RAPHAEL SAADIQ - AS RAY RAY

It’s weird: I’ve been helping make this magazine for almost seven years now, and until recently, have never gotten much soul music. Not that there’s much out worth talking about. Until recently, it was serious slim pickin’s. But now, I’m getting really fuckin’ excited about finally getting some good stuff to talk about.

Like ...As Ray Ray. “Raphael Saadiq? Ain’t that the dude from Tony Toni Tone?” Yes. And Lucy Pearl. And he released a first solo album called Instant Vintage, and an all-star live album, and has written for (or with) and played for (or with) a list of musicians including, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, The Isley Brothers, TLC, Snoop Dogg, the Bee Gees, and even John Mellencamp.

And, he got all those opportunities because he’s a GOOD GODDAMN SONGWRITER. Just go through his discography and tell me he hasn’t had a hand in some of the biggest, best songs written in the last decade.

And you can add ...As Ray Ray to it. With a visual theme inspired by cinema classic Uptown Saturday Night, Saadiq presents 14 songs that showcase his unique, almost trademark ability to make soul music with a timelessness typically present only in the music of the genre’s originators. “I Know Shuggie Otis” is one of the finest moments, displaying his instrumental and vocal versatility to recreate a vibe that is, appropriately, very Shuggie Otis-like. The addicitve “Chic Like You” bounces your body like the synthesizers punctuating the tune. And as a hint to what lies ahead in the near future, Dawn Robinson and Dwayne Wiggins show up on “Rifle Love” for a mini Lucy Pearl/Tony Toni Tone reunion.

...As Ray Ray is not limited to these three gems. It’s a good soul record, worth a good soul listening in its entirety. And it’s good to hear that someone who makes so much music for other people gets a chance to show off for himself every once in a while, too.