February 6, 2024 • 48 mins
This episode is dedicated to Abdul Wadud - Ronald E. DaVaughn
Michelle and Raheem are getting real. Raheem speaks on perfecting his sound as an artist. He also breaks down meeting the expectations of women who understand they are dating a musician and he opens up about his connection to mental illness that he has never publicly discussed. CHECK IN to this episode for a wholesome conversation.
Follow Raheem on Instagram: @Raheem_DeVaughn
Make sure you’re following Michelle on social media!
Instagram: @MichelleWilliams
Twitter: @RealMichelleW
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. I've been so curious about
(00:21):
the artist that I'm about to interview today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I love that Checking In we have a variety of.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Guests that check in, whether it's a doctor or an author, entrepreneur, artist.
I'm really excited about this Grammy nominated artist and writer.
Truly authentic, truly and original, but with some respectable influences
that you can hear in his tone and in his style.
(00:50):
I'm getting ready for this guy right here. Y'all, stay tuned,
get locked in, come on in. Raheem Devon is up next. Hey, everybody,
welcome to another fun, awesome episode of Checking In. Now
this might be a little well, I don't know what
(01:13):
it's gonna be, but we're gonna let it do what
it's going to do. I am just really, really thrilled
to have an amazing artist. I really think in every
sense of the word artist. He's so intentional with his work.
He's so intentional with the music, He's so intentional with
his art. I'm excited that we have four time Grammy
(01:37):
nominated singer and songwriter. We already know his debut album
and his album's period continue to do wonders in our
souls at least mine. Don't be nosy, y'all. Welcome raheen
devon to checking in.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hello, Hello, checking in.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
This is ry for album check in and then officially
right now listen.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Thank you for checking in?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What did you think when they were like, Yo, you're
gonna check in with Michelle Williams?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
What was your thought?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
You know something you have like you did certain calls
where you know, some people call and you try to
figure out, oh, what's my schedule? You got other people
that call and when you call, you just say okay,
win and where. So this is like a winning where
I would love to do it opportunity. So thank you
again for having me. Congratulations on your you know, all
(02:32):
your endeavors. Of course things you already accomplishing. You know,
it's always about I guess what's what's the word. I'm
looking for the incline and the growth, you know what
I mean, and doing new things. So I know this
is one of your new things passion projects, So thank
you so much for having need be part of that.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Absolutely absolutely I get a chance to talk to some
of my favorite voices, And I think you are classic
and timeless at the same time.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You evolve and grow, but you still are one of
the classic voices. And when I say classic, y'all at
eight because he came out.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
In nineteen eighty two or nineteen seventy.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Five, he has been around this game. Listen, now, let's
let's check it. Let's check it now. Now he could
have some stuff that I'm not privy to, maybe back
in the MySpace days, but all the way back to
two thousand and five. Yeah, classic timeless. How are you
(03:39):
feeling out in the streets to know that you've been
in this game a long time?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
It's amazing, Like you know, I mean young og mode
at this point.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
You know, I'm able to get a game two younger
artists at Amazing Day yesterday, which you know involved connecting
with the artists that I already have known for some time.
It's like revamping their thing as an independent artist. And
then there's a new artist, Jordan. I can't member Georgia's
last name, but he's going to kind of like viral
on the internet right now. And we had been communicating
(04:11):
and happy to be with Jordan's so we got to
say to have an opportunity to talk, and then I
spoke to another nd artist.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Is all like two three o'clock in the morning, is
all going on? WHI I'm at the studio by the way,
and I say that can say this is that you know.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
It gives me the opportunity to be able to like
you know, spit the games younger artists and share my
experiences and what has been you know, I've been I've
always operated as an independent you know, my own independent
artists with my artistry, but uh, you know, to be
independent over ten years, you know, and to be able
to put everything and people see I'm now starting to
(04:46):
understand how it looks from the outside. And I've been
so focused, like tunnel vision, on what it is, what
the mission is, what the goal is, you know, reinventing
myself constantly and just the things that you know, because
this is a you know, working supporting yourself as an
independent artist. It's like you become your own passion project.
So you have to take you have to you have
(05:07):
to have like tunnel vision focus on it. You have
to know certain things not not believe, but like no,
you have to you have to know, you have to
be borderline I don't know. I mean you have to
kind of go as artists. I think we are a
little insane. You know, we're all a little touched in
the sense of like to be able to you know,
bear our soul, you know, convey our emotions, uh, heal people,
(05:32):
you know, whatever the process is through uh, through our.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Gift of the arts.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
You know, in a room full of strangers, Like it's
the most one of the most vulnerable things that you
can do. You know, to go in the studio and
create a song that you know speaks from your point
of view or something that you're wearing on your sleeve
or something vicarious leader that you've experienced, and to share
that and then to go and give that to the world.
It's one of the most vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Things you can do.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So you know, it takes a very tough skin to
do what we do. And I would just say that,
you know, sometimes the season happens different. It doesn't happen
when you pray for it. Sometimes it doesn't happen that
you're ready for. It doesn't happen because you want it
right now. You know, everything that that you experienced perpause
(06:19):
for your season, and everybody hasn't like you know, so
you have to be able to identify when you win it,
you know. So for me, I think I think I
can really say that, you know, uh, you know at
this point in my career, like I'm in my season,
you know, uh, and it's a good I'm in a
good space.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You know. Music that's so good.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I love that you say that everybody has a season.
