![]() Our end goal is to make him iconic.”ĭeVaughn will face some of his biggest audiences when he opens for Jill Scott on her U.S. Raheem has the opportunity to be an artist who makes a difference. It’s about the next 18 months, getting him in front of as many people as possible. “Beyond his talent, his strong draw is his live performance-a lane not many artists can survive in right now,” she says. Jive urban marketing VP Lisa Cambridge-Mitchell says the label now has a keener understanding of DeVaughn the artist and his potential. But I understood his live aspect, so we grinded it out at coffeehouses and little spots to build a fan base for his live shows.” “At first the label didn’t know what to do with him. “Raheem’s whole thing is live music,” Vines says. “But I didn’t know he could sing until he sang that demo.”Īfter signing with Jive, another challenge remained, however: breaking an R&B artist in a music world dominated by hip-hop. “I knew Raheem could write,” says Vines, of Washington, D.C.-based 1228 Management. They met in a studio where Vines was seeking new songs by local songwriter/producers for a project with R&B group Dru Hill. It was DeVaughn’s mellow singing voice on a demo that caught manager Jerry Vines’ undivided attention. “I’m constantly trying to create timeless music that many people can gravitate to.” “I don’t just make music for one audience,” he continues. “This album definitely shows more of my R&B side as well as my growth as an artist, writer and producer,” says DeVaughn, who calls himself an “R&B hippie” for fusing a rock, guitar-driven vibe with his old-school leanings. Hooking up for the first time with Scott Storch, he shifts into midtempo on “Energy” featuring OutKast’s Big Boi. However, as with Gaye, love ballads aren’t the only thing on DeVaughn’s mind. Additional tracks, like heat-seeking ballad “Mo Better” (produced by newcomer Jack Splash) and the atmospheric “Marathon” featuring Floetry, call to mind another soulful D.C. That’s evident on “Woman,” produced by Chucky Thompson. While “Love Behind the Melody” expands on the relationship themes of “Experience,” substantive lyrical messages and strong melodies remain DeVaughn’s forte. Both songs are from his 2005 Jive debut, “The Love Experience.” Netting sales of 224,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the album reached No. “Woman” is DeVaughn’s highest Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs showing, besting “Guess Who Loves You More” (No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, this laid-back yet potent anthem of respect also signals growing career momentum. That perseverance underscores DeVaughn’s Grammy nod for best male R&B vocal performance for “Woman.” It’s the lead single from his second Jive album, “Love Behind the Melody” (Jan. The best thing I can do is stay on the road and build a grass-roots following. But making the underground-to-aboveground transition is cool. “It’s like being on the verge of a cult movement. “I enjoy being slept on,” he says during a recent soundcheck break in his native Washington, D.C. Raheem DeVaughn may be a newly minted Grammy Award nominee, but he still considers himself an underdog. ![]()
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