Raphael Saadiq - Instant Vintage (2002)

After more than 20 years in the music business, Tony! Toni! Toné! founder Raphael Saadiq has gotten around to offering his solo debut, Instant Vintage. The apropos title reflects the old-school style that Saadiq has adopted for the album. However, he dubs the type of music -- a mix of samples, soul, gospel, and R&B -- "gospedelic." Saadiq has called upon some of neo-soul's most popular artists to help out on Instant Vintage. Angie Stone makes an appearance on the opening dancefloor-worthy track, "Doing What I Can," which briefly tells the story of Saadiq's career. D'Angelo lends a hand on the funkified "Be Here." Traces of 3T seep into Instant Vintage. Lush orchestration, hook-laden, danceable melodies, and gospel influences are evident throughout the recording. This album should be renamed "Instant Classic."© Christina Fuoco /TiVo