Posted on 08/08/2008
It’s very rare in this age of the public’s know-all, tell-all relationships with its celebrities to find someone that is unanimously liked. People might like what Oprah Winfrey represents, but they surely don’t all agree with her views or watch her show. Or any male star, be it a sports figure or businessman, gets credit for his community outreach or entrepreneurship, but is criticized for his womanizing. It’s hard to find a person who encapsulates everything you want to root for. Then there’s Raphael Saadiq, who perpetually flies under the radar despite a slew of successful ventures, and seems to avoid the hate machine. Of late sporting dapper, well-tailored suits, I met the crown prince of effortless cool clad in regular pants, a tee and cap, chilling at the SoHo Grand Hotel. My mission was to find out what makes someone with so many hits this easygoing and likeable. The answer was quite simple.