Now we all know the four seasons winter, spring, summer.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And fall.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Then you have where some people say, I'm in my
winning season. Can you explain heck, maybe you feel like
you've always been in your winning season.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Have you ever had a.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Season of wait, this is my waiting season, or a
season of transition, a season of uncertainty?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yes, all of those things I think I prepared me for,
like for my winning season, which is all seasons now,
you know what I mean. Like, that's that's where I'm
in it. I'm forever in my bag. That's how I feel,
you know. Like mentally, I'm in that mental space and
I'm forever in my dad. Like musically, I know that
I can go in the studio at any given time
it's something amazing, something timeless can come out.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I can curate, I can curate something.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
That speaks to you know, not only my one percent
demo of like eighteen year olds, but also my twenty
seven percent demo of like that thirty five to forty five,
you know what I mean that or that twenty eight
you know to.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thirty two, you know, so age group.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
So uh you know, and you know, seeing that the shows,
it's kind of like the proof of the put In
because you know, I do the meet and greets and
it's like a mother and a daughter there somebody the
mother the daughter, or the mother the daughter and the grandmother,
the mother, the daughter and the grandfather, you know what
I mean. So it's interesting, you know, like you know,
music is not only the heartbeat of about people, you
(08:13):
know what I mean, but it's the heartbeat of like
the world. It doesn't you know, I truly believe that,
you know, music is colorblind. You know great music, you know,
it's colorblind, it's gingerless, it's all it's all the things
you know that brings all these people together from different
walks of life to come here.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Whatever it is. The messages that you're conveying, you.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Know, that's so good. Y'all.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Don't get the pleasure of seeing him on this video
like I do when I tell y'all, he is suited
and booted, the glasses are on, the skin is moisturized,
the hair has been washed and conditioned. I'm so happy
about that. I'm so excited to.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Have you here. Now. One thing I know, if rahiem
Devon don't.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Do nothing else, he is going to give us music.
You've got three albums that you've released within the same.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Year, Am I correct?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, that's correct. Yeah, you know I'm gonna I'm on
a system of like.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Putting out, putting out, you know, three or four projects
a year, you know what I mean, you know, tentatively,
you know, even for twenty for twenty twenty four. Some
things that you know happen enough that I'm involved in,
you know. Uh, you know, the business model is spanding
now like you know, it's not. It doesn't always have
to be me in the front the center, you know.
(09:38):
In some cases, and maybe me presenting a project that
you know, produced or executively produced. And you know, so
in some cases, maybe a Rayen Devin presents, you know,
or it may be a three song pack of something
that is me, you know, Uh, it may be a
female artist, say like Tanya Nolan, who's a phenomenal independent
(09:59):
artists out of the Houston area. He's self made, you know,
reconnected doing the duet that we did pace Yourself and
had a relationship from there and it just kind of
just like group.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Shout out to Corey Moe who connected us.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
And one of the things that Corey uh initially asked
me when when he talks to me about time and
saying like, hey man, I would love to see you
take her under your wing and kind of just show
her the tools and you know, the secret sauce, you
know what I mean. So we've been able to connect
it and do that, and that's work into me like,
you know literally like you know, co executive producing her
(10:35):
first official like project or you know, which would be
dropping some time this year. So it's been great to
be able to go from being the clay to allow
myself to work with artists who like trust me with
your art, which I feel like is a sacred thing.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I constantly tell artists like Tanya and different individuals I
work and I'm working with currently, it's like, hey, like,
thank you for trusting me with your art because it
means that you know, I know, that's a vulnerable space
to be in. You know, it's not about it's not
about your heart earned money, get your investments to yourself.
It's more about for me, it's about the art and
not to move about the music and people want something
(11:14):
to maken here and fielm and that has a nostalgia
to it and you know what I mean. So yeah,
so so giving myself to the art in a different way,
taking time to work with new artists and stuff of
that nature and features. You know, it gives me an
opportunity to show myself with a different light, which was
a space that I grew into because as you know,
(11:36):
as a as a as a songwriter, a producer.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
And the vocal producer, there is a patience that's required.
There's a level of patience.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
It's a level of patience and communication you have to
have with someone that's coming into the studio. You know,
in some cases a lot of times working with you
for the first time. In some cases they you know,
depending on what who they're signed to, with the politics are,
they might not even want to be there. They kind
of just like they were either told to be there
(12:07):
or you know, it's kind of like all right, they're
stepping out of their comfort zone, so they're looking for
something new or you know what I mean. And and
again it's you know, it's the vulnerability that that can create,
you know. Uh, you know, I wanted to be finding
for them. I wanted to be a learning experience for them.
I want to create something that's that's great, that's iconic,
(12:29):
and it's amazing. But I also I wanted to be
those things for me as well, you know what I mean.
So yeah, so it's again it allows me to be
able to just like put out be part of different
you know, projects versus doing like one one song, and
you know what I mean, it's just kind of just
like chase chasing the single or I don't necessarily even
(12:50):
want to call them like EPs or or albums now design.
It's just like projects, you know what I mean. Because
a project maybe you know, so like I said, two
or three songs, a project maybe fifteen tunes. The project
may be five you know songs, you know, or it
may be a soundtrack for a film or independent film.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
I am here for everything.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That's why I have I've just been sitting here listening
because I mean, you're answering so many questions. Now the
latest three albums that you released in the last year,
Love You, for the Summer of Love, and fall in Love.
