Taking an interest in music from the age of 6, joining gospel groups and attending Young Musicians Program at Berklee during middle school, Saadiq got the chance phone call of a lifetime, when Sheila E. called one day looking for touring musicians to join Prince on his Parade tour. Saadiq spent two years on the road, a time he called "My University".
Saadiq made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of 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.
After the 1996 Tony! Toni! Toné! album, House of Music, (when he performed under his current name) Saadiq started his solo career. He produced a few solo tracks, but 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). This group only lasted for one album. His solo album Instant Vintage, released in 2002, also earned 5 Grammy nominations.
Saadiq released his third solo album, The Way I See It, on September 16 2008, featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. Saadiq acknowledges the album's old school soul sound, which he says includes nods to Gladys Knight & The Pips, Al Green, The Four Tops, The Delfonics and The Stylistics.
Various artists have tapped Saadiq to produce their work through the years. Some of Saadiq's most notable work has been with D'Angelo. The 2000 collaboration "Untitled" won D'Angelo a Grammy award for Best R&B Album. In 2007, Saadiq was called on to produce the whole third album from UK Soul singer Joss Stone. Other artists he has collaborated with include The Roots, Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, Kelis, Q-Tip and Young Bellz.
In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts.
http://vimeo.com/3020000
Chic
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One licks a lollipop
Manolo Blancs, it's hot
Her seven spit like heaven
A chic like you
Can move and shake it fast
Boys wait for her to pass
Chic like you
She soaks in green tea lotion
Her legs are so outspoken
You'll think this girl is naked
Chic like you
The girl is always sexy
She loves backseats in taxis
And talking good and trashy
I mean the chic like you like just won't stop
Unbutton the top and later hear that k-k-knee drop
I could take you to the Opera and back to the block
Manolos and Gucci Lyn this chic is hot
For real and I mean sizzling hips get the twistness
Switchin' she keep all the playas whistling
She do the foo in bikinis and heels
The way she lick the bits and suck the ice and give a grown man chill
Oh girl when the attendant flip her own whips
Flew a playa the Vegas's for their own chips
Life of the party, the two step queen
She rapped when she seen me with them painted on jeans
You know I don't hit no better than her
Feel like I'm drunk when I see her and I slur my words
She's sexy and classy and she's my type
We can make it last forever just one night what they do, why, why
Everyone buying your drinks, everyone wants the number
Its such a sexy show and she always dancing
Everyone buying your drinks, everyone wants the number
Its such a sexy show and she always dancing
I need a chic like you
That don't know when to quit
Likes me to jump on it
And I just met her girlfriends
Chic like you
One with an open mind
Lets me eat cherry pie
Oh my, oh my, oh my
Chic like you
Will always keep me guessing
What's under that long jacket
I got this real bad habit
Now if this sounds like you
Girl, let me come inside
'Cause I think that you might be
My type, my type, my type, my type, my type, my type
You might be my type, my type, my type, my type, my type, my type
And she is always dancing, always dancing
In the song "Chic Like You," Raphael Saadiq sings about his desire for a woman who possesses a certain level of confidence and sex appeal. He lists various qualities that make her stand out to him, such as the way she moves and shakes, and her fashion sense (specifically, her liking for Manolo Blancs). He is attracted to her because she is always sexy and alluring, and he imagines being able to have a fun, spontaneous time with her. Despite her outward sexiness, there is still an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding her, which only adds to her attractiveness in Raphael's eyes.
The lyrics of this song paint a picture of a woman who exudes confidence and sensuality, but who is also intelligent and independent. This image is perhaps reflective of Raphael's own tastes and preferences, and it serves to highlight the idea that being attractive and stylish goes beyond just physical appearance - it also involves an innate sense of self-assurance and self-possession.
Line by Line Meaning
I need a chick like you
The singer is looking for someone like the girl he is describing in the song.
One licks a lollipop
The girl enjoys licking lollipops.
Manolo Blancs, it's hot
The girl wears Manolo Blancs shoes that make her look hot.
