In less than a week from now, the eyes of the NBA world will be on the upcoming All-Star Weekend. Along with pitting 24 of the best modern NBA stars in a four-team tournament and hosting a Celebrity Game along with shooting contests, the annual event will also welcome several renowned names from the music world. From multi-platinum hip-hop artists to rappers, everyone will be arriving in the Bay Area to give NBA fans a good show, and a memorable break from the hustle and tussle of the league’s regular season.

With the All-Star Weekend taking place on the home turf of the Golden State Warriors, it was only fair that some local talent would be utilized. Therefore, to kick off the event by welcoming fans and introducing the 2025 NBA All-Stars, the league has chosen to place its faith in none other than Raphael Saadiq! Therefore, there is no better time than now to know more about the Oakland Native.

Who is Grammy winner Raphael Saadiq, who will be performing at the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend with Damian Lillard?

Born in Oakland, Saadiq came from a big family. To put into context just how big, the future musician was the 2nd youngest out of his 14 siblings!

Saadiq is the younger brother of guitarist D’Wayne Wiggins, and drummer/keyboardist Timothy Christian Riley. Together, the trio founded the soul/R&B group ‘Tony! Toni! Toné!’ back in 1986. Due to this, you could say that music runs in the family. It sure did, since the trio’s father, Charlie Wiggins, was a former super-lightweight boxer who also had an interest in playing blues guitar and singing in a voice like Sam Cooke’s, according to reports. However, Wiggins did not make a career out of music and instead worked for decades as a sheet metal man at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. Despite this, he reportedly always kept a battered guitar and a little tweed Fender amplifier around.

Despite the talent that was around him, Raphael Saadiq had an individual start to his music career. From the age of 6, he began playing the bass guitar and began to first sing with a local gospel group. Saadiq’s first big break came when he got a job on Sheila E.’s backing band for Prince’s 1986 Parade tour. Recalling the experience, Saadiq said, “To be in the band you had to wear a ton of make-up, it was mandatory. You had to almost sign a contract to wear eyeliner, blusher and basically look like a girl. That Dave Chappelle skit was no joke, we literally were The Blouses!”

After Prince, the brothers founded Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Saadiq became the band’s lead vocalist and bassist. The band’s debut album, Who?, came out in 1988. It was followed by The Revival in 1990, and then the Sons of Soul in 1993, which became the group’s first big commercial success, earning them double platinum-certified honors. Tony! Toni! Toné! made their 4th and last album, House of Music, back in 1996. Unforgettable anthems like If I Had No Loot and Anniversary, also rose Saadiq to fame. After that, the band disbanded, and Saadiq went his own way.

By 1996, Raphael Saadiq had become a household name in the music industry. His fame allowed him to form the short-lived urban supergroup Lucy Pearl, and collaborate with rappers like Q-Tip.

In 2000, he served as a songwriter and producer for D’Angelo’s song Untitled (How Does It Feel). The track allowed D’Angelo to win the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Saadiq’s solo career kicked off with the release of Instant Vintage (2002) and Ray Ray (2004). He reportedly earned the attention of critics with the 2008 release The Way I See It, and its follow-up track, Stone Rollin’ (2011). As a producer, he has worked with renowned artists like Snoop Dogg, Little Dragon, Erykah Badu, Stevie Wonder, etc. His skills as a guitarist have been utilized by big names like Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Mick Jagger, and Lady Gaga. Remember Gaga’s beautiful David Bowie tribute at the 2016 Grammy Awards? Yup, Saadiq played there! His compositions have been covered, sampled, or referenced by musicians ranging from Ed Sheeran to Drake.

Between his work as an artist, producer, and songwriter, Raphael Saadiq has sold over 30 million records worldwide. With five groundbreaking solo albums, two Grammy Awards (20 additional nominations), and recognition handed out by the Oscars and Golden Globes, he has established a memorable music career. Now, Raphael Saadiq gets to display his talents on the NBA stage. The musician had recently appeared in a promotional video for the All-Star Weekend. He was joined by another fellow Oakland native: Bucks star Damian Lillard. The duo used the short film to highlight the impact that their Oakland roots had on their lives. Surprisingly, Lillard and Saadiq had previously worked together by collaborating on the 2020 track: ‘GOAT Spirit.’

Along with introducing the All-Stars, Saadiq will also perform a music tribute to the Bay with a 14-member band during the All-Star Game on Sunday.

Did Raphael Saadiq change his name? What is his real name?

Yes, Raphael Saadiq is not the musician’s birth name. It is Charles Ray Wiggins. He adopted the surname ‘Saadiq’ to reportedly avoid confusion in writing and production credits with his brother, D’Wayne when they were still a part of Tony! Toni! Toné!. Saadiq, which means ‘man of his word’ is Arabic. This made some people believe that perhaps the musician had converted to Islam. However, he made his reasoning clear by stating, “I just wanted to have my own identity.”

Raphael Saadiq’s presence is sure to make the memorable All-Star Weekend more eventful. When he performs, the weight of everything that he has achieved over the last 4 decades will reflect in his voice. It is a sight that many of his fans can’t wait to see!