Oakland stand up! The East Bay native we call Raphael Saadiq came a long way from Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl to drop his fourth LP entitled The Way I See It featuring Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder & Joss Stone. This release feels so throwback with influential sounds hinting at The Temptations, The Delfonics and The Stylistics. Even the album artwork adopts the same throwback appeal. Saadiq has six shows left in his tour US tour promoting this album. Check him out if he happens to be in your city. Until then, listen to the album in full here.

Listen to the album here

The winds were mellow and the sky casted a slight shade of melancholy. Though this sounds like a setting for an Alfred Hitchcock movie, Robin Thicke was still able to catch up with imeem to drop an exclusive performance for the Hive at Yerba Buena Park. Like a thief to bank robbery, the performance was one swift motion. A few lucky fans squeezed in the two second photo ops and hugs while others stood still to receive the acoustic performance.

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Due props goes to Will, Daniel, Brige and Nate for the setup and follow-though in production of this fine footage while Thicke was in town for his tour. Below are exclusive stills of his performance of “Magic” and “Lost Without You” that will release before his third solo album entitled Something Else, on September 9th, 2008. Enjoy folks…the (extended) weekend is once again up us.