Q&A: Raphael Saadiq (playing tonight in KC)
By BRIAN BARR
Raphael Saadiq just wasn't made for these times. Then again, maybe he was. Like Erykah Badu, the former Tony! Toni! Tone! frontman, who is playing tonight at the VooDoo Lounge, is an analog guy in a digital world. But his old-school way of thinking has lead him to successful collaborations with Q-Tip, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, Bilal, and countless others who have needed a producer to give their music a little more "retro" feeling. Last year, he released The Way I See It, a set of Motown replicas. From the toe-tapping beats to his smooth-as-whipped-cream falsetto, the record harks back to a feel-good era. Just as "My Girl" and "Just My Imagination" seemed effortless, so does The Way I See It.. It just is what it is--a bunch of catchy tunes that could've been R&B hits back in the day. 
The Pitch: You've called this record your "downtown" record. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
Saadiq: Well, at first everybody was saying "Motown," but later on I started to think of it as my "downtown" record, meaning, like, the kind of music that you would hear when you go downtown back in the day. Y'know, you used to hear Motown and stuff like that when you'd go downtown and I was picturing that kind of a dress-up night, like when you'd get dressed up to go see Cab Calloway or Duke Ellington, y'know, in Harlem or wherever. So, I wanted it to be that kind of a record that made people feel like they were getting ready and going out that night and feeling good. So that's where the "downtown" thing came from.
How, exactly, did you achieve the vintage tone on this record?
It was just being in that frame of mind, y'know, putting yourself in that place. I gave my mind and body to the music. I mean, I went out and bought old drum sets and guitars and things like that, but it was more about being in that headspace and just playing the music and not really thinking about the label's reaction or if the TV bookers will get it or concert promoters or whoever. That wasn't one of my concerns. It was just about being in that headspace.
The Way I See It is a record that inevitably makes you realize the kind of emotion that is lacking in contemporary music. But I'm curious, what do you like about today's music that you don't hear on older records, if anything?
You hear a lot of low end today. Y'know, the bass, the bottom-end. You hear a lot more of that in the music today. They didn't have that on records back then. But it wasn't like they needed it. They didn't have it and they still made great records. I'm such a rebel when it comes to music, I don't think things have gotten better in music over the years. I think they've gotten worse. I mean, that sounds harsh. There's a lot of music out there today that I like, more indie rock and soulful rappers. I like Santigold and Kings of Leon, people that just get up there and...I don't know, it just seems like back in the day people were willing to take more risks and be individuals. Nowadays, it just seems like everybody's in the same army, y'know?
I would think a lot of people assume you dislike today's music, but it's obvious from your resume that you dig plenty of contemporary artists, such as Mary J. Blige, Q-Tip, etc. As a producer, how do you decide on which artists are worth your time to work with?
Artists get in touch with me, I don't really go looking for anybody to work with. So I know that if they call me, they've already put in the time to get to know what I'm about. They know I'm not super-trendy and they know that for whatever they might be doing I'll be a good fit for it. And I bump into people all the time. Like Mary, I ran into her in England and we got to talking and ended up doing some work like a year later. And Q-Tip, I've known him since the '80s, so it's easy for us to work together. He called me up and we ended up doing, like, three songs for his last project. And that's the way it should be with music, y'know -- you travel around and meet people and see what works.
Stevie Wonder sings with you on this record. How weird is it for you to have Stevie Wonder's digits plugged into your cell?
Oh yeah...(laughs) yeah, it's more weird when I talk to people I grew up with because Stevie, his songs were what we listened to back in the day. And a lot of his older songs ... like, his version of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In the Wind" ... I was singing that in Paris, and I was learning it and I had three different versions of it I kept listening to. And each one was amazing. And it just hits you, y'know, I was like "Wow, this guy's my friend,"like, I know this guy. It's one of those moments where you gotta pinch yourself.
Most young people today have no clue about the music you're recreating. If you could tell them to go out and buy three old R&B records, what would they be?
"Pride & Joy" by Marvin Gaye. "I'll Always Love My Mama", Gamble & Huff. And "Hey, Love" by the Delphonics
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