RAHEEM DEVAUGHN

Raheem DeVaughn has proven that post-millennial R&B artists can be traditional and progressive at once and achieve commercial longevity without concessions to pop radio. The singer, songwriter, and producer paid his dues in Washington, D.C.'s music scene. A few years after he was showcased on DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent, he debuted on the Billboard R&B/hip-hop chart with "Guess Who Loves You More" (2005). Parent album The Love Experience, DeVaughn's first, began a streak of artistically adventurous, Top Ten R&B/hip-hop full-lengths with depth far beneath the singles. Among his subsequent achievements are Grammy nominations for the songs "Woman" (2007) and "Customer" (2008), both off the number five Billboard 200 hit Love Behind the Melody, as well as a Best R&B Album nomination for LP three, The Love & War MasterPeace (2010). DeVaughn transitioned out of the major-label system while maintaining his affinity for sprawling, loosely conceptual full-lengths. These releases range from A Place Called Love Land (2013) to From Lust to Dawn (2022).

The son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadud, Raheem DeVaughn was born in Newark, New Jersey and was raised in Maryland, near Washington, D.C. He kicked his career into gear by performing at coffee houses and small clubs in D.C. and by selling CD-R recordings, aided in part by the cash reward from winning a talent contest. DeVaughn gained ground in 2002 with three featured spots on DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent, as well as contributions to Billy Crawford's Ride and Heather Headley's This Is Who I Am. Signed to the Jive label, DeVaughn issued a promotional single for "Until" the following year, an Isley Brothers-sampling track that showcased his soul-rooted, socially conscious approach to contemporary R&B. The song was produced by early supporters Cliff Jones and Jerry Vines, the latter of whom also became the artist's long-term manager. DeVaughn's first official single, the Kenny Dope-produced "Guess Who Loves You More," entered Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart in early 2005 and peaked at number 38. Debut album The Love Experience followed that June, reached the Top 50 of the Billboard 200, and began a streak of Top Ten entries on the corresponding R&B/hip-hop chart, aided by second charting single "You," another radio favorite.

Love Behind the Melody, DeVaughn's second full-length, arrived in January 2008. Its first single, "Woman," was his biggest hit yet -- number 17 R&B/hip-hop, and number one on the adult R&B chart -- and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. "Customer," a number 12 R&B/hip-hop hit, was nominated the next year for Best R&B Song. Led by the late 2009 single "Bulletproof," featuring Ludacris, The Love & War MasterPeace debuted in March 2010 at number nine on the Billboard 200 and at number three on R&B/hip-hop.