Raphael Saadiq has been a soul survivor since the late 1980’s. He succeeded at the forefront of two R&B retro acts – first with the family trio, Tony! Toni! Toné! and then with the supergroup, Lucy Pearl. While delivering passionate R&B tunes redolent of the 60’s/70’s feel-good era, he personalized his sound with an expressive tenor and gifted instrumentation. In the late ‘90’s Saadiq set off to share the love with other recording artists. He became the go to guy in the soul department, writing and producing Grammy hits for Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Mary J. Blige and Joss Stone. In 2002, he earned five of his own Grammy nominations with his debut solo album Instant Vintage.
In September 2008, Saadiq released his third album, The Way I See It, which landed him the #1 position on iTunes Top Albums of the Year, a spot on Rolling Stone’s Best Album’s of 2008 and three more Grammy nominations. Backed by some of the industry’s most distinguished musicians (including Jay-Z) The Way I See It is a soul-train odyssey every stop on the tracks. The dramatically orchestrated “Just One Kiss” featuring Joss Stone’s sultry crooning is a sure standout with Saadiq’s Smokey Robinson persona right down to the Motown ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’. Rewinding back to the lovefest era of Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross is the sexy ballad, “Never Give You Up”– where old school R&B meets up with new, as Stevie Wonder adds some fiery harmonica and Baltimore’s young vocalist, C.J.Hilton synchronizes with Saadiq. The album is keepin’ it real…so real you might even think you’re back in Motor City circa 1965. Saadiq gave Glide the rub on The Way I See It (actually, the way he sees it) before appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live and setting off on a national tour…
Many R&B artists from the ’90’s have faded into the woodwork, but you’re still here giving us what you got. What’s your secret?
I guess I’m stubborn a little bit (laughs)…I really love this music and I just feel like it’s what I should be doing. It came very smooth and natural to me and it was so much fun doing it, I just got lost in the whole thing. Once it was done, I was like, “wow, the whole album’s like this.” I really didn’t know it was going to turn out that way.
You’re about the same age as me, so you grew up with the same Motown influences…
Yeah, everywhere I looked, there it was. I was probably in more places than my parents knew about. (laughs) The first Motown song I remember being introduced to and really listening to as a kid was “Pride and Joy”. I also watched a lot of Motown TV shows…early Jackson stuff. I was definitely a huge Jackson Five fan. I think they’re the first band I really got into. I especially liked Michael Jackson. The Temptations too. And one of my older brother’s used to sing like Eddie Kendricks.
You have a special connection to Eddie Kendricks, don’t you?
Yeah. I did a song called “Leaving” on one my last Toni records. I was going to have Eddie Kendricks sing the song with me, but he passed away that year. I met his wife and she said Eddie was a huge fan of mine and I was just amazed…big time. When I watch Eddie sing today, I just smile. When he’s singing, I feel like he’s my brother…cuz they were the only group that felt like they were related to you and you didn’t even know it. 
You were in Tony, Toni, Toné! with your brother and cousin. Would you say music is in the genes?
I guess. My mom would sing in church. My father sang a little bit, but he never sang around me. He told me he used to sing in a lot of blues clubs when he was younger. But my uncle was a Pastor and he had a church and he sang in a lot of groups, so I hung around him. I played with a lot of quartet groups that were similar to the Mighty Clouds of Joy and Five Blind Boys. The local groups had their own versions of these bands. I played for maybe 10 groups as a kid. One group was called the Gospel Hummingbirds. Most of my early teachings were from those guys. I was playing for them in grade school and they were about 50 then. A lot of them have passed away at this point. So I would say my background is actually more gospel with pieces of Motown.
On the track, “Just One Kiss” you actually could be Smokey Robinson. Do people tell you that constantly?
Oh yeah, definitely. The bravado, especially. I would watch Smokey’s and David Ruffin’s videos and The Jacksons …lots of Stax, lots of Al Greene and I would learn from them.
These guys were your heroes…
Oh yeah. I constantly admired these musicians and I’d always think about what it must have been like when they sent those records out to the radio stations…the day it came on the radio and how people must have rejoiced when they heard that music. I would close my eyes and dream about being in the house as a kid and hearing my song come on the radio. I never got the opportunity to do that, so I wanted to give people the opportunity to sort of feel that with my record.
…and you definitely have.
