Renowned musician and producer Raphael Saadiq continues to make waves in television and film, earning a coveted spot at the Sundance Film Festival 2024 for his latest contribution to the Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden-directed film Freaky Tales. Saadiq’s multifaceted talents promise an unforgettable auditory experience to complement the film’s compelling narrative.
“We are thrilled that ‘Freaky Tales’ is premiering at Sundance 2024, and the addition of Yancey Richardson to our team further solidifies MKOM’s commitment to delivering exceptional musical experiences in the world of television and film,” said MKOM CEO Raphael Saadiq.
In a strategic move to enhance its musical pursuits, Saadiq’s production company, My Kind of Music/My Kind of Movies (MKOM), welcomes industry veteran Yancey Richardson as the Music Supervisor for film and television projects, starting with “Freaky Tales.” Richardson’s wealth of experience will contribute to MKOM’s continued success.
Saadiq’s fans can also anticipate the return of the Emmy-nominated animated Marvel series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, with the second season set to debut on February 2, 2024, on Disney Channel. The show’s success underscores Saadiq’s seamless integration of musical mastery with visual storytelling.
The legendary Grammy Award-winning artist Raphael Saadiq is spreading holiday joy with the release of his enchanting new single, “Miracle,” featuring the soulful vocals of UK artist Kelli-Leigh. The festive track is an exclusive gift to listeners, available solely on Amazon Music, adding an extra layer of excitement to the holiday season.
“Miracle” takes center stage as an original song on the CANDY CANE LANE soundtrack, promising to be a musical journey through the whimsical world of holiday magic. Saadiq’s mastery as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer shines through in this delightful composition, showcasing his deep musicality and contemporary creative vision. In a candid and heartwarming interview, Raphael Saadiq, the Grammy Award-winning artist, opened up to Courtney Brown from The Source Magazine about his latest holiday single “Miracle,” his Christmas memories, and the timeless influence of his music across generations.
Courtney Brown: Hello, Raphael, how are you?
Raphael Saadiq: I’m good, so nice to meet you.
Courtney: I just finished listening to the song, and I’m ready to put up my Christmas tree now. It brought back so many memories, like it kind of took me to the eighties because that’s my childhood. It has such a good vibe. The melody made me feel good. What thoughts and memories did you come up with that gave you that vibe for that song?
Raphael: Well, first of all, I had the opportunity of looking at the film, right? Looking at the footage reminded me of my childhood, of people having contests in the neighborhood. My good friend Timothy Riley, one of the guys in my band, had just won first place in the Christmas contest in his neighborhood. It made me super cheerful, like what this song should feel like. It feels like that morning when you wake up and just being surprised or people preparing for it, you know, getting the tree, and it’s that whole preparation.
Courtney: What are some of your favorite memories from Christmas, especially your childhood?
Raphael: Christmas Eve is always my thing. My parents would go out and leave these 45 records on, playing Al Green Christmas songs and Temptations. I was one of the only two kids left in the house, so I had to make all these fun things by myself. I got a chance to play with a bass guitar and amplifiers, things that worked on their own. It was always finding those really cool gifts.
Courtney: Speaking of gifts, any memorable or unusual Christmas gifts you received?
Raphael: My sister wasn’t a good gifter. She once bought me a shoe horn or something. I was like, “Ooh, she’s a terrible gifter.” It’s hard to buy for guys, and, you know, just to help your sister out there, it’s kind of difficult. Now, my sister is still not a good gifter today. I’ve been getting her back for the longest time.
Courtney: It’s amazing to see you sitting here, and you look the same; you have not aged. What’s your secret?
Raphael: It’s my therapy to be up early in the morning, running and training before rehearsals. You got to have the wind span to do a two and a half hour show. It feels really good to be outside early in the morning.
Courtney: Shifting gears, your music has spanned generations. Who would you collaborate with from the younger generation that’s a newer artist right now?
Raphael: I don’t really work like that. I meet people at a store or 7-Eleven, and they go, “Hey man, just wanna work together?” I’m like, “Cool, come by the studio.” It just happens organically.
Courtney: Your music has been part of people’s life milestones. How does it feel to hear that?
Raphael: It feels great. I hear all that I’ve made. I’m sure I have a couple of kids because of you. We named our daughter Deja from your song. I hear a lot of anniversaries, our song.
Courtney: Your influence extends to hip hop. Who would be in your top five hip hop artists of all time?
