‘We had our own Lauryn Hill': Raphael Saadiq goes off about Lucy Pearl bandmate Dawn Robinson at Oakland show

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

Raphael Saadiq did not hold back during the final night of his 'No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits' tour, which concluded in his hometown of Oakland.
The special one-man show, which kicked off on May 31 at the historic Apollo Theater in New York before subsequent stops in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, wrapped up with two consecutive performances at the Fox Theater over the weekend that were as revealing as the crowds were rowdy.
The format was reminiscent of 2020's 'Beastie Boys Story' on Apple TV+, though even more sparse and not as technically tight (certain sound and video cues didn't quite sync up). Saadiq on a sparse stage featuring a couple of stools, two guitars, a bass, a turntable and a piano as he shared personal stories about the triumphs and tragedies of his life growing up as a scrawny boy in East Oakland to becoming the co-founder of the 1990s hitmakers Tony! Toni! Toné! and a Grammy-winning producer.
Fans were instructed to seal their electronic devices in Yondr pouches when they arrived at the venue, allowing Saadiq to speak openly without fear of a video of him and his comments going viral.
As a reward, he gave the crowd an unfiltered account of the fallout that ended Lucy Pearl, the supergroup he formed with Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and Dawn Robinson, of the Oakland-founded R&B troupe En Vogue.
'Since this is my last show, I'm going to tell y'all,' he said, with a laugh. 'This is why you don't have your phones.'
He specifically addressed longstanding tensions with Robinson, whom he called 'our own Lauryn Hill,' referring to the Grammy-winning 'Ex-Factor' singer notorious for being late to her own concerts and the one blamed for canceled reunion tours with the popular '90s hip-hop trio known as the Fugees.
'Actually, I'd rather have Lauryn,' Saadiq said to audible gasps.
And he didn't stop there.
Reflecting on Lucy Pearl's abrupt dissolution in late 2001, just about two years the group formed, Saadiq recalled a tour stop in Amsterdam — their last — where he learned Robinson wanted to leave the band.
'I couldn't believe it. We did an album in six months, but toured for less than a month,' he said, referring to their self-titled debut that had dropped just a year before.
At one point, Saadiq started singing the hook from the Lucy Pearl hit 'Dance Tonight,' which was sung by Robinson.
'See! I didn't need her. I could've sang it myself,' he quipped.
To end the segment about what he called his 'Lucifer's Pearl' era, he dismissed recent reports of Robinson living in her car, saying bluntly, 'That sh— about her living in her car is not real.'
This rare openness added gravity to a night that was as chaotic as it was thrillingly insightful.
Fans showered Saadiq with a deafening outpouring of love, but their exuberance occasionally cut through his storytelling. A woman in the front repeatedly declared her undying love, and another went so far as to flash the musician.
Saadiq's connection to Oakland — the city where his career began — only fueled the hooting and hollering throughout the venue. From namedropping his buddy and school 'bodyguard' Huston Lillard, father of NBA star Demian Lillard, to his alma maters Elmhurst Middle School and Castlemont High School as well as a slew of Oakland landmarks, he received rapturous cheers, many shouting out their connections to each he listed off.
Saadiq appeared amused, every so often blowing kisses to fans, but also annoyed. He jokingly scolded and shushed the crowd, threatening to randomly name spots in Walnut Creek or Pinole because, he quipped, 'I know y'all don't leave to go out there.'
Of course, the audience was most electrified when Saadiq sang his biggest hits with Tony! Toni! Toné! like 'Feels Good,' "Anniversary" as well as his solo tracks, 'Me and You' and 'Ask of You.'
He later rattled off stories about working with the biggest names in the movie and music industry, from filmmakers John Singleton ('Boyz in the Hood') and Oakland's own Ryan Coogler ('Sinners') to Beyoncé and her sister Solange Knowles, the latter whom he called 'one of my favorites.'
'What makes me a great collaborator is that I'm a great listener,' he said, throwing shade at the show's main heckler. 'Not like you. I. Am. A. Listener.'
He noted that while he never received awards for his solo work, he got his wins for his collaborations. Most recently, Saadiq won his third Grammy for his contributions to Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter," which won album of the year at the 67th Grammy Awards.
Nostalgia and controversy intertwined as Saadiq mentioned working with Kendrick Lamar ('Why would Drake mess with that dude? And I like Drake!') and while reminiscing about the influence the Isley Brothers had on his music, which led him to bring up that group's frequent collaborator, R. Kelly.
'Kell's a bad boy,' he acknowledged, referring to the disgraced R&B singer convicted of multiple sex crimes. 'They should have gotten him some help.'
It was a truly raw, unapologetic look into the 59-year-old's life and career.
Just before wrapping up at 11:30 p.m. with anecdotes about his late big brother D'Wayne Wiggins, who died of bladder cancer at 64 in March, he wanted to make sure he made good with the crowd.
'I didn't mind the noise,' he told the packed theater. 'It was all love.'