Thank you. The truth is I don’t think anybody now could ever write the songs that they wrote. It was a certain time with a lot of great people in one room willing to make something work, so many different entities and spirits and they were really hungry at the time. It wasn’t really even about money, even though a lot of money was made later on. Somebody might have a bad day or good day, but in the course of a day this great thing happened between Berry Gordy and all the groups and Stax Records and the Isley Brothers and Stevie…and all these different people came together.
How did the record company react to you doing a record in this vein?
Well, I did my version of me, not of Motown. It wasn’t a tribute or anything like that. I just know how it made me feel when I heard “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You” by Marvin. I wanted to do a song like “Love That Girl” for my own record and that’s when I had a problem with the record company. It’s not that they didn’t want to put it out, but they felt the radio would only want to play the retro song. But I felt like, “So what, this is what I want to do, it’s not about what they want me to do”. Radio has certain marks they have to meet, but as a musician I fought it and felt there’s a lot of older people out there that still listen to ‘Love That Girl’ and I know a lot of kids will end up listening to it and it’ll move them as well.
Well, it’s a good thing you stuck to your guns.
What’s amazing is when I looked up the song “Oh Girl” by the Delfonics on YouTube, teenage kids were uploading this video. When I was overseas in Paris and Norway, 16 year old kids were partying to The Way I See It. They know every song on the album.
I know you don’t like the sub-genre “neo soul’ and I have to agree with you. It’s sort of an oxymoron, isn’t it?
Exactly. Neo-soul is the worst description. And I feel like going back in time and ‘recreating’ is actually going forward. The fact that other high profile musicians appreciate it and look back at these giants as their idols really impresses me. Elton John, for instance grew up in the era of Motown listening to Patti Labelle and The Isley Brothers. For a musician like him to know all the songs and really get into it, just shows that it’s music that’s truly missed. Once I get in front of people, they realize what it is. Even if they’re into hip-hop they get it. That’s why I like early hip hopping because they sample a lot of old records like The Meters…music that I grew up playing.
You have some legendary guests on The Way I See It…Stevie Wonder for example. Can you tell me something memorable about working with him?
Once C.J. Hilton and I got done working on “Never Give You Up” I said,“ we don’t need a third verse, we need a harmonica solo…it would be cool if we could get Stevie.” Now I had already talked Stevie up on the record saying, “I’d like to invite Mr. Stevie Wonder to my album…”in the same way he did with Dizzy Gillespie on his record. So I called him and it’s rare that Stevie just picks up the phone, but he did. I asked him if he could do the harmonica solo and he said, “when do you need me?” I said, “Like in an hour”. Meanwhile, it was eleven at night. He came over about 12:30 that same night and played it. He was unbelievable.
Wow, he really pulled through…
Yeah, it was a very magical moment. 
You’ve mentioned an affection for Chicago and Kanye West…
Well, it’s the kind of city that’s not over-done. People don’t talk about it a lot. I happen to have a lot of family there, so I’m very familiar with it. As for Kanye, I don’t really know him. He’s kinda been depicted for things he’s said in the press and whatnot. I’m not really into all that, but when I listen to some of his records when I work out or run, they’re definitely motivating. They just keep me moving through the day. If you were a fighter, you’d want to put on his music for shadowboxing. It just keeps you going. I think maybe kids need to hear that music if they’re having a hard time to help motivate them, to get through their day. I think it’s also very innovative for younger musicians.
You’ve watched the climate of the industry change dramatically over the last 20 years…
Yeah, I have and it’s definitely changed people’s expectations about how to do it…how to make it. But I don’t think people’s hearts ever change. We have to try not to pay attention to how the corporate structure is changing and concentrate on what’s always been…getting into people’s hearts and homes…like the Grateful Dead or Frankie Beverly. Frankie hasn’t made a record in 20 years but he can still play for audiences because he stole the hearts of many so long ago. It’s all about the music you make. If you have the opportunity to put out a record and get it to people and go on TV, go for it. You should always give it 100% when you’re making a record ‘cuz it’s a very valuable time in your life.
It’s sad when I think back to childhood and how much I loved collecting records. It meant so much back then and now they’re gone, pretty much…
Yeah, I have a huge collection of records. On this album I actually did vinyl and ‘45’s on every song. People that make records, good records, should always make some vinyl.
Any recent memorable moments?
I met Berry Gordy for the first time at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party. I went to shake his hand and I said, “I just want to thank you. I’m really influenced by you, what you brought…and you should listen to my album one day.” It was pretty amazing
You’re it… producer, arranger, writer and performer. Which one do you consider yourself first?
Probably the performer.
Do you think you’ll continue to be a one-man show?
Yeah, I think I’ve found my home doing what I’m doing.
