tonight, a conversation with raphael saadiq, the former frontman for tony! toni! tone!. he is dealt with his fourth solo project this tuesday. we are glad that you have joined us. >> his name is james and he needs extra help with this reading. >> to everyone making a difference, thank you. you help us all look better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley. remove obstacles to economic empowerment one conversation at a time.

nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station. thank you. tavis: please welcome raphael saadiq back to this program. he is back with a new solo project that is generating all kinds of bus. ." is called "stone rollin' good to have you back on this program. it all works. this last project, not this one,

the prior projects, that thing was so banging. i was wondering if you had a follow-up in backed -- that genre. did you note that you had to come back this way again? >> i made a slight departure. this record is a lot louder. it is more edgy. it is a departure from the motown thing, but i lived in those areas anyway. if you go back and listen to some of the older records, you will see the way that i see it. tavis: what about that last project made you want to stay in the genre of that makes us feel like we're back? >> i feel like that is my home. that is where i feel comfortable. i produce a lot of different

things for other people. i am the only person who can do what i do, for me. that is why i called the record "stone rollin'." i have been taking chances on all these different things in this business where most people will not do that. i feel like i am a better gamble. give me the ball, i will finish the shot. i can make the shots. tavis: my money is on the -- on you. what was the response worldwide for the last project? what did you hear from your fan base? >> it was great. people were very receptive to it. i thought people were playing a joke on me. by the time we got to europe,

people were singing. is this a joke or is this a ready-made crowd? i did not know what happened. it struck a chord with people. people were missing that real feeling. they could tell that i loved it too. i am very feeling very comfortable being a singer. it took me all the way until boat -- to feel comfortable being a front man. i started off on the bass guitar and i was never the lead singer. when i was europe, i opened my arms wide and i closed my eyes. at that point, and felt like the energy that i should go out there and do it. now i feel very comfortable. tavis: what do you think was holding you back from the labelle level of comfort? >> i do not know. i do not know what it was. one of my younger cousins, he

used to always say, you do not really want it. you do not ever let go. one day, i let go. tavis: jordan would never say, i do not want it. now you know that you do. you feel comfortable in that spot now? >> i am very comfortable in that spot now. they give be the energy and we have this love thing for each other. it is a good time for music this time. tavis: how would you rate your bass playing? and your vocals? >> myspace plane would be an a. a- a little bit now. myspace -- my bass player now is

an a. for my production, i will sing and get the music like i want it. to make everything okay. the best thing i do is play the bass. tavis: i was tickled that you were going to be on the grammys and that you are going to be doing what you were going to be doing. i was watching the camera guy and they were doing the best to stay with me. number stuff was so strong and they had to track you as well. i had fun just watching it. what was that experience like? >> he has been around, and he comes from a very busy -- bluesy that girl like me. -- background like me.

it was a cool thing for us to get together. one day i got a phone call, and he said, i am doing this grammy thing. do you want to do this thing? we talked a little while. we talked twice. we rehearsed. we rehearsed for two days. we started singing. he pulled out the harmonica. we had a ball. the grammys were good, do not get me wrong. but the rehearsal was even better. the grammys was great because we had fun and the band is so powerful. i was looking back, like, hey. tavis: i was laughing because in

a matter of days, there will be a tape of the rehearsal. somebody is going to be bootlegging it. >> it is already out there. it was great. tavis: ok. it is already out, too late. the pushed on stage? >> we are so mad at mick, he was pushing you. it was energy. we were feeling it. [laughter] he is a showman.