Now would you I'm assuming like, can I call it
(13:34):
a trilogy?
Speaker 3 (13:36):
H man?
Speaker 4 (13:38):
If it would be a trilogy, it was a trilogy
long ago, like for the cult following fans, like, you know,
love has always been you know, the word love has
always been intertwined in some form of fashion, like in
all the projects.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It's something that just kind of just continue to figure
out and do in real time. You know. That's from
a love experience, to love behind the Melody, to the
love of what master.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Piece, to a place called love Land, love such passion, Yes,
decade of a Love King, you know, from Luster Dawn,
which was like a passion project which which I connected
with a lot of different artists from you know, social
media at that time, and you know, some of which
I'm still working with, two of which i'm you know,
I'm mastering. I'm in the mastering stage of their projects.
(14:23):
So you know, these things take yeah, the thing, Yeah,
these things take time. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
So if you've been that busy yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah, how you be finding time to be doing some
of the stuff that's in your album.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
If you pick up, if you pick up when I'm
putting down.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
It's always what they say. We always made time for
the things we love.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
We may time if you if you're if you're a
praying woman, you know, praying man, you're gonna you're gonna
find time make time to pray, you know, just like
you're gonna make time to lay.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You know what I mean. You got to you got
to pray before your name, All right, come on?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
But yeah, I mean I guess I am lyrically a lover,
not a fighter, you know, But I also understand like
it's my gift, you know what I mean, Like I've
coined and carved out a lane for myself that that
when people get the music and receive it or here
(15:24):
there's a new project, I know what I know, what
the expectation is.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And part of you know, part of my rebranding, part
of my you know, the secret to my success, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
You know, And part of being in your season is
knowing that it's knowing and loving who you are and
knowing who you ain't who you are, you know what
I mean? As well likes knowing. It's knowing what you
are and who you are, as well as knowing who
you're not and what you what you would never be,
and what you don't desire to need, and you know,
and then and then and then moving on intention of it,
(15:58):
like you know. Yeah, So that that you know, for me,
you know, allows me to be the conscious lover you know,
or mister Jimmy conscious you know, one of the many
attributes that I have, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Nicknames?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, So what's the nicknames for me? Sitting the
seat that I'm in? You have to be naturally curious,
not nosy.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
I have a lot of monikers, you know, because you know,
so it's uh, it's a let's see, uh, the R
and B hippie, neo soul rock star a k A.
Sup Cooler Jones a k A. Smoky Temptations, the Lypt God,
the who God, the Lipt God.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yeah, l I P l l I P.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I thought he said LIMP.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
God capital capital L capital all caps l I P. Yeah.
Young Marvin Marley Mayfield. This is one of my fast
which is one of my favorites, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah, so in a and the list goes on, I
mean these days, it's the lesson.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
You should say all of those names because I hear
all of those influence.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Okay, Marley Gay Mayfield.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Yeah, young Robarn Marley Mayfield Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
And I'll say Isley's as well. Absolutely Isley Brothers.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
And on the latest album there is someone that is
speaking who is giving me Is it Jamaican Nigerian?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
The woman doing the interludes?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Rob Brown is half black, half Filipino. Yeah. She grew
up in Philly, you know what I mean, Like she
actually went to school with like Jill Jill Scott. She's special.
She's she's a really dope spoken word artist and a
phenomenal like a writer.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Like she does a lot of writing for different different projects,
you know, outside of like the conventional like making records
and making albums, you know, work world.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You know. Uh, she's been part of my journey, whether
she knows it or not.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And I went back to like kind of like go
grab her at the right time, and like, you know,
I want to start incorporating you know, spoken word artists
and poetry into what I do. So, you know, the
first open mic that I ever touched in d C,
she was she was the host. She's talking you know
what I'm saying. We're talking over twenty five years ago,
you know what I mean. Yeah, we talked years you know,
So taking it back there, like before the world knew
(18:30):
my name, like you know, uh, there was there was
a spot I would go to Bar None, which which
which a lot of people think I was discovered there,
but that's where I went to kind of just like Shave.
It definitely had the like the Love Jone. It was
given like Love Jones vibes, we need to go in there,
you know. But you had spoken word artists, you had
you had mcs, you had singers, you had instrumentalists you
(18:50):
know that would go through there, and uh you know
that was that became the hub and in my safe
space to be able to go and be vulnerable and
you know, and work on my craft, you know, and
get comfortable form, comfortable beforming in front of people. My
first CE or mixtape that I sold out of a
knapsack like out of a book bag was like Apple.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
None so and people got to know that that part
of the journey.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Okay, you know, so yeah, it was it was it was,
it was, it was. It was the knapsack.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
It was broad Now it was the green camera had
the green had this little beat up green camera toyo,
thea cameray and I, you know, and and I used
to basically like hand in hand, you know, sell my music.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
So you knew you were dope.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
You knew and that that confidence that I see now
in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I knew I had something special. I knew that it
was that I was still developing it.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
But yeah, I knew back then that I had something
that was unique and that and more importantly that when
I would jump off the mic, I would see the
reaction or like the questions I.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Would People would be like, yo, where can I get
that song?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
So I let me know that was create at demand
and that you know, the hustler of me said, okay,
well if they're asking for it, then you know then
I mean I got to get product ye immediate, whether
that means like buying a CD burner, and you know,
the quality might not be what what we might think
it needs to be, you know, but I have to
start somewhere, you know. And and that's so that's always
(20:21):
been my you know, that's always been my mentality. That's
always been my goal and understanding that you know, you
start somewhere, you know, and then from there you evolve.
