| Raphael Saadiq |
Raphael Saadiq at Sugarhill in 2008
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| Background information |
| Birth name |
Charlie Ray Wiggins |
| Born |
May 14, 1966 (1966-05-14) (age 43) |
| Origin |
Oakland, California, United States |
| Genres |
R&B, soul, singer-songwriter, rock, hip hop |
| Occupations |
Singer-songwriter, producer |
| Instruments |
Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active |
1983-present |
| Labels |
Pookie Entertainment/Columbia Records, Sony |
| Associated acts |
Tony! Toni! Toné!, Lucy Pearl |
Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins May 14, 1966, Oakland, California), 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, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend.
Saadiq has been playing the bass guitar since the age of six. He first began singing at age 12 with a group called "The Gospel Humminbirds". After high school, Saadiq joined Prince and Sheila E. on the Parade Tour.
Saadiq's latest 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 voted Best Album on iTunes of 2008.
Career
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Saadiq began his professional career as the lead vocalist and bassplayer 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. He adopted the name of Raphael Saadiq in the mid-1990s. 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.[1] 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!"[2]
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 series, The PJs (see also The PJs: Music from & Inspired by the Hit Television Series).
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 2004 on his own record label Pookie Entertainment.
The Way I See It
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 back 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: Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail, Bride Wars, Cadillac Records, Secret Life of Bees, In Fighting (Rogue).
Music producer
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 [3]. The song was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone's "End of Year Critics & Readers Poll" of the top singles of 2000 [4]. D'Angelo's album Voodo 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, set for release 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, 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, 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.
On April 13, 2007, Saadiq played the role of Anthony Hayes in Disturbia.
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".[5]
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.
Awards/Nominations
- 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)
Discography
Singles
See also
References
External links
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Raphael Saadiq |
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| Solo albums |
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| Tony! Toni! Toné! |
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| Lucy Pearl |
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| Solo singles |
"Ask of You" (1995) · "Get Involved" (1999) · "Be Here" (2002) · "Still Ray" (2002) · "Rifle Love" (2004) · "Chic Like You" (2004) · "I Want You Back" (2005) · "Love That Girl" (2008) · "Big Easy" (2008) · "100 Yard Dash" (2009) · "Never Give You Up" (2009) · "Let's Take a Walk" (2009)
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