Soul Fixin'

it's a shame.
Raphael Saadiq can do no wrong in my eyes. His last album, The Way I See It, is living proof. The Soul Man recently paired up with Levi's Pioneer Sessions, an effort to allow contemporary artist to record the songs that inspired their sounds. It's no surprise Mr. Saadiq picked the Stevie Wonder penned, Spinners' classic 'It's A Shame.' Raphael Saadiq fails to disappoint with this remake. It's not easy remaking a classic but Mr. Saadiq proved his self once again. Check out the remake below, it would be a shame not to.

Soul Fixin'

the way he sees it.
A simple search through YouTube can uncover many gems, from long forgotten Soul Train performances to obscure videos like the one below. Soul man Raphael Saadiq and guitarist Rob Bacon make an appearance on radio station NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. The dapper singer played an acoustic medley of songs, "Love That Girl," "100 Yard Dash," and "Sure Hope You Mean It," from his 2008 solo set The Way I See It. Sit back, relax & enjoy the show.

Soul Fixin'

Saadiq Pays Homage to Jackson

While performing in Japan, a country known for it's love of black folks and black music, Raphael Saadiq & crew dug deep in MJ's music catalogue and performed 'I Want You Back.' In all fairness, this was taped the day MJ died so Saadiq & crew had very little time to rehearse. Therefore, I can't complain. While it isn't a spectacular performance, I'm sure it comes from the heart and that is all that matters. Click play & enjoy!

Soul Fixin'

Run The '100 Yard Dash' With Raphael Saadiq

The wait is finally over, Raphael Saadiq has revealed his latest visual treat. The video for '100 Yard Dash' is reminiscent of a bygone era, the black and white clip is clearly a salute to 1960's. The video is far from dissappointing, much like The Way I See It. Saadiq & crew keep it simple yet very satisfying. Hit play and enjoy this slice of vintage soul.

Soul Tracks

Creating music is a gift from God, and Mr. Saadiq is undeniable gifted. Raphael Saadiq was one of a handful of artist who successfully restored the classic sound of soul music in '08. Saadiq's 2008 release, The Way I See It, recalls the magic of Motown, the sound of Philly and the gutbucket soul of Memphis. Saadiq's 'Staying In Love,' makes my list of favorite songs of 2008. Clocking in at a mere 2 minutes and 56 seconds, 'Staying In Love,' with it's captivating hook, sounds like a Motown song that never was.

Soul Fixin'

A Celebration of Soul
In the wake of releasing The Way I See It, an album that pays homage to the sounds of Stax, Motown, Chicago and Philly, Rahpael Saadiq and his band took a trip to BlackVoices.com for a soul infused jam session. Saadiq & crew perform 'Big Easy, 'Just One Kiss,' 'Oh Girl,' & 'Love That Girl,' and an amazing tribute to Shalamar. Raphael Saadiq also sits down for a Q&A session. Check out the video here.

Soul Fixin'

Raphael Saadiq...Need I Say More?

Raphael Saadiq can do no wrong in my eyes. The Oakland cat is revered around these parts. His latest album, The Way I See It, is a work of art. If you don't own the album, what are you waiting for? I came across the video above, which is brought to you by ItsLikeButtaBaby.com. Decked out in a yellow suit, Raphael Saadiq performs a medley of "(Lay Your Head On My) Pillow," "It Never Rains (In Southern California)," & "Anniversary." The crowd was loving every bit of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as they did.

Soul Fixin'

Check Out Raphael Saadiq Live
As you may know Raphael Saadiq is hitting the road this fall along with John Legend. If you need a reason to check Mr. Saadiq out take a look at the video below. I came across the clip today, Saadiq is performing 'You And Me' in D.C at the Black Cat back in September.  Dressed in a yellow suit with a wife beater, Saadiq is accompanied by a band a group of background vocalists and the audience is loving every bit of it. Butta from SoulBounce was kind enough to upload the video for our viewing pleasure. Surprisingly, the video has been viewed 28 times. Be sure to head over to YouTube to catch some videos of your favorite soul artists. Vintage clips of artists from Aretha to Phyllis Hyman can be found on YouTube along with recent performances from soul singers such as Chrisette Michelle and Anthony Hamilton.

Soul Fixin'

John Legend & Raphael Saadiq Will Tour Together
What do John Legend and Raphael Saadiq have in common? Not only are the two superb musicians and singers but the duo will be hitting the road together this fall. That's right, John Legend & Raphael Saadiq. It doesn't get much better than that. The 14-date trek kicks off November 19 in Minneapolis, weeks after the release of Legend's Evolver, due October 28. The soul brothers will be singing their way through Chicago, Boston, Philly, Charlotte, Detroit and other cities before wrapping things up in Durham, North Carolina. Hit up Billboard for the complete itinerary. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.

Saturday Soul

Conversation with Raphael Saadiq [OkayPlayer]
Rare Photos of Michael Jackson [Rolling Stone]
Soul Bounce Is Down To # 1 [Soul Bounce]
Remembering Bernie Mac [VIBE]
Aretha & Her Man [C+D]
Common Drops A New Video [Soul Bounce]
WILL.I.AM & John Legend at the DNC [VIBE]
Hurricane Katrina: 3 Years Later [Black Voices]

Soul Fixin'

Saadiq Jams With 'Love That Girl'

Try to imagine an impromptu jam session at the old Motown studios in Detroit with Smokey Robinson on lead vocals, Florence, Mary and Diana playing the role of background singers, The Funk Brothers serving up their trademark sound and a young Stevie Wonder watching from the sidelines. Raphael Saadiq's latest video for the Motown inspired 'Love That Girl' is reminiscent of a 1960's Motown jam session. Saadiq keeps it simple and takes you back to a time when music was music. The soul brother's upcoming release is a complete throwback to the beloved sound of the 60's and 70's, The Way I See It drops September 16. Treat yourself to a slice of vintage soul and let us know what you think.