You keep moving, you know, keep moving. I look at
my career, I look at my life as a as
a marathon. You know that it's never been to it's
never been the sprint, you know, it's been there's always
been that like, Hey, we're gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna
(20:43):
get on these tracks with these individuals, with my peers,
you know, pull my b love. But you know, it's
a very competitive business. So I'm gonna get on this
track and I'm gonna start to run. And when they
say all your market said, go I want to start,
I'm going to start running and I'm going to like
and if I get tired, want to walk.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
You know, you don't let your feet stop moving, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Get thirsty, you know what I mean. You have you know,
there's no there's no eye in the world team. So
you might have a team member that runs up and
gives you, you know, something to drink. But if the
game and the rules of the game are hey, when
this race starts, the last person that whose feet are
still moving will be declared the winner. Then you know,
(21:26):
my mindset is that Okay. I'm just going to just
like but you can do whatever you need to do necessarily.
You can do whatever you need to do in the process.
If you need somebody to hand you a sandwich because
you're hungry on your feet, don't stop moving, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Whatever?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
I love that because you run your race.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You're quiet about it, but you still have results. You're
not like the loud arrogant. It don't seem like you
have beefs with anybody in these R and B streets
that I know of. You seem to know your niche
like and I don't want to say because some people
like you know your lane because that means what you say,
I can't I can't go to the middle lane if
(22:08):
I want to, I can't go to the left lane.
But your niche or your sound? Did that take a
while for you to discover.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
My sound?
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think that happened organically, you know, like you know,
being able to have mentors like DJ Jazzy Jeff like
that nature average you know, I have an access to
somebody like that. Let me just start there. If you know,
you know, Jeff has always created an environment for artists.
I would describe it as like X men, Mmm, you
(22:39):
would be uh, what's that, professor X Yeah, and like
you would be the equivalent of like that for me
or for us. You know, the rooms I've been in
with the level of talent, like the caliber of talent,
like like not just in here in the US, but
like globally, like the meetups I've been in, and what
I've experienced being under under his watch you know what
(23:02):
I mean. He was at a very important time, Like
he was there. You know, he took me under his
wing and learning from him. You know, the relationships that
people that I that I met as a result from
kicking it with him and being around him in this
cool musical environment, you know Ken Dope and Louis Vanger
and DJ Terry Hunter, you know who are like worldwarnow
(23:26):
like DJs and producers and seeing the world and going
you know, Jeff taking myself and uh and other artists
like around the world at the time where you know,
my brand was still building, Yah, and being being able
to just understand that like music or R and B
and like soul music is just one gearure in music
(23:46):
that's just listen to start.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
There, and and that it's a very big world and
a lot of people love.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
You know, there are people that love what we do
and what we create that don't even speak English in
some places, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I mean, we think it's corny, but I used to
see it when I was growing up as a child,
when music was actually in the schools, they would see
the sign music is a universal language.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah it is, you know, And those things
help is developing your growing in real time if you
allow yourself to be you know, it's easy to kind
of put yourself in a box though too, you know,
depending upon like you know, listening to the labeled or
listening to the A N R. Sometimes, in some cases,
you know what I mean, it could be one of
the most toxic things for an artist, you know. But
(24:35):
it's about knowing and trusting that gut you know, the
voice of intuition is God whishper in your ear, you
know what I mean. So that gut feeling, that's the
voice of God like telling you. That's you know, as
universe saying like, hey, this is what you need to
be doing. Get It morphs into like knowing I'm in
a space where I know what I wanted to feel
like tastes like smell like.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
You know what I mean, like okay, like you look
like yeah, you know, so you know has a greeing
and the cologne.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'm here for it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
I cam here for it. Can you smell it, Colonne
through the speaker's baby, I can smell it.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
It's given amber, sandalwood. It's given a little bit of
well you said it in your song. It's given backwoods.
It's given although I'm like, now, wait a minute, don't
mess up your vocal cords. It's given brown sweet liquor, y'all.
If you know what I'm saying, is given honey butter,
(25:32):
I'm hungry.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
It's giving.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
It's giving everything sophisticated. I think it could because of
the season we're in, But if we're in the spring
or somehow, I would have said, it's given juniper.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
It's giving.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I'm trying to stick to the smells because you probably
don't want bath and body work types since.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
That's for the lady.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I'm not like biased, know to a woman that you
know uses back in the bodyworks, you know I'm not
biased me personally, you know what I mean? Go, you
know I'm there's so many like dope, black owned businesses
there are their eyes.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Like, you know, what are your favorite sense what are
some of your favorites.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
I'm you know, I'm a sucker for a woman as
you know that has that Carol's daughter, you know, you know,
but that but look brown sugar, but look, but look,
but you got to have like the source. You gotta
get that you know, word on the streeter. And she
does like a you know, if you know, you know
she'll do she does like a bat. She still she
still whips it up in the.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Kidnap for some of those of her. By the way,
I know which bats you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I know which bat you're talking about because I'll never
forget back in the day in the early two thousands,
walking down it just takes me back.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
To the Brownstones of New York. I know exactly what
bat you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
I'm not no, I'm not going to ask nothing like
specific as far as dating business. But what I do
want to ask, because you are the love king you
say you people have called you the lip God.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Do you find it pressure to be that or to
be who you are as an artist?
