Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.

He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group career, he has also produced songs for such artists as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend.

Music critic Robert Christgau has called Saadiq the "preeminent R&B artist of the '90s".

Saadiq was also a member of The Ummah, a music production collective, alongside D'Angelo, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and J Dilla; and was a member of the supergroup Lucy Pearl with Dawn Robinson.

It samples The Intruders' 1973 song "I'll Always Love My Mama" and charted at number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

would become major R&B superstars throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

In 1984, shortly before his 18th birthday, Saadiq heard about tryouts in San Francisco for Sheila E.'s backing band on Prince's Parade Tour.

At the audition, he chose the name "Raphael", and had difficulty remembering to respond to the name when he heard that he got the part to play bass in the band.

He says of the experience, "Next thing I was in Tokyo, in a stadium, singin' Erotic City. We were in huge venues with the biggest sound systems in the world; all these roadies throwin' me basses, and a bunch of models hangin' round Prince to party. For almost two years. That was my university."

After returning to Oakland from touring with Prince, Saadiq began his professional career as the lead vocalist and bassist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné! He used the name Raphael Wiggins while in Tony!

Toni!

Toné!, along with his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian.

In the mid-1990s, he adopted the last name Saadiq, which means "man of his word" in Arabic.

His change of surname led many to speculate that he had converted to Islam at that point; in reality, Saadiq is not a Muslim, but rather just liked the way "Saadiq" sounded and changed his last name simply to distinguish himself from and avoid potential confusion with his brother, Dwayne Wiggins.

In 1995, Saadiq had his biggest solo hit to date, when "Ask of You", featured on the Higher Learning Soundtrack peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart.

In 1995, Saadiq produced and performed on Otis & Shug's debut album, We Can Do Whatever.

Tony!

Toni!

Toné!

However, after the 1996 album entitled House of Music failed to duplicate the group's previous success, Tony!

Toni!

Toné!

went their separate ways in 1997.

In 1999, 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).

The group only lasted for one album.

Also in 1999, he collaborated with rapper Q-Tip on the single "Get Involved", from the animated television series The PJs.

His 2000 song collaboration "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" won D'Angelo a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance; it was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.

The song was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone's "End of Year Critics & Readers Poll" of the top singles of 2000.

He has released five solo albums, including the critically acclaimed retro-styled The Way I See It (2008) and Stone Rollin' (2011).

As he confirmed by telling noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in May 2009, "I just wanted to have my own identity!"

He is also co-founder of the independent video game developer IllFonic, which developed Friday the 13th: The Game.

As a songwriter Saadiq has received two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Award nominations and an Academy Award nomination.

Saadiq was born in Oakland, California, and was the second-youngest of 14 siblings.

He attended Castlemont High School.

He has had four siblings die at early ages.

Saadiq states that he does not want his music to be reflective of the tragedies he experienced, saying that "And through all of that I was makin' records, but it wasn't comin' out in the music. I did it to kinda show people you can have some real tough things happen in your life, but you don't have to wear it on your sleeve."

He has been playing the bass guitar since the age of six, and first began singing at age nine in a local gospel group.

At the age of 12, he joined a group called "The Gospel Humminbirds".

The more contemporary-sounding Jimmy Lee was released in 2019, and earned Saadiq further acclaim.