(His father would tease him, вЂњYou were a good mistake, but you were a mistake.вЂќ)ДЄs a child, Saadiq often caught a ride between his familiesвЂ™ houses on the handlebars of his older brother Randy WigginsвЂ™ bike. He came along late, when many of his siblings were grown. Collectively, his parents had 14 children, but Saadiq was the only child they had together. вЂњRaphael manages to defy time by being continuously culturally and musically relevant,вЂќ said Rob Stringer, the chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment, which includes Columbia, the label releasing вЂњJimmy Lee,вЂќ adding, вЂњhe always has his finger on the pulse without ever being overexposed.вЂќД¬harlie had been married and divorced by the time he met Edith James, SaadiqвЂ™s mother. Blige to an Oscar nomination (for вЂњMighty River,вЂќ from вЂњMudboundвЂќ) or playing bass behind Mick Jagger on a Grammy salute to Solomon Burke. As a producer, heвЂ™s pulled concise statements out of performers who often default to the diffuse, such as DвЂ™Angelo ( вЂњLadyвЂќ and вЂњUntitled вЂќ) and Solange ( вЂњCranes in the Sky.вЂќ) But as one of relatively few major figures of the hip-hop age who grew up playing in bands, heвЂ™s just as adroit at leading from behind as a sideman, steering Mary J. вЂњI just thought about delivering.вЂќДЇor two decades, heвЂ™s done it, over and over. вЂњMy compositions had to go farther than me,вЂќ he said. But from his time with the band he affectionately calls вЂњThe TonysвЂќ up through his solo career - four albums between 20, each more joyous, and consummately crafted than the last - heвЂ™s always prioritized hooks and concision over self-expression. Saadiq has had a tattoo of Alvie, Desmond and JimmyвЂ™s faces on his arm for 20 years. But over the course of a few nights in this studio in early 2019, he began to hear the ghosts speak. It wasnвЂ™t SaadiqвЂ™s plan to make a concept album, let alone one that digs into stories this personal. It is named for his brother Jimmy Lee Baker, who overdosed in the 1990s after contracting H.I.V., but uses his story to tell a broader one about lives under pressure. His new album вЂњJimmy Lee,вЂќ out this week, is his first in eight years.

He was talking about family and addiction and loss, about a life marked by a string of tragedies, and about why it took him until now, more than two decades into his career, to bring these stories into his music. Saadiq, 53, wore a pale-blue T-shirt and periodically tugged at his twists of hair. He was sitting in a control room at his studio, Blakeslee Recording, surrounded by totems of the past - a trophy from the first talent show he won at Elmhurst Junior High in Oakland, Calif., an Amy Winehouse prayer candle and enough vintage guitars to stock three pawnshops. вЂњThey called my name: вЂCharlie Ray Wiggins, limousine three!вЂ™ I never liked limousines after that.вЂќ

'T.O.N.Y.LOS ANGELES - вЂњMy first funeral, I was 7 years old,вЂќ Raphael Saadiq said.

'T.O.N.Y.' (Lost Daze In My Room Mix) - 8:16.

The video switches back to Solange, and her holding a picture of her and a little boy, which is her son, and writing on the picture 'I'm in love now'. The video then switches to 'T.O.N.Y' ( Kid Cudi) holding the same pregnancy test and sheet of paper. The video sees Solange running around frantically, seemingly because of T.O.N.Y At the end of the video she holds a positive pregnancy test and a paper reading 'The Other Night Y?' (T.O.N.Y). (The Other Night oh Y?)' and Cee-Lo Green. It features cameo appearances by Kid Cudi who plays 'T.O.N.Y. The music video was directed by Va$htie & Solange Knowles.

Cranes in the sky sheet music