Raphael Saadiq is a standard bearer for what folks call “old school” music, a contemporary artist continuing a time-honored tradition that goes back to the ’60s and ’70s. From his early days as a member of the groundbreaking ’80s group Tony! Toni! Toné! through his work as an award-winning producer of such artists as Joss Stone, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, John Legend among many others and his own solo albums, the multi-talented Raphael Saadiq has kept the faith.
His latest album, The Way I See It, available in a collector’s edition box set of 7″45 RPM singles as well as on traditional CD, represents the finest example to date of Raphael’s downtown sound, a masterful blend of old and new school sensibilities on tracks featuring artists such as Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Jay-Z.
This event took place on March 4, 2009, as part of the Musicians@Google series.