TBOZ: Now we are gonna talk about one of your favorite topics Raphael.

SAADIQ: What’s that?

ED: You are gonna ask him about soul music ain’t ya?

Laughter

TBOZ: How did Lucy Pearl come about and why did you do that group before you did your solo album?

SAADIQ: I stated a label and wanted to do something powerful. I get bored really fast and being in the Tonies stifled me a little bit. I like allot of different music and I wanna be in-group with different people. So I thought if I hook up this crazy collaboration with Ali Shaheed from Tribe called Quest and Dawn Robinson and people wouldn’t understand that. I wanted to fuse up the music industry. Why I did before my album, I don’t know. I still ask myself that question (Laughter). It won’t happen again.

SAADIQ: It’s allot of negativity about me and liking the group. It wasn’t really like that. I was just a bad business venture for me and my partner who I run the label with. It was bad from the beginning. They had Dawn and me in this little hoopla. She has her issues- and everybody does-but I think more time should be spent on making music. She should really think about her career and try to come out with some great songs instead of thinking about me. Cuz I’m making good songs and I ain’t talking about her too much.

TBOZ: Right!

SAADIQ: I try to keep it positive. It was a bad deal from the top so it wasn’t Dawn’s, Ali’s, or my fault. When the structure is bad from the top is gonna be bad in the middle and bad to mail room.

TBOZ: It’s like a bad marriage child. If he wasn’t no good in the beginning he ain’t gonna be no good in the end.

ED: I can testify. You can see the signs.

TBOZ: What did you see in Joi to choose her as the other member?

SAADIQ: I saw the realness in Joi. I like it that Joi is her own person. She is more like a band person.

TBOZ: They sleeping on Joi though.

ED: Some crazy folks have said Joi is not famous enough to do a  story on. But she is doing her thing.

TBOZ: Yes she is! Eveybody starts from somewhere and that is how we all get where we are at. Somebody has to believe.

ED:She always gets my props.

SAADIQ: Joi was more funky. Joi has her own following. I wanted to bring somebody in to help me keep my edge more than just taking it away. Joi was the perfect fit. She cool and she will cuss somebody out in a second.

TBOZ: She is fiesty..

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