Raphael Saadiq brings you back to school, to his alma mater, Castlemont High. It was there that he met Professor Gregory Cole who basically forced him to play bass in the school’s jazz band after Raphael tried to go to Oakland High because “that’s where all the girls went.” In this first episode of “Keys 2 the City” Raphael reflects on the moments that him the musician he is today and takes you to the places where those transformations took place.

I first heard Murs on the second verse of "Sunsprayed." Track 1 of the out of print 3MG's EP 'Comurshul' and got so hooked i hoofed it to Amoeba SF and happened upon the cassette for 'F'real', Murs's 97 album with the hand-drawn project block and that definitvely ill song "4 the record." While grinding my walkman gears down on that tape i made the first in a heated series of arguments that 'Murs would be the first living legend to make it above ground.

I got him to sign my tape outside a show at Palookaville in Santa Cruz. It floored me to see rappers in the crowd after shows slanging cd's, connecting with people like equals rather than the icy idols i'd see on cd inserts so I felt closer kinship to them. So when I met him 10 years later on the Keys to the City shoot, it meant so much because I I'd grown up as we'd both grown up alot but I'd had his back the whole way.

So here's the first episode from Murs' KTTC jawn, its kind of a teaser but really sets the stage.

Keys to the City Philadelphia moves to France!

Just kidding, but here is a cool video of Xavier and Diplo goofing off and telling stories abotu their tour.

I‘ve never dripped sweat onto the floors of The Ukie, made it out to “Making Time,” got my fingers dusty at Armands, or stumbled across The Roots rockin’ the corner of 5th & Passyunk. I wasn’t there. So I live vicariously through you lucky few that were there or are there now. In an effort to exorcise my envy I started a project called Keys to the City focusing on Philly. And to do it right I enlisted the help of my two favorite Philly artists (the Roots and Diplo) and a website that basically taught me about hip-hop (okayplayer) to tell the story to the world wide interweb.

The Roots are as synonymous with Philadelphia as cheese steaks and water-ice. Over the last 15+ years they have evolved to become the epicenter of the Philadelphia music scene as the artists not just everyone in Philly look up to, but around the world.

Check out this exclusive Keys to the City interview with Black Thought and ?uestlove as they sound off on how they met, what it's like to play in Philly and what makes Illadelph so special.

The torch bearers for live instrumentation, The Roots keep the idea of the black band (in the sense of being recognizable and relevant) alive. Ten
major album releases deep and enough tours around the Globe to make your head spin, The Roots have earned their title as The Legendary. And in 2008, it's as if The Roots have just begun. On June 7th in their home town of Philly, the crew hosted their first ever all day festival dubbed The Roots Picnic.

Curated by the band, the festival brought together an eclectic group of some of the most revered artists in the country including Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Deerhoof, The Cool Kids, J*DaVey, Esperanza Spalding, Dj Jazzy Jeff, Diplo, and more. Check out these exclusive webisodes from The Roots Picnic courtesy of Okayplayer.