Tony! Toni! Toné!

Raphael Saadiq is one of the great R&B writers and producers of the last 30 years.

He started out writing and playing bass in the group Tony Tony Tony with his brother Dwayne Wiggins on guitar.

The Tonys had an amazing four-album run from 88 through 96 with hit singles like It Never Rains in Southern California, Feels Good, Anniversary, and If I Had No Loub.

Since the group's disbanded, Raphael's released five solo albums, starting with 2002's Instant Vintage.

His most recent, Jimmy Lee, is a collection of very personal songs about the traumas he and his family experienced growing up in Oakland, California.

I don't know about everywhere else, but.

You know, I would see people lining up at this store called, record store called House of Music.

It was one of the Tony's records.

He said, no, you can do it.

So BBD had a concert in Jersey with Tony, Tony, Tony.

I think MTV was promoting it at the time.

And what happened was that Mark did this airbrush jacket of Mike.

And what we did, I think we knew where they were staying.

They were staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Eatontown, New Jersey.

BBD was staying there along with Tony, Tony, Tony.

So Mark had more courage than I did because I was very shy.

I also, you know, there's another song that we love that I realized was a song of vows and promises that should be made in relationship in marriage.

And that would be Whatever You Want by Tony Tony Tony, YIE.

So, they start the song off properly because the last thing that you want in your life, especially when you are connecting yourselves forever through a binding

contract, is somebody who's not going to stress you the fuck out.

... to end up at the white power.

Like I, I feel like if I go to sleep watching Tony! Tony! Tony! videos, I'm not-

[laughs]

... gonna wake up watching KKK recruitment videos probably.

I'm very appreciative about it.

Who you got on your wall back there? I got everyone from Tupac, Dog Pound, Tony, Tony, Tony.

Come on.

Snoop Dogg, Kid N Play, Big Daddy Kane, all the legends.

I can't remember exactly what song.

I think it was like Tony, Tony, Tony.

I think it was, you know, it's Anniversary.

And when I tell you that that brother... them pipes got to blowing and coach was able to serenade his wife for about that 30 seconds on that plane ride back, bro.