Raphael: Nas is probably my number one MC. Kendrick is probably my number one, honestly. Busta, Rakim, and Q-Tip are also among my favorites.
Courtney: You’re touring, which surprises me considering all you’re doing in the studio. What’s your health regimen on tour?
Raphael: Before I leave on tour, I work out with Willie Gault, a world-class runner. I run, do yoga, and Pilates. It’s my therapy, and it feels good to be outside early in the morning.
Courtney: Any advice for talented people losing inspiration?
Raphael: Go where the love is, and remember why you did it. If you didn’t do it because you love it, you’re probably not gonna stay inspired. You just gotta love what you do.
Saadiq spoke with Vulture and revealed that the album would likely come out after their tour. He also revealed that a song that was originally planned for Tony! Toni! Toné!’s album ended up going to Beyoncé.
The song? “Cuff It” from Bey’s seventh album, Renaissance.
“That record was going to be a Tonyies record,” Saadiq said, “the part that just sounds like [mimics the ‘Cuff It’ guitar riff]. But I gave it to a friend of mine and said, ‘I got this record. I was going to do it, but what about Beyoncé?’ She’s one of those people where if she’s feeling it, she’s going 100 percent in. I said, ‘It’s going to move people. It’s going to work, I’m telling you.’ I think she just put it away. From what I heard, The-Dream eventually found it. And he was like, ‘What is that?!”’ I already knew it was one of them joints. I always said, if you drop the right music on an artist, it could go, but I’m glad she has so many eyeballs on her, you know what I mean? You can’t really trick people, it’s got to be good.”
The song has since gone on to be a fan-favorite of Beyoncé‘s, earning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the beginning of this year. It has also gone viral on TikTok, sparking dance challenges, and pulling in streams to bring it up to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Raphael Saadiq, the multi-award-winning artist and producer, is set to embark on the highly anticipated Just Me & You Tour titled Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné! The tour will kick off on September 21 in Birmingham, AL, at the BJCC Concert Hall and will travel across major cities in the United States throughout the fall season.
Presented by Live Nation Urban, this tour holds special significance as it marks the long-awaited return of the Oakland R&B legends, Tony! Toni! Toné!, after an absence of nearly 25 years. Raphael Saadiq, along with his brother D’Wayne Wiggins and Timothy Christian Riley, will again bring their soulful music to the stage. The Tonys’ performance will showcase their timeless hits such as “Feels Good,” “Anniversary,” and “It Never Rains (In Southern California).” Additionally, fans can expect to hear new material from the group.
In addition to the Tony! Toni! Toné! set, Saadiq will treat audiences to an expansive performance that includes tracks from his solo albums, songs from his R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl, and his acclaimed compositions for artists like D’Angelo, Daniel Caesar, Brent Faiyaz, Solange, and Beyoncé.
“I’ve always wanted to put my family back together,” says Saadiq. “Playing with the Tonys again is a thank you to the fans, the Super Tonians, for supporting all my musical efforts. Without those who were with us from Day One, where would I be? But the main reason is that my father, Charlie Wiggins, would’ve wanted it this way–to see me, D’Wayne, and Tim playing together again.”
Presale tickets will be available starting June 21 for the artist’s fans, followed by Live Nation and Spotify presales on June 22. General ticket sales will commence on June 23. Fans can purchase tickets for the tour through RaphaelSaadiqMusic.com. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness this extraordinary reunion and experience an unforgettable evening of R&B and soul music.
Incidentally, Saadiq shared news yesterday, March 22, that people are liking a lot.
The two-time Grammy winner (and 18-time nominee) — and one-time Oscar nominee for his musical contributions to Mudbound, and he’s also composed for smash series like Insecure, Lovecraft Country, or the newly premiered Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur, if you needed any more proof that the phrase multi-hyphenate was coined on the back of him — announced the Just Me And You Tour is scheduled for this year.
The photo features him sitting alongside his brother, D’wayne Wiggins, and his cousin, Timothy Christian Riley, which teases, “Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!”
The Instagram post was flooded with comments. John Legend wrote, “Ok I’m there!” Questlove chimed in with, “Man y’all Better Stop Playin Wit My Emotions—this better be REAL.” Bun B, Joe Budden, Lena Waithe, and Keri Hilson also expressed their bewildered excitement.
Identical billboards were spotted around Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, California, and Saadiq posted to his Instagram Story, “For more info about Tour Dates Text Me Now @ (310) 861-2685.”
