The Way I See It (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. 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 (film)|It's Complicated .
Stone Rollin
Saadiq's 2011 album '' Stone Rollin' '' was released to great critical acclaim.cite web |url= http://frontpsych.com/2011/05/10/motown-revival-a-review-of-raphael-saadiqs-stone-rollin/ |title=Motown Revival – A Review of Raphael Saadiq’s Stone Rollin’ |accessdate=2011-05-10 |author= |first=Gina |last=Myers |publisher=Frontier Psychiatrist cite web |url= http://www.npr.org/2011/05/01/135768916/first-listen-raphael-saadiq-stone-rollin/ |title=First Listen: Raphael Saadiq, 'Stone Rollin |accessdate=2011-05-13 |author= |first=Jason |last=Bentley |publisher=NPR "He’s always had a boyish enthusiasm for performing, and a flexible, naturally joyous voice that suggests a young Stevie Wonder ," wrote Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune , "but with his latest album, Saadiq finds a new gear. The album and his current tour demonstrate that there’s a big difference between retro and classic, and the artist consistently finds himself on the right side of that divide."cite news |url= http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2011/06/concert-review-raphael-saadiq-at-park-west.html|title=Concert review: Raphael Saadiq at Park West | work=Chicago Tribune | date=2011-06-04 Critic Jim Derogatis called it "a stone cold gas of a party disc."cite web |url= http://www.wbez.org/blog/jim-derogatis/2011-06-06/album-review-raphael-saadiq-%E2%80%9Cstone-rollin%E2%80%99%E2%80%9D-columbia-87457|title=Album review: Raphael Saadiq, "Stone Rollin’" (Columbia)
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 . http://www.tower.com/voodoo-dangelo-cd/wapi/106263815 Tower.com: Voodoo (EXPLICIT) (CD) by D'Angelo (Artist) Music. Tower.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-08. The song was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone 's "End of Year Critics & Readers Poll" of the 2000 in music#Top hits on record|top singles of 2000 . http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rolling.htm#2000 Rolling Stone End of year Critic & Readers lists. www.rocklist.net. Retrieved on 2008-08-08. D'Angelo's album '' Voodoo (D'Angelo 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 (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 (Ledisi album)|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 (rapper)|Q-Tip , Cousin Skeeter|Lil' Skeeter , Ludacris , Bee Gees|The Bee Gees , Musiq Soulchild , Jaguar Wright , Chanté Moore , Lionel Richie , Marcus Miller , Noel Gourdin , Nappy Roots , Calvin Richardson , T-Boz from TLC (band)|TLC , Floetry , Leela James , Amp Fiddler , John Legend , Joss Stone , Young Bellz, Anthony Hamilton (musician)|Anthony Hamilton , Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds|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 (singer)|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 (album)|The Way I See It ... where they can dream something up and just go with it".cite web |url= |title=Exclusive UK Interview " INNERVISIONS: Raphael Saadiq talks to Soul Jones " |accessdate=2008-11-14 |author= |first=Dan |last=Dodds |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= http://souljoneswords.blogspot.com/2011/05/innervisions-raphael-saadiq-interview.html |publisher= |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=
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 We Are the World 25 for Haiti|2010 remake of " We Are the World " for Haiti.
Saadiq recorded an unreleased remake of The Spinners ' song " It's a Shame (The Spinners song)|It's A Shame ".
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.Cite news|url= http://www.grammy.com/news/mick-jagger-added-to-grammy-lineup|title=Mick Jagger Added To GRAMMY Lineup|date=February 3, 2011|publisher=grammy.com. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences |accessdate=February 3, 2011
In 2011 he and his band performed as the ESPY's house band for the night, where he performed his latest compositions.
In fall 2011, he performed on the fourth results show of Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|Dancing with the Stars Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13)|season 13 .
In December, 2011, he performed a cover compilation of several Neil Diamond songs at the Kennedy Center Honors award ceremony.
Awards/Nominations
BET Awards
*2009, BET Centric Award (nominated)
Grammy Awards
*2011, Best Traditional R& B Performance "Good Man" (nominated)
*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)
"—" denotes the single failed to chart or wasn't released.
References
reflist
External links
Commons category|Raphael Saadiq
http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com/ Official website
myspace|raphaelsaadiq|Raphael Saadiq
twitter|rayraysaadiq|Raphael Saadiq
facebook user|raphaelsaadiq|Raphael Saadiq
IMDb name|1277289|Raphael Saadiq
http://souljoneswords.blogspot.com/2011/06/like-rolling-stone-raphael-saadiq.html The Stone Rollin' Sessions Interview With Raphael Saadiq, co-producer Chuck Brungardt, Taura Stinson & Ron Fonksa Bacon on http://www.souljones.com Soul Jones (July 2011)
http://soulrnb.com/component/muscol/R/29-raphael-saadiq Raphael Saadiq on http://soulrnb.com/ SoulRnB.com ( FR )
http://soulrnb.com/news/item/352-raphael-saadiq-enfant-de-la-soul Interview of Raphael Saadiq on http://soulrnb.com/ SoulRnB.com (June 2011) ( FR )
Raphael Saadiq Persondata | NAME =Saadiq, Raphael | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1966-05-14 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Saadiq, Raphael Category:1966 births Category:African American musicians Category:African American male singers Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:Neo soul singers Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Oakland, California