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Who you are as a man in relationships? Is or
are you like, wait a minute, I don't feel like
all that today. Yes, if you want me to just
listen to track twelve, but I can't be that right now.
Have they expected you to be that in a day
to day relationship?
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Well, in transparency, like you know, I'm not married, engaged
and I am dating. You know what I mean having
that dating like that? You know?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Okay, and just like you know, I think that not
to be cliche, but I would probably have to say,
like my wife, girlfriend and mistress is like my music
their career.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Yeah, he told you, he told you on checking in
with Michelle Williams. His wife, his girlfriend, and his mistress
is music. So don't have no expectations.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Just but I understand that like outside of that, like
you have to have experiences, you have to you know,
I understand the point is of like love and plutonic
friendship and growth in allowing yourself to have experiences that
you want to feel something. So with that, with that
being said, I want to make sure I'm to ask
(28:22):
you a question one more time.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
I want to make sure I like, if I were
dating a therapist, don't make him feel like the pressure
to be the therapist.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I got you here, Rahim Devon the.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Artist you know.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
So yes, there have been times where I feel like pressure,
but I think it has nothing to do with necessarily
like even the content. It's just the fact that, like
who I am and just being a public figure, I
was having this discussion every day, and I feel like sometimes,
you know, sometimes a woman may feel the need to
be like, give me an extra hard time because I
am because of who I am, and because he.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Wants to know that you are who what you sing about.
You ain't romantic enough what you're talking about. You didn't
grab my torso like you said in the music or you.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
I don't really have that problem. I don't have that problem.
And I think I don't have that problem.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I think because to love me is to really know me,
and to really know me is to know that like
they're very there's a lot of different shades and tones
to me.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
And that and that you know, that's that like that
you know that's where I'm going to yea, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
There's you know that's that that can be very you know,
it kind of would tell me a lot about the person,
you know what I mean, if the expectations it because
it can be kind of like superficial, you know what
I mean. Or it can be like it's like, hey,
do you want Raheen divine? The entertainer or the singer
or the you know, the writer, are you here? You know,
are you here for Raheem divine? Like the human beings
(29:54):
like you know what I mean, the person you know,
the person who who lost his father or a year ago,
or the or the person who still figures out how
to still be you know, uh just still you know,
you never stop figuring out how to be a parent,
you know what I mean when you have children or
could just be like the you know, the amount of
(30:15):
what I'm providing in terms of you know, being self
independent and being self made. You know, I'm still providing
jobs for people you know, down to like my musicians
and you know, uh and what have you know, an
economy and in a space that where like people come
out to buy a ticket for something it's election. Regardless
of what level you are in this business. You know,
(30:37):
if you can fill seats during this time, like that's
a unique gift to be able to be able to
fill seats or to know that you can go and
do the MGM and it's sold out already before you
go to touch it, and you know, and and and
people are there because you provide a very unique service,
you know what I mean. So it's like to know
the men and to know the music and then know
the lyrics, to really know the man behind the music
(30:59):
and the you know I means so yes, which means
like you got to come correct too, you know, as
the woman who is you know, pursuing you know what
I mean? I think in dating that the pursuit should
be equally ooked, you know what I mean. I realized that,
I realized it. I realized as a man that I
like to be pursued. And that's not to be misunderstood as.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
You want to feel that they want you.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
If you the woman that's waiting by the phone for
me to call you or like you know, daily and
you know whatever, the like, yeah you're not because you know,
I believe like if you think, you know, if you
think about me, then or show reach out, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
What I mean? So like you know what I mean?
So like yeah, so it's you know, hopefully I've answered
good question.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
No, it has been amazing And I was like, man,
I want to make great use of our time together.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
You've given me so much. You've given us so much.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
I told I was telling some folks that I was
interviewing the other day, they poured, you literally are pouring.
And I really think I'm thankful for that. And I
don't want to didn't want to come across offensive because
I was like, Man, I'm sitting here and just wondering
as I'm listening to music as a fan of like,
does he have pressure in that area?
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I don't feel the pressure.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
I mean, not that I mean in the day about
that life, like I talked, like I talked with I
talked that talk about.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
That that life.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
So he's not a hypocrite, Like you're not gonna everything.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
You know, but everything for everybody.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
You know, you're doing in moderation and you know, even
in real time, you know, learning a lot about myself
and and uh, you know, and dating and you know
from my previous relationship not to make the same states.
And it's like all the all of those things, you
know what I mean, Like, you know, it's cool being
an artist, you know, That's I think that's the cool
part is that you can go through things and then
(32:55):
you can be your own news for them and go
in and you know, use your music.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
To not only hill yourself, but to also heal. You know,
music is healing for the for the listener, you know,
therapeutic in some cases. It's a doc connector to.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Love and fatherhood and motherhood and just like all the things,
depending on you know, what you're listening to, you know,
and what you get, what you get from it, you.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Know, Yeah, you mentioned your father. I just wanted to
ask you. He was a jazz musician.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, yes ahead, I'm sorry, yes, yes, I do, I'll do.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
He was a jazz musician and so were you the
son that wanted to make sure that he loved your music?
