Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, Califo… Read Full Bio ↴Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, California) is an acclaimed American music artist. He is a singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the neo-soul music movement.
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! TonΓ©!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of Tony! Toni! TonΓ©!, 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! TonΓ©! 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
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! TonΓ©!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of Tony! Toni! TonΓ©!, 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! TonΓ©! 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
Rikers Island Redux
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
America, America
Purveyor of mass hysteria
Mass production
And mass incarceration
The epitome of huddled masses yearning to breathe, free
The masses, masses, the masses, masses
Mass is the property of matter regardless of the state
But it seems we don't matter until we're properties of the state en masse
And massah's still trying to trick himself into believing he picked cotton too
And no matter how much I cow tow tap dance and jump through a bunch of hoops
I'll still be the one who winds up in a jumpsuit
I'll still be the one who winds up with the gun wounds
King had just one dream that won't seem to come true
X had necessary means and a gun too
Though there's always more than one truth
Even on cloudy days, sun rays still come through
I mask feelings of pain and ask for healing
We got the same glass ceiling
But I'm s'posed to be thankful for my sun roof
And massah's still trying to trick himself into believing he picked the cotton too
It's complex how being born with this complexion
Ups the likelihood of dying in a prison complex
And orange ain't the new black
Black is the same, same black
But this ain't just for black folks
Just ask those backward folks
That stay intolerant like lactose
We 'bout to blast, blowing like Miles, Coltrane, and Satchmo
You can act slow, but we want our civil rights in fast forward
Ain't we asking for it
This is just the beginning of a long list of demands, bro
This ya last chance, yo
This is the optimum time, and just like Optimus Prime, we gon' transform
This gift of gab is God given, and it's given this man a knack for it
So let's stand for 'em
In New York, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, ATL
Charleston, San Fran, Oakland, LA, B-More, Detroit, DC, Chicago and Ferguson
It's time for turning up, time for turning tables
Turning heads and it's time to plan
I take a line from my man Lin-Man who wrote Ham
Revolution is messy, but now it's time to stand
So stand up, stand up
Word to the words of the police, hands up
Word to the folks in jail copping pleas
Please, people, copy me
No misogyny, but we gotta man up
We gotta open that can up
I'm not worried about becoming worms meat
What concerns me is my people learning
The difference between earning our own keep
And working another man's land for free
One is just the same slavery
The other unlocks chains, so turn key
I hate that this deferred dream keeps recurring
Wake up America, wake up and hurry
Purveyor of mass hysteria
Mass production
And mass incarceration
The epitome of huddled masses yearning to breathe, free
The masses, masses, the masses, masses
Mass is the property of matter regardless of the state
But it seems we don't matter until we're properties of the state en masse
And massah's still trying to trick himself into believing he picked cotton too
And no matter how much I cow tow tap dance and jump through a bunch of hoops
I'll still be the one who winds up with the gun wounds
King had just one dream that won't seem to come true
X had necessary means and a gun too
Though there's always more than one truth
Even on cloudy days, sun rays still come through
I mask feelings of pain and ask for healing
We got the same glass ceiling
But I'm s'posed to be thankful for my sun roof
And massah's still trying to trick himself into believing he picked the cotton too
It's complex how being born with this complexion
Ups the likelihood of dying in a prison complex
And orange ain't the new black
Black is the same, same black
But this ain't just for black folks
Just ask those backward folks
That stay intolerant like lactose
We 'bout to blast, blowing like Miles, Coltrane, and Satchmo
You can act slow, but we want our civil rights in fast forward
Ain't we asking for it
This is just the beginning of a long list of demands, bro
This ya last chance, yo
This is the optimum time, and just like Optimus Prime, we gon' transform
This gift of gab is God given, and it's given this man a knack for it
So let's stand for 'em
In New York, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, ATL
Charleston, San Fran, Oakland, LA, B-More, Detroit, DC, Chicago and Ferguson
It's time for turning up, time for turning tables
Turning heads and it's time to plan
I take a line from my man Lin-Man who wrote Ham
Revolution is messy, but now it's time to stand
So stand up, stand up
Word to the words of the police, hands up
Word to the folks in jail copping pleas
Please, people, copy me
No misogyny, but we gotta man up
We gotta open that can up
I'm not worried about becoming worms meat
What concerns me is my people learning
The difference between earning our own keep
And working another man's land for free
One is just the same slavery
The other unlocks chains, so turn key
I hate that this deferred dream keeps recurring
Wake up America, wake up and hurry
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brook Christian Davis, Daniel J. Watts, Kelvin Wooten, Raphael Saadiq
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Fashion4life
This new album is the truth!!
Vince Houbs
There is a lot of wisdom and grander vision in those words. Would do the world good if more people listened to them. Thank you for this.
Fear Resides Within Us
One of the best albums Iβve heard this year.
LΓ₯nΔ h Yasharah'la πΈ
This is DEEP!π 13th amendment (New Jim Crow Era) Peace, Love, Freedom & Revolution of the Mind Melanated Family. β€
Sergio Cox, Sr.
I keep this on repeat, I let it rip on repeat until I had enough. Then I go into Jimi Hendrix, Pharoahe Monch, Busta Rhymes Sean Price.
Elizabeth Asikpo
Preach Brother!!!βπΏ
RWalk
My LordβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎβπΎββββ
Winderful Foster
I feel ya those lyrics thoughππππππ
Daniel King DJMD
Truth music is whatβs up. We must all wake up. In the words of the late great Artist known as Prince,βAlbums Still Matterβ. Sadly what matters to us most probably wonβt get played on the radio. Itβs okay tho. We R still listening π. Reverbnation.com/mellowdeethesoloist Those who are on the level donβt care about the approval of the devil. We hear loud and clear. Ignorance is bliss and the truth will make those who care shed a tear π’. ππ½Keep doing your thing RS. OneβοΈ
StarchildBeatZ666
this blew my mind.....