Tony! Toni! Toné! last put out an album in 1996 with House Of Music before their 1998 split. In June 2019, Saadiq foreshadowed a reunion while on Sway’s Universe and doubled down on it with NME that August.
“I’ve been working on new Tonys music for about 15 years,” he told NME. “I just felt like we should do something, a few songs, maybe seven or eight of them and then do a few shows. So I’m not gonna be back-back because I have way too many things going on, but as far as doing a tour and an EP or something, I’m down for that. I’d actually like to perform the very last record we did together, House Of Music. We never toured that record, so if everyone is up for it, I’d like to do that and put out three new records.”
Oh, they’re up for it.
See some of the best reactions below.
Raphael Saadiq revisits Tony! Toni! Toné! for “Just Me And You” tour this year pic.twitter.com/MUgmWgKyWe
the best concert I have been to was a Raphael Saadiq show when they first reunited on stage after their break up. So I will def be at this show https://t.co/moh1wwz4QV
I dropped a video talking about Tony! Toni! Toné!’s House of Music album and a few hours later, @RaphaelSaadiq announces that him and the Tonies are going on tour. Crazy. pic.twitter.com/9BfrCkzTNG
Sometimes, loving someone is easier than liking them. Daniel Caesar addresses that complicated conundrum in his new single “Do You Like Me?” The 2023 Juno Awards nominee produced the romantic, slow-burning track with Raphael Saadiq and Dylan Wiggins, and the Machine Operated-directed video arrived today, February 1 — just in time to soundtrack myriad messy Valentine’s Day situations.
In the video, Caesar walks into an apartment as a woman is burning a photo of them together. They immediately launch into a heated argument, subtitled in Portuguese. She questions Caesar over where he’s been and demands an explanation. Caesar doesn’t understand why she’s so upset because he was just working, but she isn’t buying it.
Based on the song’s lyrics, the couple has questions looming larger than Caesar’s whereabouts. “Do you like the way I talk to you?” Caesar sings in his signature smooth high register. “Do I titillate your mind?”
By the time the woman storms upstairs, Caesar gets straight to the point: “Do you really like me? / Yeah, we’re still young, but for how many moons?” He wants to find true love despite the risk, and he owns up to his past shortcomings (“At first I was f*cking your friend / But I wanted you”) with hope that he can still have it all in the future (“Will you have my kids? You better / I wanna be in love again”).
The video progresses to the bedroom, where Caesar is still pleading his case. The couple seems to be at an impasse, and Caesar is left alone — looking very tortured by whatever is running through his mind — while she’s in the shower.
“Do You Like Me?” follows “Please Do Not Lean” featuring Badbadnotgood from last April. It marked his first solo release since 2019’s CASE STUDY 01. “Please Do Not Lean” is nominated for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording Of The Year at March’s Junos. All in all, momentum is (hopefully) building toward Caesar’s highly anticipated third studio album.
Classifying Beyonce’s massive discography of music into any specific genre is a mostly fruitless exercise (which didn’t stop us from trying in 2020) because the versatile star is constantly evolving and experimenting, refusing to be kept to just one box or genre. That musical dabbling will apparently continue on her upcoming new album Renaissance; Variety reports that the album will see Beyonce leaning more heavily into the country direction she flashed on her last full-length album Lemonade in 2016, as well as incorporating more “dance” music — although that’s a broad category which could figure in a lot of musical directions.
A source familiar with the album says that Bey has tapped Ryan Tedder, whose past contributions to her oeuvre included the angelic “Halo,” and neo-soul demigod Raphael Saadiq, who deserves far more credit for both his production work and his own extensive catalog. Since the surprise announcement for the album labeled the collection due on July 29 “Act 1,” that could be an indication that the album will either be released in parts or will be a “multi-disc” affair, in which case the songs could be organized by similar sounds.
In British Vogue‘s cover story about the album, editor-in-chief Edward Enninful describes being “transported back to the clubs of my youth,” which suggests a possible house, ball culture-inspired sound — which would be timely, since drag is enormous right now, with all kinds of artists tapping the sound of the underground subculture. It’s also big on television thanks to competition shows like Legendary on HBO Max. In any case, this is all just speculation until the album actually drops, but one thing is for sure: The Beyhive will be going crazy ’til then and Beyonce remains one of the biggest stars on the planet.
(@Nu_Konspicuous7) 