Soul Fixin'

Raphael Saadiq Is 'Staying In Love'
My latest Raphael Saadiq fix comes in the form of 'Staying In Love,' the latest track to hit the net from his forthcoming album The Way I See It. If you didn't know any better, it would be safe to assume 'Staying In Love' is a 1960's Motown record that never saw the light of day. Saadiq successful recreated the 'Motown Sound,' the use of tambourines to accent the back beat, prominent melodic electric bass guitar lines, distinctive melodic and chord structures, and a call and response singing style. Saadiq describes the song as a "nifty dance floor gem.It reminds me of a Jackson 5 record, with that James Jamerson bass line, the kind of energy folks love from those Motown tracks." Press play and satisfy your soul.

Soul Tracks

There really is something about Mary. Mary J. Blige that is. That 'something' can be defined as the flurry of emotions one feels when listening to a Mary record. Wyclef once said "Mary doesn't sing to you, she sings through you." For the past 16 years Sister J. Blige has been singing through us. While many female vocalists have come and gone, MJB is still around. Reason being, Mary, an around the way girl from Yonkers, NY, reminds of us the women in our lives; our mothers, sisters, girlfriends, aunts, and cousins. We felt her inner pain and understand her sense of 'nobodiness.' We have experienced similar trials and tribulations. Now, we bask in her happiness and sit in awe of her success. Mary's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough, marked a transformation in Mary's life. Drugs and alcohol became a thing of the past and Mary was a happily married woman. The Breakthrough sold 727,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist. Raphael Saadiq composed, produced, and played the role of background singer on the glorious 'I Found My Everything.' Saadiq was able to channel Mary's inner soul child evoking memories of a 70's soul ballad. It is safe to assume the song is autobiographical. Mary's everything is husband Kendu Isaacs, the man she credits for her transformation and breakthrough.

Soul Fixin'

Raphael Saadiq Makes A '100 Yard Dash' As the release date for Saadiq's The Way I See It draws near, another soul drenched track has hit the 'net. The vintage soul set hits stores September 16.'100 Yard Dash,' the latest track to pop up on the net is highly addictive, I've played it five times in a row. I can't enough of Raphael Saadiq, September 16 can't come fast enough. Raphael Saadiq describes the track as "a juke joint, Booker T.-type groove. I reflected back to my first Tony!Toni!Tone! albums when I was singing in a high tenor voice." The music speaks for itself, listen and savor the soul.

Video Soul

"you should be here in the evenin'
get to squeezin', teasin'
forget the reason..."

Soul Fixin'

New Music from Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq has done it again. The latest track from the soul man's forthcoming album, The Way I See It, to hit the net is 'Oh Girl.' Don't be fooled, this isn't a remake of the Chi-Lites classic or a hidden gem produced by Gamble & Huff that has been locked in the vaults of Philadelphia International Records for the past 35 years. 'Oh Girl,' a Saadiq original, is a throwback to Philly Soul sound of The Stylistics and Delfonics. Saadiq has done an amazing job or recycling and recreating the soul of the 60's and 70's. While the opening of 'Oh Girl' is reminiscent of an Isaac Hayes symphonic soul classic it slowly segues into a tender Philly Soul love ballad. Saadiq's retro soul set will arrive September 16th via Columbia Records.

Soul Fixin'

Q- Tip Experiences A Renaissance
It's been 9 long years. Q- Tip is preparing for the release of his sophomore album The Renaissance. According to Q -Tip the changing landscape of hip hop makes it the perfect time to release The Renaissance, "I had to wait until the time was right. If I put it out a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t have been right. But now you have people like Santogold, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Common. It seems like it’s a bit more in tune with what I’m doing.”

The Renaissance features collaborations with D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq and Norah Jones.

In addition to The Renaissance, Q-Tip plans on releasing Kamaal The Abstract, an album that was shelved by Arista in '02, later this year. A release date for The Renaissance has not been set.

Saturday Soul

Betty Wright's Explosion[Okayplayer]
Perfect Combinations -- The Soul Duets[VIBE]
Smooth Soul Survivors [SoulTracks]
Q-Tip in Super Group with D'Angelo & Raphael Saadiq?? [The BoomBox]
Old School Friday: Hip Hop [Songs In The Key Of Life]
Snoop Dogg Goes Country [Billboard]

Soul Fixin'

The Way I See It The soul world is anxiously anticipating the release of Raphael Saadiq's vintage soul inspired album. Public Soul Announcement has kept you up to date with the latest news on the album. Here is the latest, the album will be released this fall, September 16th to be exact. The Way I See It is Saadiq's first release since 04's Ray Ray. The Delfonics, Al Green, The Stylistics, The Four Tops, and Sam Cooke are cited as inspiration for the project. “Once I got into this, I got almost stuck ‘in character,’ the character of the old school singers I listened to. But I’m happy and excited it’s done. I put in a lot of work and I feel like I achieved something really great” says Saadiq.

According to BillboardThe Way I See It features a duet with Joss Stone titled "Just One Kiss" and "Big Easy," inspired by Hurricane Katrina.

Public Soul Announcement featured two songs off the album, if you missed it click here.

Soul Fixin'

Ray Ray Gives Us Some 60's Soul
If one man is capable of capturing the sound and soul of the 60's its Raphael Saadiq. The former Tony! Toni! Tone! front man is busy putting the finishing touches on a 60's inspired soul album. Check out two tracks from his forthcoming album, "I Like It" featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica and "Love That Girl." These two songs sound like they were stolen from the Motown vaults.