Her seven spit like heaven
The girl's perfume smells heavenly.
Can move and shake it fast
The girl can dance fast and move her body in attractive ways.
Boys wait for her to pass
Boys are attracted to her and wait for her to walk by.
Because that girl is bad
The girl is confident and has a great personality that makes her attractive.
She soaks in green tea lotion
The girl uses green tea lotion to take care of her skin.
Her legs are so outspoken
The girl's legs are very attractive and noticeable.
You'll think this girl is naked
The girl's outfit is so revealing that one might think she is naked.
The girl is always sexy
The girl is consistently sexy and alluring.
She loves backseats in taxis
The girl enjoys being intimate in the backseats of taxis.
And talking good and trashy
The girl is uninhibited and talks in a way that is both good and trashy.
I mean the chic like you like just won't stop
The singer really likes girls like her and can't stop thinking about them.
Unbutton the top and later hear that k-k-knee drop
The singer wants her to unbutton her top and later make his knees weak with desire.
I could take you to the Opera and back to the block
The singer wants to show her the high society life at the Opera, and then take her back to his home block.
Manolos and Gucci Lyn this chic is hot
The girl wearing Manolo and Gucci is very hot looking.
For real and I mean sizzling hips get the twistness
The girl has sizzling hips that make people excited and twisting in their excitement.
Switchin' she keep all the playas whistling
When she switches and sways her hips, all the guys start whistling.
She do the foo in bikinis and heels
She is a master of the pool game and can play it even while wearing bikinis and heels.
The way she lick the bits and suck the ice and give a grown man chill
The girl knows how to seduce a man with her sensual actions that give him a chill down his spine.
Oh girl when the attendant flip her own whips
The girl turns heads when she gets out of her car and her chauffer takes over.
Flew a playa the Vegas's for their own chips
She is impressive enough that rich guys fly her to Vegas and pay for their own gambling.
Life of the party, the two step queen
She's the life of the party and a great dancer.
She rapped when she seen me with them painted on jeans
She was impressed when she saw him wearing tight, painted on jeans.
You know I don't hit no better than her
The singer knows that he will never find someone better than her.
Feel like I'm drunk when I see her and I slur my words
The singer becomes so excited he feels drunk and stumbles over his words when he sees her.
She's sexy and classy and she's my type
The girl is both sexy and classy, and is the singer's ideal type.
We can make it last forever just one night what they do, why, why
The singer wants to make their one night together last forever, but is questioning why it can't happen.
Everyone buying your drinks, everyone wants the number
People are attracted to the girl and are buying her drinks and trying to get her number.
Its such a sexy show and she always dancing
The girl is always dancing and putting on a sexy, alluring show.
That don't know when to quit
The girl doesn't know when to stop having fun and being intimate.
Likes me to jump on it
The girl enjoys and wants the singer to be aggressive in bed.
And I just met her girlfriends
The singer has just met her friends, indicating a deeper level of connection.
One with an open mind
The girl is open-minded, willing to try new things and experiences.
Lets me eat cherry pie
The girl is comfortable with the singer being intimate with her, represented by eating her 'cherry pie.'
Oh my, oh my, oh my
The singer is excited about the possibilities in store with this girl.
Will always keep me guessing
The girl will always keep the singer on his toes and not knowing what will happen next.
What's under that long jacket
The singer is curious about what the girl is wearing under her long jacket and would like to find out.
I got this real bad habit
The singer has a bad habit of wanting girls like her and falling for them quickly.
Girl, let me come inside
The singer wants to take their relationship to the next level and become physically intimate.
'Cause I think that you might be
The singer suspects that the girl might be perfect for him.
My type, my type, my type, my type, my type, my type
The girl is the singer's ideal type and he repeats this several times to emphasize the point.
You might be my type, my type, my type, my type, my type, my type
The singer reiterates that the girl might be his ideal type.
And she is always dancing, always dancing
The girl is always dancing, which the singer finds attractive.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALVIE WIGGINS, MICHAEL ANGELO SAULSBERRY, RAPHAEL SAADIQ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind