http://www.billboard.com/...id=1920086

Former Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl principal Raphael Saadiq plans to further his solo career later this year with a live album and DVD to be fashioned from recordings made at three upcoming shows. The artist is also working on a new distribution deal for his Pookie Entertainment record label.

Saadiq will be joined by a 12-piece band and a number of unnamed guests for concerts July 2 at San Diego's Belly Up Tavern, July 3 at Los Angeles' House of Blues and July 4 at Las Vegas' House of Blues, with fans and radio contest winners in attendance. All three concerts will be recorded for the live album -- due for an October release -- and a DVD to be released next year, both on Pookie Entertainment.

Saadiq, who earlier this year won the best R&B song Grammy for "Love of My Life (Ode to Hip Hop)" with Erykah Badu, is also planning to record his second solo studio album later this year at his Blakeslee Studios in North Hollywood, Calif. He is eyeing a February 2004 release date for the disc, the follow-up to last year's "Instant Vintage" (Universal). That set debuted at No. 25 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 207,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Saadiq is also looking to develop new artists through Pookie Entertainment. The forthcoming live album will be the first release on Pookie since the self-titled, BMG-distributed debut of Lucy Pearl, the R&B supergroup Saadiq formed with En Vogue's Dawn Robinson and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad. That album debuted at No. 26 on The Billboard 200 in June 2000.

YES!!! A live DVD of Raphy doing his thing sounds great! Thanks for posting this.

okaypimpn said:

LOL you're a total mess *In Mariah's tune*

Personaly, I don't know what to expect really, becoz I haven't seen the brotha live. I hope its musical yet funky(I like Jill Scott but the woman is boring when u HEAR her live CDs).

Harlepolis said:

I've seen Raphy live both solo and with the Tonies. You won't be disappointed.

intha916 said:

All I have to say is if you never see anyone live in you life...YOU MUST CATCH RAY!!! I saw him when he performed with Lucy Pearl in Atlanta and the brother turned it out!!! His band was very simple-Amp Fidler on the Keys, Lil' John on the Drums, Elijah Hasan Baker on Bass (from the Tonies), and his cousin (I forget his name) on Rhythm Guitar. Raphael opened the set with a badass guitar solo (sounded like Funkadelic's Maggot Brain). I knew he could play guitar, but not like that!!! Really gave a cat like Prince a run for his money!!! Anyway, the show was really good and the next time he comes back, rest assured I'll be there!!!

okaypimpn said:

Really? Its good to see folks giving the brotha props 4 his guitar playing. Personaly, I don't see him as a STRONG guitarist/bassist, his work is more of session stuff than solo if u know what I mean but like u said, [live] you could have the chance 2 witness what the man have to offer.

Harlepolis said:

Ray is funky as hell live!!! I'm tellin' you...the boy is no joke!!! I never expected him to play the guitar like that. I was completely blown away! He also killed the bass when he played at a Grammy afterparty this year w/ Meshell. One other thing......I also remember seeing him beat the hell outta a tambourine back when the Tonies were popular (I think it may've been on SNL). The only male performer I've ever seen play a tambourine like that was Sly Stone. It must be something about that Bay Area!!!

okaypimpn said:

I caught him live w/Lucy Pearl. The brother floored me with that extended revamp of Dance Tonight with a solo that damn sure did give Prince a run for his money. I just hope this actually sees the light of day. The planned Lucy Pearl live CD didn't.

Instant Vintage is an unbelievable album, the only bad thing about it is that more people don't know about it.

chickengrease said:

-SWANGjumpsforjoy

chickengrease said:

Yeah! Talk about someone who was pissed!!!

Any news about the next Lucy Pearl project now that Joi is on the row?

I think that Joi is a good pre4mer with raw emotions but she just can't hold a candle 2 Dawn Robinson.

Harlepolis said:

Last I heard, Lucy Pearl has officially broken up. Ray hasn't been in touch with Ali for quite some time now, but he and Joi still remain close (as you know he produced some tracks on "Star Kitty's Revenge"). Dawn was a better vocalist than Joi, but I don't think she brought the same energy she did to match the band.

okaypimpn said:

I didn't witness anything LIVE from Joi along with Ray so I can't comment. As far as their studio work goes? They rhyme 2ghether nicley tho.

Harlepolis said:

?

You should see what someone not in the know had to say about this on AMP


toni tone tony
[This message was edited Fri Jun 27 9:07:20 PDT 2003 by Presence]

purpleone said:

Whats so confusing?

Harlepolis said:

I heard she's bankrupt.

okaypimpn said:

Jill Scott,,you talking about OUR Jill Scott? It sounds hard to believe. Where did you hear this?

Harlepolis said:

A friend of mine told me they read it, but I don't know exactly what they were reading. It could've been the Enquior (sp??) for all I know.

I hope all of the info is true. I would love to have some live stuff form R.S. I saw his show at B.B. King's in N.Y. with Joi opening for him. His stage presence was unbelieveable, especally when he did classic songs. The only wack part was when he noticed Ali from Tribe in the crowd. It seems there is still beef over the Lucy Pearl thing. The mood was very ackward and you could feel alot of tension. Anyway good luck to Raphael. I really like his style.

csharp57 said:

Really?! Care to elaborate?

okaypimpn said:

The reason why its hard to believe is becoz the woman is getting a back-up from a good team and a tight managment company. Plus, I heard many great thangs from Hidden Beach so far so its a bit strange 2 hear that they did her wrong.

Just a thought tho!

Harlepolis said:

That is true. Who knows. I guess time will only tell.

Just an update from okayplayer.com:

http://www.okayplayer.com...29582.html

Questlove a.k.a qoolquest
"who was that masked man"

well--
doing the impossible. alan leeds got your boy moleasses to get off his arse to give a somewhat inspiried performance for raephael's house of blues dvd.
leeds says d's fro is damn near bigger than mine and he broke 2 mic stands and moshed in the audience. says that was the juice d needed to get inspired to finish his record.

--not that i give a fuck or anything...

it is my responsibility to deliver d news around here.

chickengrease said:

Alan Leeds? THE Alan Leeds? WOW Ray got himself on a jewel, lucky mofo.

LOL I always have this funny feeling that ?uestlove ain't too crazy about Ray(becoz of the D'Angelo thang and other reasons) why is that?

BTW thanx 4 the update

okaypimpn said:

And there's more to come.

Harlepolis said:

Yeah...me, too!!! Not only that, ?uestlove probably knows a REAL musician when he sees one and it intimidates the hell outta him. I am so looking forward to D's new album with Ray behind the boards and thumpin' that fonky ass bass!!!

The only wack part was when he noticed Ali from Tribe in the crowd. It seems there is still beef over the Lucy Pearl thing. The mood was very ackward and you could feel alot of tension. Anyway good luck to Raphael. I really like his style.[/quote]

Really?! Care to elaborate?[/quote]



During the middle of his set Raphael thanked the crowd for coming out to see him. He then started to welcome some of the celebs in the private area. Magic Johnson was one of the guests. Then he called out Ali's name and the crowd parted like the Red Sea. R.S. thanked him for showing up and invited him on stage. By the look on Ali's face you could tell he didn't really want to go, but I think he went not to look like a jerk. R.S. said he called Ali all week long but he only spoke to his sister. Ali interupted Raphael by telling him he knew his cell and 2-way numbers. The whole thing felt cold and distant, with that ackwardness in the air. R.S. just smiled, Ali went left and the show went on. I think I read somewhere that Dawn and Ali blame Raphael for money problems the group had. I like Raphael so that stuff means nothing to me.