Raphael Saadiq Compares Tony! Toni! Toné! Reunion to 90s Bulls' Big Three: ‘Like Pippen, Jordan, and Rodman Getting Back Together’
In the early 2000s, Raphael Saadiq carved out a successful solo career after his stint with the iconic 90’s R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! Yet, despite his isolated achievements, Saadiq admitted making music with his bandmates has been an incomparable experience.
The trio, D’Wayne Wiggins, Timothy Christian Riley, and Saadiq, who are currently on the road for their “Just Me and You Tour,” sat down for a conversation with Ebro Darden on the latest episode of The Message on Apple Music 1.
The “Anniversary” musicians discussed the significance of reuniting after over two decades and likened their bond to the legendary 90’s Chicago Bulls' big three.
“I said I was good on my own, but I knew I was always better with these guys. I mean, music is our life, so I'm going to do music no matter what till I'm gone. But on stage with these guys, it's a whole different. It takes on a whole different persona, and I knew that. I always knew that,” Saadiq told host Darden.
“I would never be who I was, even with a solo career, if they didn't allow me to do what I was doing in the Tony's to practice, to be a part and go out, produce different groups,” the songwriter added.
Saadiq compared the group’s energy on stage to an NBA performance by three of the league’s most iconic players.
He continued, “But on the stage together, it's like Scottie Pippen, [Michael] Jordan and [Dennis] Rodman getting back together. That's what it feels like. We just know each other. We don't have to say nothing. We laugh and forgetting words, stuff like that. Crowd is loving it. It's fun. It's a family thing with it.”
Tony! Toni! Toné! kicked off their “Just Me and You Tour” 2023 on September 21 in Birmingham, AL, and is set to hit 25 cities, including Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and more, before wrapping up on November 17 in San Francisco, CA.