Was he excited or please? Had Did he ever participate
creatively with you music?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Yeah, you know, he would hang out.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Not many studio sessions he came to with me, but
there's one it sticks out, and it was the night
that I was recording the song just right. And he
didn't make many suggestions that night, but one of the
suggestions that he did make on the record is like
it's it's literally the way it is because it's something
that he suggested that I do, which was like there's
a bridge that happens like a pre hook that happens
(34:15):
in that in that record, in that song, and to
kind of make a different between the two, it was
there's this one line where he was just like, yeah,
just leave out the one word right there, and and
I'm like okay, and I'm me and the student anybody knows,
like I'm very kind of like as far as like
suggestions and stuff or.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
People like, hey, you should do like I hate that,
like you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
So sometimes I just need the space to get out
what I need to get in my head before, like
you know, and and and if I really, like, you know,
I'll ask an opinion, you know what I mean. But
it was just like Dad, and he made us right.
He was he was right, and the records just right
and it came out just right, you know what I mean.
(34:58):
But but yeah, like you know, I think probably the
part I missed the most is like, uh, we would talk,
you know, maybe two three times a day, but even
if it wasn't two three times a day, he would
always kind of like tap in after the show, like
you know, whether two three o'clock in the morning, you
know something about musicians who just up and up at night, right,
(35:20):
and uh, nocturnal and he and he would, he would, yeah,
he would, just like tap Man. And you know, it's
you can have people, you know, you can have different
there's a different conversation that you can have, say with
a parent who is in the.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Music business versus one that's not it's just a level.
They just understand.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
We talk a different language, we talk, We talk a
different language than most you know what I mean, you know,
whether we're talking business or on a you know, personal level.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
You know. But yeah, my dad, you know, for the
listeners out there, you know, check out his work.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
He was a child prodigy cellist and went on to
teach like some of his amazing students who are.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Now doing phenomenal things around the world. Wow, and yeah,
so yeah that's good. But I understand that, you know,
it's the progression of life, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So I'm thankful to be able to say that that
I had the experiences that I've had that I had
with him, you know, and to know that also you know,
they they definitely were in spirit, you know what I'm saying.
Our ancestors are in spirit, you know, calling the plays,
calling the plays that you will, thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
So much for sharing.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I understand, my I lost my father in twenty twenty,
but I rejoice in the fact that he was ready.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It was time, It was his time, It was his time.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Still miss him, still miss him dearly. He is a
huge musical influence. He was a DJ, and he had
like Milk Crates, Vinyl just from everything to the to
Marvin Gaye to Aerosmith. So I feel like that's why
sometimes I had a hard time kind of figuring out
I think what my sound was gonna be. But I'm
(37:01):
still a consumer to this day of just all things,
so many genres. Two more questions for you. Are there
any sounds that you still have yet to explore sonically?
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah, definitely, there probably a lot of things. Like I'm
in a space. I let that happen organically, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
You don't force it like I'm going to do Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Yeah, yeah, I like that. I like that I let
the music dode. That tells me.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I think probably the most eclectic record I have about
right now, it's a record called Favorite Things to Do,
which is which it has a It has a vintage
failire vibe to it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I love him.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
Shout out to DJ Terry Hunter, who produced that out
of Chicago, you know, but to kind of like show
the diversity like Terry also produced you you know.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
For me, you know, many moons ago.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
So uh you know, but again, you know when you
start when I started getting my back and thinking about
like the work that I that I've already done with
like King Doapro in particular.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Right, I'm gonna find it. I'm gonna find it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
See me looking down because I was able to play
Sondra Isador. I was the original Sondra Isidor in the
Fela touring.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Production that was on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yeah, it was on Broadway.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Okay. I came to see that in New York.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Yeah, so it was on Broadway, but I was in
the Broadway producers took it on the road and I
was in. I was the original Sondra Isador on the road.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Man. That was incredible.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Like, yeah, I was introduced to his music in two
thousand and eight, and I'm like, I wish I knew
of him in nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
I just shout out to his son, to his kids
and FAMMI you know, you know he is like that. Yes,
he's like the split version of his dad. It is
at the heart of this got the heart of a lion,
you know what I mean, Like, you know, so okay.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
I'm okay, I'm excited. I'm excited. Okay, thank you for
sharing that.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Last, but not least, the foundation of my podcast is
regarding mental health.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
We know that we know, or I know, everybody has
mental health, but everybody does.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
Not have mental illness. Even you, righting you have mental health,
you seem to be very grounded. You shared so much.
