Raphael Saadiq News

(2/12/02, 3 p.m. ET) -- Former Tony Toni Tone and Lucy Pearl member Raphael Saadiq hooked up with D'Angelo on Sunday (February 10) to shoot the video for their collaboration, "Be Here," the first release from Saadiq's long-anticipated solo album, Instant Vintage, scheduled to be released May 7 on Pookie/Universal Records.

Saadiq, who produced D'Angelo's Grammy-Award winning song "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," from D'Angelo's 1999 album Voodoo, spoke to LAUNCH about featuring the singer on the song.

"You know that's my boy. That's like my brother. We're like family. We are family. So, it's not a stretch for us to be doing this," he said. "This is probably different for everybody else to see, but like I tell everybody, we got a few DAT tapes at home with us doing songs together but we just never...Not whole songs, but just jam sessions, you know. It was just kinda normal for me to kinda grab him. He's about to start his project, so it was kinda a cool thing to get him on this record."

Saadiq directed the two-day shoot, which was shot on Saturday (February 9) on location in Los Angeles, and on Sunday (February 10) at Saadiq's own recording complex, Blakeslee Recording Company in North Hollywood.

Saadiq also discussed directing the video. "This is the first one I'm taking a position in and directing," Saadiq told LAUNCH. "For the other videos, I sorta helped direct. As far as concept-wise, I've helped with every video I've done since [Tony Toni Tone's] 'Little Walter.' I think I co-directed one with Jessie Vaugh, 'Ask Of You.'"

-- Billy Johnson Jr., Los Angeles

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