Raphael Saddiq originally had Beyoncé’s “Cuff It” in mind for Tony! Toni! Toné!. In a new interview with Vulture, the legendary musician revealed that the single was intended for the Oakland group, which recently reunited for a nationwide tour.
“I haven’t been to the Renaissance Tour, but I have seen the challenges online,” Saddiq said when asked about the reception to “Cuff It.” “That record was going to be a Tonyies record, the part that just sounds like [mimics the “Cuff It” guitar riff]. But I gave it to a friend of mine and said, “I got this record. I was going to do it, but what about Beyoncé?””
He continued, “She’s one of those people where if she’s feeling it, she’s going 100 percent in. I said, “It’s going to move people. It’s going to work, I’m telling you.” I think she just put it away. From what I heard, The-Dream eventually found it. And he was like, “What is that?!” I already knew it was one of them joints. I always said, if you drop the right music on an artist, it could go, but I’m glad she has so many eyeballs on her, you know what I mean? You can’t really trick people, it’s got to be good.”
“Cuff It,” which was co-produced by Beyoncé, Nova Wav, Rissi and The-Dream, ultimately peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to its TikTok dance challenge. The song also marked Saddiq’s first time collaborating with the Renaissance singer, as he’s worked with the artist’s younger sister, Solange Knowles, on A Seat At the Table.
“Beyoncé’s a hard worker. I told her, “I’ve always knew we would work together at some point.” Like I said, it’s all about timing,” he told Vulture.
The Tony! Toni! Toné! Just Me and Your Tour continues into November 17.
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