But to the heart of that creative who might be
struggling with their confidence, to the creative who is just
maybe they're.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Just struggling in the area of their mental health. They're
dealing with depression or anxiety.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Have you ever walked that road where you were like, yeah,
I've been down a little too long.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Or absolutely that's some fear.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
For the first time in my life, I willingly intentionally
started doing therapy, and it was like when I lost
my dad, Black King, Come on now. Prior to that,
I definitely probably was one of the people that I
thought I didn't need or didn't get or like you know,
or thought that you know, there had to be something
like really going wrong to you know, ironically, you know,
(40:12):
mental health.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Is like one degree separation. For me, it's like very close,
like so much so close.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
That like which I've never spoken about is public for
me until now, right, is that my my dad has caisophrenia. Wow,
And I've always been you know, for whatever reason, as
he got older and I got older, for whatever reason,
I was I was probably the one person out of
the family that could kind of like get him back
(40:39):
on traps, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
So that became a thing for me, you know.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
So when I say, like it's one degree separation, I'm
looking to go down the rabbit hole and and now
and so so that's something that's like, you know, very
you know, having my foundation, doing the work that I've
done community wise, revamping the foundation and and and with
new initiatives, that is something like mental health is like
something that's very important to me.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
And I understand it like in a way.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
That most probably be wouldn't you know what I mean,
because again on both sides of my family, like you know,
it's one degree literally one degree.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Degree separation.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
So I understand that, like you know, and I didn't
understand until I started doing therapy how important therapy is.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
You know, the tools and things that you can be
given the healing that can happen from it, and how
you can identify the source of trauma, you know what
I mean, like like because sometimes the source of your
source of trauma may be like all roads may lead
back to one person yep, and and the series of
a vist that it's transpired and then you know whether
it's say, hurt people, hurt people.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
So it's so it's so important to get in tune
with y'all, like your trauma and your hurt and your pain,
because you don't want to be one of those hurt people.
This is out here hurting people intentionally or unintentionally, you
know what I mean. So, yeah, mental health is like
and everything for me, you know, for anybody out there
that's going through anything.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
Is that I would just say, like in.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Transparency and like again, as artists, like you know, we
remember that it's something about the TV or the Netflix
or the radio or these you know, or social media.
It just makes us look bigger than life that sometimes
people forget that we're human beings and we believe the
same way you do. You know, we have the same
losses that you do, we have the same anxieties, we
(42:27):
have the same in some cases prayers. You know, I
never try to claim the spirit of depression, you know
what I'm saying, Like, you know, I feel like depression
is a word.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
It kind of it'sat it's just data.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I saw somebody say that.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
I can't remember when I saw this, but depression it
really stands for decompression, like you need to It just
means that your avatar is tired and that you just
need to let your avatar like decompress, you know what
I'm saying. And whatever that process is. Maybe that process
is you know, taking a quick trip for going like
going somewhere and just like standing in the water, or
(43:06):
you know, meditating or you know, you know, for some
people it's like back with you know what I mean.
But I would suggest finding good ways to you want
to make sure that you're not running to like the bad.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Habits, the bad habits, bad you know what. We Sometimes
people feel like what is what's a solution?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
It's really a distraction and they're not getting to the
root of that pain, you know, They're they're substituting it.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, first of all, let me let you know that.
Speaker 1 (43:39):
Michelle Williams and I'm sure folks.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
That are with the Black Effect.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Who my podcast is you know under Charlemagne, who has
the Mental Wealth Alliance? Like whatever, however we can and
I guess Charlemagne, I signed you up. Yeah, however, I
let me speak for me. However I can get behind you. Yeah,
in whatever it is in that mental health space, I'm
(44:04):
gonna be following up because that's really big. And thank
you for trusting my platform to share what you shared.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
There are so many things about the artists that we
know and love, like he said, go through the same
things that we have. And maybe he just didn't feel
or there is a safe enough space to share what
he shared. Again, therapy is not always about It doesn't
(44:33):
always have to be about trauma. It can be how
can I unpack transition? How can I get an unbiased
opinion about how to deal with a loss? And guess
what therapy is about trauma too if you want to
go there. Okay, so you have made yourself even more
lovable by being vulnerable. That took some vulnerability to share,
(44:57):
but that's what you know.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
But again, that all kind it goes back to like,
it goes back to the art, like you know, ass right,
And it's why you know, it's part of these These
are part of the things that like our challenges, our
things that we deal with that we don't speak on earth.
You know, they shape us, state, mold us, you know
what I mean. And you know, so you know, it
kind of gives people kind of wonder why I move
(45:19):
the way I moved, or like people wouldn't believe some
of the things unless they saw it, you know what
I mean, I heard it or you know, or you know,
we had a conversation piece about it. So like, yeah,
I'm looking forward to being more verbal. And you know, again,
mental health is just it's it holds a very hold space.
A lot of it purposely and intentional because of like
(45:42):
you know, it being a one degree separation thing for me.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Listen, thank you, y'all. His foundation is called love Life Foundation.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Yeah, the Love Life Foundation.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:56):
It's committed to raising awareness and funds for domestic island education, homeless,
mental illness, if I is that correct.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Mental health, autism, cancer, Listen.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
It's so well rounded for music and arts, HIV and
AIDS if we can. Matter of fact, I'm gonna follow
right now love Life DMV And as he said on
one of his interludes.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
You can find him at Raheem Underscover Devon on Facebook
as Raheem Divine.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You can find him there. I think you poured so much.
Speaker 4 (46:35):
Thank you for checking in, Oh, thank you for having me,
Thank you for having me. We gotta do it again
for sure.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Anytime, anytime, anytime.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Okay, I did not expect I did not expect.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
This, and I'm so glad that he was just willing
to share, because sometimes, you know, artists can be, you know,
be wanting to be all and whatnot and not share,
you know, but he was just absolutely a jewel. And
we are dedicating this episode to his father, Abdul Dude.
(47:15):
And I'm grateful that Checking In is a safe space
where people begin to share things that they probably normally
wouldn't share. And he's got my full support. And continue
prayers and blessings into anybody out there. You've lost a
loved one recently, just know that my heart goes out
(47:36):
to you and I'm wrapping my arms around your body
as best as i can and just praying for you
and just wanting to send you some love as well.
