Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq is currently working on his debut solo effort in his Pookie Lab recording studio in Sacramento, California. The album is to be released this fall on Universal/Pookie Records.

The veteran R&B recording artist is formerly a member of Tony! Toni! Tone! and presently a member of the supergroup Lucy Pearl. Saadiq has already written all of the songs on his as-yet-untitled album and is expecting various unnamed guests to help him record them.

While working on his solo effort, Saadiq, who also owns his own production company, Whiskey Slew, produced some tracks for the next Macy Gray project, The Id</>, due out September 18th. Lucy Pearl plans on releasing the follow-up to their self-titled and gold-certified debut album later this summer.

JEAN GISMERVIK
(July 17, 2001)