running around and pushing all that energy, it was natural. to me, it was a validation -- british cats seem to look back to american cats to do what they do. he could have picked anybody to do that. i was not nominated parade you have to be nominated to be on the grammys. it should have been some other group or something, but he did not care about that. that is how that happened. he called me and then call the grammys later and said, this is what i want to roll with. that is a validation for me and my band and everybody around me. what i do is not in vain. it is a pay off. everything is not in vain, so it

was great. what everybody solace to that night, we had been doing that for three years. we do it all gear, it was not just that night. tavis: humans in be validation that one feels when mick calls you to come play with him in the year that you were not nominated. let me talk about a lot -- let me ask you about the risks that you are able to take. beyond your amazing base plan eativity that you put on your projects. what i love most about you is that you are one of those artist who stays true to what you want to do. where does that come from? in this business, the name of the game is not taking risks. it is getting radio airplay and it is not about taking risks. >> i come from a stubborn city

or something. we've always done what we wanted to do. i have these analogies, but i like to use football. you have your linebackers. i am a running back. i put people that i love, michael jackson, marvin gaye, i look at them as blockers and i follow them. i know that is the way to go. i follow people that have been around 25 years. tavis: i love the analogy. how do you follow those kinds of blockers and create your own sound? >> i and a dreamer. i watch a ton of footage. i studied tapes.

you do not try to become an because you can never become any of those guys. but you hope that some of it -- at some point in your show, you're writing, that happens to you. i have always loved people that have been around for a long time. i like a good leather. i like a good close. -- clothes. you will not catch me in a leather jacket with all the nba teams on it. tavis: i loved it. toward three times now, -- i have never talked to you on radio or television or you do not bring up oakland. why are you so proud of your hometown? how does having grown up in your area influence your music?

>> i am proud of it because there was so much music around there for me. so many people, latin music, santana, i used to play at a bar with my high school teacher. we did "dream girls." we did better than the movie, in high school. having teachers like that, and we would play at restaurants. steve perry would walked in from germany, sitting down and having dinner. -- from a journey, sitting down and having dinner. i could not have got not know

where else. by the time we got into the record industry, we would ride this out. we were already there. we were taught very seriously. when you see a celebrity, do not allow the camera. be respectful. when i met prince at 18, i was not really that excited. i was more excited, to be part of doing my job, but not infatuated with talking to him. he walked up and said, how are you doing? my name is prance. i said, how are you doing? that is what we did and we respected and we did the job. we never pulled out a camera, not once. mos def is , like, brroklyn.

i did not scream oakland all the time. tavis: for all the bands that you have started and ran for comment -- written for, it is there another band in you in your career? are you going to do another one of these? >> i am playing with positions that i really like to play with. -- i am playing with musicians than ever like to play with. two drummers from michigan. i do not know if i could do the group thing again. it is a little much. this is probably its. the super group, they're not supposed to last. it does not matter. if you have a guitar, we will

make the record today. tavis: looks for tavis smiley and raphael saadiq. >> i want the ball at the end of the day. tavis: pickup "stone rollin', the new one from lineman -- my man raphael saadiq. good to have you here. tavis: from his critically acclaimed new cd, performing to songs today. as always, keep the faith.

♪ i'm a good man could man i never did time, maybe just once how could you ever walk away?

after all i have done for you i feel like there is a knife in my back you might as well pull it all the way through mand d good man good man good man ♪ you watched them handcuff me, lady and walked me to my own home i of never been so humiliated

i do not think that i deserve this from you good man good man good, good man good man ♪ ♪ so much better now

so much better ♪ how could you just get up and walk away? thing that i know good man, good man good man

good man good man ♪ [applause] ♪ the stone rolled today , robit going ♪ come on

listen that lady shaking, back bone break iing everything she's got come on i was a friend, but she took me in come on come on it makes a blind man walk away from home and tell your girlfriend you want to be alone

it makes an old man for a way it's cane i cannot explain come on everything is wide she walks with much pride come on now come on there was no way to prepare walking up to me turn me loose ♪ killin' me

ooh yeah ♪ i won't let go i want to stay with you you can lock the door turned loose ♪

♪ say what? ♪ [applause] >> for more information, visit pbs.org. tavis: 20 next time is filmmaker morgan spurlock. that is next time we will see you then. >> his name is james and he needs extra help with this reading. >> i am james. >> yes.

>> to everyone making a difference, you help us all the better. >> at nationwide insurance that supports tavis smiley. working to improve financial literacy. nationwide is on your side. >> contributions to your pbs station. thank you.