Raheem Devaughan Exclusive Interview W/ CHAMP Mag on “The Love & War Masterpeace”
Raheem Devaughan Exclusive Interview W/ CHAMP Mag
Nathan “Hollywood” Adom
CHAMP Magazine
CHAMP: We got the passionate and soulful Raheem Devaughan right now. Raheem how are you doing man?
Raheem Devaughan: Feeling good man. Blessed and favored.
CHAMP: Last month you dropped The Love & War Masterpeace which is a crazy album. Do you feel the response you’ve gotten so far has been to your satisfaction or were you expecting more or less?
Raheem Devaughan: I really don’t really try to go into it on the expectations. It’s just making good music and hoping that it connects the dots and the dots connect with the right people, and the right ears, and that type of thing, because it’s a weird time for music right now. I am very happy with everything that’s unfolding. There’s been a lot of great commotion. I think the fact that half of the album is socially conscience which is reminiscent of my first album I dropped in 2005, that people are connecting with the album, and it’s putting me on some other platforms. I recently did Travis Smiley. I’m really focused on my efforts on making noise outside the US in particular.
CHAMP: Let’s focus on the title because you did a play off the word Masterpiece. If you can explain the meaning behind the title as well as the message you wanted the listeners to understand from the album?
Raheem Devaughan: What I wanted people to eternalize is that we’re all living in a world where people constantly try to master their own peace, master in personal relationship, master in the workplace and get closer to God . I’m a firm believer that we are currently in the book of revelations. With that being said, it’s a lot to think about, it’s a lot to write about, it’s a lot to talk about.
CHAMP: People who are familiar with your work will definitely agree with me that along with your amazing voice, you have an ear for good production. You worked closely with Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez for this album. Was he the sole producer and if not who else assisted you on this album?
Raheem Devaughan: I would definitely call Kenny the sole producer. Conceptually I came to him with a concept and I told him what I wanted to do and he helped bring it to life. I would of biasedly have him do the whole album, but I’m actually against that. Having one producer, you never know what other song writers could offer you. Prime example, the “I Don’t Care” record, which Ne-Yo wrote and Stereotypes produced the record. I just try to stay open to new ideas. Kenny got 11 out of the 20 joints that were conceived for the double disc version of this album.
CHAMP: Now in all three albums you’ve incorporated the word “love” with your titles. Is this a signature we can expect from all albums you come out with?
Raheem Devaughan: You’ll continue to hear that. I’m a firm believer that if it’s not broke why fix it? It’s definitely my mission to bring people to a higher level of consciousness and I think that love is a universal language. People can understand and feel that vibration no matter what their religion is, sexuality, whatever. I try not to judge anybody through my music but just bring people closer to the theatre through the music.
CHAMP: One song off the album I heard a while back is “Bulletproof” with Luda which is a crazy joint. When I first seen it I thought it was going to be you reflecting on when you were shot but it’s actually a different message on this album. If you can kind of break down the message of that song.
Raheem Devaughan: What the theme is, is like “Bulletproof” is my version of Prince “Sign o’ the Times” or Marvin Gayes “I Want You”. It’s my scripture over the hip hop beat, using that Curtis Mayfield sample. Like, I couldn’t just talk about anything over that sample. I couldn’t waste that good music they created. At the same time, I’m not really passing judgment on anybody, it’s kind of like a warning, and we gotta stop living like we bulletproof as a whole, as a planet. We all suffer from it.
CHAMP: You write all your songs and the lyrical content in your music is always exceptional. These days’ singers are effortlessly making music that just explodes on a mainstream level. There’s the argument that music is at a time where it’s going back to the essence vs. it’s dumbing down way to much. Where do you stand in that argument?
Raheem Devaughan: I think there’s a lot of dumbing down going on. I feel like some artist feel like they may be pressured like they have to do it. I hope that this album is a testament, that you actually don’t and that you can talk about something, and believe in something, and rep something and it’ll still be cool. I think music with all the technology that exist now, music has way of finding it’s own path to finding people that need to hear it the most, one way or another. I can’t judge anybody else at this point . They doing what they do. I just know at this point, I’m not dumbing down nothing. It ain’t time for it. I’ma go harder than ever right now.
CHAMP: “Best Kept Secret”. Why didn’t that joint make the cut bro?!
Raheem Devaughan: Ahh man. With the song commitments and everything, if I had my way this probably would’ve been like a four disc album. It probably would’ve been my last joint (laughs). It’s all good it just leaves room for a lot of things, a lot of mixtapes floating around, and that kinda just leaked out and took a life of it’s own. It’s all good man, it’s music. We don’t really control it anymore. Once somebody press the “send”, you don’t control it no more.
CHAMP: What single can we expect coming off the album and When can the people in Toronto expect you out here?
Raheem Devaughan: I’m looking forward to doing a series of mixtapes and Canada, it’s gon’ feel like I already moved there. I’m gonna spend a special time there for a moment, but you can look out for my first Canadian mixtape “ I Lost My Passport In Canada”. I think that’s gon’ be the vibe like I left my wallet in El Segundo. As far as singles right now, we working the “Bulletproof” joint still here in the states, the “I Don’t Care” record is doing really good on the urban/AC format. “B.O.B” is the official single that I think the label’s gon’ go for for urban. I just shot a video for “Bedroom”. I’m gonna be doing a lot of a viral videos, a lot of videos that’s gon be on the networks and stuff like that so hopefully I’ll get to touch Canada this summer man.
CHAMP: What else can we expect from you in 2010?
Raheem Devaughan: Well, I just started my own label. We had a big celebration out here in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia – Area) of my one year anniversary of my label 368 Music Group. So anyone that wants to get information on that, or hear my first artist that we’re bringing to the world; he’s been out since July. He’s making a great name for himself. His name is Phil Ade and people can go the http://www.368musicgroup.com. You an become part of my world, you can download Phil’s first project “Starting on JV”. He’s a hip hop artist and also a singer. Real diverse and we gon’ invade the Canadian market with him as well.
Make sure you follow Raheem Devaughan on at twitter.com/radiorah
For any interviews or press please Contact: Tonya Rose
