Raheem Devaughn's first single "Guess Who Loves You More," is a mature sounding R&B song that has been gaining airplay on the radio. His debut album The Love Experience is set to be released June 21st on Jive Records. Raheem is a real laid back guy and his music is awesome. When you meet him in person, with his neat cornrows and funky fly gear you might think he is a rapper (he even favors Ludacris slightly). Raheem is not a rapper, as he says in our interview, he makes "grown folks music." Jet Magazine has him featured along side artists such as Amerie, Ciara, Bobby Valentino and Kem as Hot Singers To Watch in 2005.

I interviewed Raheem on May 23rd, 2005 in Virginia Beach. He had performed the night before. Raheem is currently on tour with New Edition and Brian McKnight. Our interview was real cool, considering it was 9 o'clock on a Monday morning. We conducted the interview in the lobby of the radio station and despite the early morning Raheem was very professional and even posed for pictures. Don't worry, the interview was arranged I didn't just ambush him at the station! Be sure to visit Raheem's official website www.theloveexperience.com to learn more about Raheem and to check out his new video.

Jive records recording artist Raheem Devaughn and Entertainment Journalist and Thabiz.com Webmaster Dorrie Williams-Wheeler.

Where are you from?
Raheem Devaughn- I'm originally from New jersey but I was out in Chocolate City, DC.

Did I read you went to Coppin State?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah, I went there for a moment.

Did you start off in a group or were you always a solo artist?
Raheem Devaughn- I did a couple of groups. I'm still a part of two groups. Independent groups.

What kind of music do you guys make?
Raheem Devaughn- One of them is more conscious and the other is experimental. Actually both of them have a hip-hop edge. But one of them is definitely strictly a conscious group.

Do you have any hip-hop remixes on your album?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah, I do, but I'm trying to stay in my own lane right now. With the hip-hop, I'm just giving everyone their space to do it. I'm going to make some grown up music.

You are currently on tour with New Edition and Brian McKnight.
Raheem Devaughn- Gerald Levert is on some of the dates.

Raheem Devaughn, May 23, 2005

So how is that going?
Raheem Devaughn- It's great. I did my third show last night. The show is getting better and better. You never know who might pop out. We were in Atlanta and Bobbby Brown popped out. Last night Ralph wasn't there and Gerald came out.

Ralph wasn't there. They still performed?
Raheem Devaughn- They still performed. They did their thing.

I know you are touring and doing promo all day to you find time to get enough sleep?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah. It's what I do. I love it.

When does the album come out?
Raheem Devaughn- June 21st.

Was there ever a point in your career when you made getting a deal a priority or did it just happen?
Raheem Devaughn- It just kind of happened. Early in my career I was trying to make it a priority but when I figured it all out, it's more of a facade. I'm glad to have it, but it's a lot of work that comes with it. A lot of time, to say you have a deal. There are steps to it. I'm at a point now where I am ready for the album to come out.

I heard on the radio on the way over here that you are going to meet with some fans for lunch. When you go to those kind of things do people ever ask you any off of the wall questions?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah, they will ask for your number.

What do you say?
Raheem Devaughn- You know (laughing). For the most part. It's nothing too off the wall. I enjoy meeting fans and signing autographs and all of that stuff. They are the ones that make you.

I read you have an artist on stage that paints while you are performing. Do you still have that going on?
Raheem Devaughn- I sure do.

Is that something you thought of?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah. Actually, I have seen other artist do it in the past. I try to do it with a twist.

What happens to the picture at the end of the show?
Raheem Devaughn- In the smaller venues where it's more accessible, which it is getting harder to do, we usually do an auction and auction them off. Say like the end of this tour we will have a whole collection of paintings from say the Brian McKnight/New Edition tour I did and we will have a public auction. You know we of course keep some of the residuals but we will pick some place to donate some of the proceeds to and keep it moving

Listen to Raheem discuss the stage paintings

My promo copy doesn't have the names of the songs on it, but the song "Ride On," the one that's kind of blue's like...
Raheem Devaughn- That is something I do in the show just to keep the vibe going. It's a spin off of a song I have called "Cadillac" and we do it on the blues tip.

Did you get the new Jet Magazine?
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah.

Hot Singers To Watch in 2005. I know that was big.
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah.

Did you ever considering putting out a book of your poetry.
Raheem Devaughn- Yeah a book of the words, eventually.

Raheem Devaughn Audio Listen to "Guess Who Loves You More" Listen to "Believe" Listen to "Who" Listen to "The Love Experience"

Artist official website -www.theloveexperience.com

Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is the founder of Thabiz.com and Imissthe80s.com and writes for the Rap, Teen, and 1980s section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights, paying entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com May 2005.