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Having stepped out on his own two years ago with the ambitious debut Instant Vintage, former Tony Toni Tone and Lucy Pearl ringleader Raphael Saadiq is taking a looser approach to his follow-up, Raphael Saadiq as Ray Ray, due in September.
"I felt like there were things I needed to do and say with that record," Saadiq says. "You only get to make a first statement one time, and I had definite ideas of how I wanted it to sound. Ray Ray represents a more fun side of what I do. I wanted to have a good time with it." To wit, the title refers to a pair of Saadiq's nicknames: He says his mother calls him Ray Ray, and he's Tanqueray to his pals.
Ray Ray's festive mood finds its creator extending an invitation to a pair of former collaborators to make a guest appearance. One cut, "Rifle Love," includes vocals by Tony Toni Tone's Dwayne Wiggins and Lucy Pearl's Dawn Robinson. "It's always nice to go back and work with people you know," Saadiq says.
The album will be Saadiq's first studio set for his new Pookie Entertainment label (he released a live album on the label last year), and he's relishing overseeing all aspects of the record. "I think a lot of it is about style," he says. "The overall style is very important to me. I keep saying that I wanted this album to feel very visual, like a group of short movies. Just because this is a different side of my music, doesn't mean it isn't mapped out. I like to spend some time thinking through each part of its construction."
Saadiq also hooked up with producers including Michaelangelo, Focus and Jake, and the Phatman, and he plans to announce a few other guests between now and Ray Ray's release. No dates have been set just yet, but Saadiq promises live shows closer to the album's release.