Saadiq, Raphael - Formerly of Tony Toni Tone and now solo
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
Learning the 'unofficial' family business led Raphael Saadiq to pursue a career in music, but his faith and determination have enabled his seamless transition from popular group member (Tony Toni Tone) to a successful solo artist.
DM) What about performing do you enjoy the most?
RS) I enjoy the traveling, the people, and the energy from the people.
DM) Have you ever had a bad show where you did not have the energy you wanted?
RS) Never.
DM) So what's the secret to success for a good show?
RS) I think you just have to love what you do. You don't get full of yourself. It's a give and take situation.
DM) Do you feel you enjoy what you do more than what the audience gets out of it?
RS) Maybe in the beginning when I first walk out...I think by the time I leave, they kind of get that I'm having a ball, and they figure they might as well join me.
DM) Before, you were in the group, Tony Toni Tone...and now you're on your own. What are the pros and cons of performing solo?
RS) Being by yourself is bigger challenge. You have to do more. You have to do five or six interviews a day. You can't slack off and go around the corner shopping. Other than that, things are beautiful - being by yourself, making decisions... I look at it as a challenge. I'm the type of person who will listen to anybody, and sometimes being in a group of people it's not the best; sometimes it's best to be on your own, so if you make your own mistakes, it's on you.
DM) Does it ever get lonely having a situation where your success is your own?
RS) No loneliness. Not unless you're a lonely type of person. I'm loner, so I like that.
DM) You're a loner, but you also enjoy performing. How does that work?
RS) That's like during the day - I'm not alone during a performance. I'm alone, and I drive around by myself, but I'm also close and tight with my band members. So on the road, it's almost like I'm still in a group.
DM) If you weren't doing music, what would you be doing?
RS) I like directing - videos...and one day a movie. I like photography. I would have been doing something on a creative side. If not, I would still have been at UPS.
DM) Being such a creative person, how did you get through a job at UPS, which didn't really call for creativity?
RS) My father was a creative person, too, but he understood where he lived and where he had to spend money on, so I was just sort of the same way. My mother would never allow me to leave the house, and just be creative and be a musician. I wasn't one of those kids who wanted to be famous and make it big; I was just doing it in my free time. In high school and junior high school, I was in every band and every competition. Luckily, right after high school, I was able to go on tour with Lionel Richie, which was fantastic. So right after high school, I was in coliseums.
DM) What did they feel about your choice about going into music?
RS) They thought it was a risky career to go after, but as a kid, you just jump into it. However, the coin dips, and it's on you how focused you're going to be. When you first get into it, you make a commitment, but you don't really think that this is going to be it. The more I figured out that I really wanted to do this, the more I started to take this serious.
DM) It sounds like your influence from your parents wasn't really to do this...
RS) No, it wasn't at all. I played at church, so as long as they could keep one eye on me, that was fun. But not as far as playing in the clubs.
DM) So what started you in music?
RS) My father was a guitar player and singer. He worked three jobs all of his life. All of the musicians he saw were blowing their lives away, so he realized he had kids and couldn't do that, so he had to get a real job. Me and my brothers saw the guitar lying around the house, so we just picked it up. He never forced it on us; we just got the influence on the sly.
DM) You mentioned church. How much of an influence has church been on your music?
RS) I would say 100%, but there were some other small influences. I found out those other influences were also church, so I guess it was all church. I still go to church every once in a while to keep myself grounded. I'm deeply rooted in church, so I never get too far away from it. It's always on my mind.
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