After producing several projects for top artist like Lionel Richie, Angie Stone, Kelis and Joss Stone, Raphael Saadiq is set to start work on his next solo album. Saadiq tells Billboard.com that he’ll be hitting the studio next week to begin his first “label” album since 2002’s “Instant Vintage” and the follow-up to his self-released “Ray Ray” in 2004. “I just had to get everything else out of the way,” explains Saadiq, who’s doing some European dates in Stone’s band to promote the release of her new album, “Introducing Joss Stone,” which comes out March 20 on Virgin. “There’s a couple (songs) I have in mind, a couple that, once I do those, it’ll set the bar for the rest of the record.” Saadiq also tells billboard the fans can expect “a record that they can clap your hands to — that simple. It’s gonna be Raphael. It’s not gonna change too much. I have a little more confidence with every record, so this is gonna be real fun, a challenge. I never know what I’m doing next. I like to keep it that way.” The album, which is currently untitled, will be released on SonyBMG. Saadiq made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné!. After the 1996 Tony! Toni! Toné! album, House of Music, Saadiq started his solo career. He produced a few solo tracks, but Saadiq’s next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment.
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