The connection between Raphael Saadiq and Ryan Coogler was established long before Coogler picked up a camera.
“He’s from the Bay Area; he’s Oakland. His father’s an Oakland native,” Saadiq, who was also born in the California city, told EBONY in our one-on-one interview.
“It holds a special place, because my brother and my late brother D’Wayne and Ryan’s dad were good friends. They went to school together and stuff like that. There’s a lot of history with this one. So, it’s really important.”
Saadiq’s brother is D’Wayne Wiggins, who started Tony! Toni! Toné! with him and their cousin Timothy Christian Riley in 1988.
Those connections continue to make Sinners feel like the family affair we’ve seen on stage at numerous award ceremonies this season—something that will continue at the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday. Sinners boasts a record-breaking 16 nominations, including “I Lied To You,” the song Saadiq penned for the movie. Saadiq will perform his nominated song alongside the film’s stars: Miles Caton, Buddy Guy, Jayme Lawson, and Li Jun Li. Misty Copeland, Brittany Howard, and Shaboozey will also put in special appearances as the Oscars pay homage to the Sinners’ visual style.
That bond through family and friendship also helped Saadiq decide to work on the film.
“It depends on who it is. You know, who’s directing? What the subject matter of the film is, and if there’s something I feel like I could bring to the table,” he said about how he chooses what projects to work on and what to leave behind.
“That’s more important than anything, right? I don’t want to take a job that I don’t think I can deliver on. So, you know, for this job, it’s Ryan Coogler, and also the great composer and producer, Ludwig Göransson. I knew it was pretty important.”
Finding a connection to the subject matter also played a part.
“I grew up listening to the blues, so that’s how I knew this one would be a good one,” he exclaimed.
Unlike many soundtrack collaborations that happen once a film is complete, Saadiq joined Sinners early—before production had even begun.
“I became a part of the film before they actually started shooting. I had a different look and a different take about getting all the inspiration at the ground level,” he said.
It’s paid off. Saadiq has already won a Hollywood Music in Media Award and other honors for the song. But that was never part of the original plan.
“No, that was never the goal. It’s never the goal for me (to win awards),” he declared. Instead, it’s about the joy of creation.
“The goal is always to make myself excited, and to be happy about what I’m contributing,” he said. When it’s somebody else’s art, “You just want to further what they’re doing. I work better with people who have an idea about who they are. Then I can sort of plug in and be a team player. I like to look at myself like a team player.”
He even enjoys the anxiety that can come with getting it right. “Actually, I enjoy pressure because everybody has pressure, right, if you want to do something good,” he admitted.
“I’m very thankful and grateful that people hear my name and think of me in that way, because I love what I do. I love music — I was taking it seriously before I knew that I was taking it seriously. So, to be able to build a career, and people acknowledge me in that manner, I’m just thankful for that.”
That collaborative mindset extends beyond film. Saadiq has also been working with R&B singer Brent Faiyaz on his project Icon, an experience he describes as creatively energizing.
“I don’t use that word genius too loosely, but Brent knows exactly what he wants. I was mainly there to inspire. Brent has everything he needs; he doesn’t need me for anything. But Brent is smart and sees the career I have…Just being in the same room gives us the comfort to move forward. And with music, you just need people around you sometimes, just to give you that extra push.”
Reflecting on his decades-long career, Saadiq says he doesn’t separate his achievements into chapters. Instead, everything he’s done, from his time with Tony! Toni! Toné! to Lucy Pearl, the group he created with Dawn Robinson of En Vogue fame, has played a role in his growth.
“I see my accomplishments all as one, nothing separate. From having great parents, to having the ups and downs, the dark sides of life. You have the sad parts, the good parts, the happy parts,” he stated.
“Like the Tonies. I couldn’t have done anything that I’m doing now without the Tonies, right? Because that was a learning curve for me. So, I can see what I can do and what I have to get better at. And with Lucy Pearl, it’s the same thing. I was able to learn through that process.”
As Oscar night approaches, Saadiq says he isn’t thinking too far ahead. The night marks his second Academy Award nomination, the first coming in 2018 for Mudbound.
“I can’t, I can’t. I’m not that vain to think that far. I mean, you don’t have to be vain to think that far (ahead). But I’m just not the person who could. But I’m just honored to be honored by the Academy, to be honest.”
He added, “I’m just excited that we did an amazing job. These 16 nominations, with Sinners, and I’m happy for all the nominees from Sinners and all the other films, too. The ride to this point is pretty amazing, you know? So, it’s a win now.”