(48:05):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and the black effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. I've been so curious about
(00:21):
the artist that I'm about to interview today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I love that Checking In we have a variety of.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Guests that check in, whether it's a doctor or an author, entrepreneur, artist.
I'm really excited about this Grammy nominated artist and writer.
Truly authentic, truly and original, but with some respectable influences
that you can hear in his tone and in his style.
(00:50):
I'm getting ready for this guy right here. Y'all, stay tuned,
get locked in, come on in. Raheem Devon is up next. Hey, everybody,
welcome to another fun, awesome episode of Checking In. Now
this might be a little well, I don't know what
(01:13):
it's gonna be, but we're gonna let it do what
it's going to do. I am just really, really thrilled
to have an amazing artist. I really think in every
sense of the word artist. He's so intentional with his work.
He's so intentional with the music, He's so intentional with
his art. I'm excited that we have four time Grammy
(01:37):
nominated singer and songwriter. We already know his debut album
and his album's period continue to do wonders in our
souls at least mine. Don't be nosy, y'all. Welcome raheen
devon to checking in.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hello, Hello, checking in.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
This is ry for album check in and then officially
right now listen.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Thank you for checking in?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What did you think when they were like, Yo, you're
gonna check in with Michelle Williams?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
What was your thought?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
You know something you have like you did certain calls
where you know, some people call and you try to
figure out, oh, what's my schedule? You got other people
that call and when you call, you just say okay,
win and where. So this is like a winning where
I would love to do it opportunity. So thank you
again for having me. Congratulations on your you know, all
(02:32):
your endeavors. Of course things you already accomplishing. You know,
it's always about I guess what's what's the word. I'm
looking for the incline and the growth, you know what
I mean, and doing new things. So I know this
is one of your new things passion projects, So thank
you so much for having need be part of that.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Absolutely absolutely I get a chance to talk to some
of my favorite voices, And I think you are classic
and timeless at the same time.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You evolve and grow, but you still are one of
the classic voices. And when I say classic, y'all at
eight because he came out.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
In nineteen eighty two or nineteen seventy.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Five, he has been around this game. Listen, now, let's
let's check it. Let's check it now. Now he could
have some stuff that I'm not privy to, maybe back
in the MySpace days, but all the way back to
two thousand and five. Yeah, classic timeless. How are you
(03:39):
feeling out in the streets to know that you've been
in this game a long time?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
It's amazing, Like you know, I mean young og mode
at this point.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
You know, I'm able to get a game two younger
artists at Amazing Day yesterday, which you know involved connecting
with the artists that I already have known for some time.
It's like revamping their thing as an independent artist. And
then there's a new artist, Jordan. I can't member Georgia's
last name, but he's going to kind of like viral
on the internet right now. And we had been communicating
(04:11):
and happy to be with Jordan's so we got to
say to have an opportunity to talk, and then I
spoke to another nd artist.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Is all like two three o'clock in the morning, is
all going on? WHI I'm at the studio by the way,
and I say that can say this is that you know.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
It gives me the opportunity to be able to like
you know, spit the games younger artists and share my
experiences and what has been you know, I've been I've
always operated as an independent you know, my own independent
artists with my artistry, but uh, you know, to be
independent over ten years, you know, and to be able
to put everything and people see I'm now starting to
(04:46):
understand how it looks from the outside. And I've been
so focused, like tunnel vision, on what it is, what
the mission is, what the goal is, you know, reinventing
myself constantly and just the things that you know, because
this is a you know, working supporting yourself as an
independent artist. It's like you become your own passion project.
So you have to take you have to you have
(05:07):
to have like tunnel vision focus on it. You have
to know certain things not not believe, but like no,
you have to you have to know, you have to
be borderline I don't know. I mean you have to
kind of go as artists. I think we are a
little insane. You know, we're all a little touched in
the sense of like to be able to you know,
bear our soul, you know, convey our emotions, uh, heal people,
(05:32):
you know, whatever the process is through uh, through our.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Gift of the arts.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
You know, in a room full of strangers, Like it's
the most one of the most vulnerable things that you
can do. You know, to go in the studio and
create a song that you know speaks from your point
of view or something that you're wearing on your sleeve
or something vicarious leader that you've experienced, and to share
that and then to go and give that to the world.
It's one of the most vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Things you can do.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So you know, it takes a very tough skin to
do what we do. And I would just say that,
you know, sometimes the season happens different. It doesn't happen
when you pray for it. Sometimes it doesn't happen that
you're ready for. It doesn't happen because you want it
right now. You know, everything that that you experienced perpause
(06:19):
for your season, and everybody hasn't like you know, so
you have to be able to identify when you win it,
you know. So for me, I think I think I
can really say that, you know, uh, you know at
this point in my career, like I'm in my season,
you know, uh, and it's a good I'm in a
good space.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You know. Music that's so good.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I love that you say that everybody has a season.
Now we all know the four seasons winter, spring, summer.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And fall.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Then you have where some people say, I'm in my
winning season. Can you explain heck, maybe you feel like
you've always been in your winning season.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Have you ever had a.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Season of wait, this is my waiting season, or a
season of transition, a season of uncertainty?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yes, all of those things I think I prepared me for,
like for my winning season, which is all seasons now,
you know what I mean. Like, that's that's where I'm
in it. I'm forever in my bag. That's how I feel,
you know. Like mentally, I'm in that mental space and
I'm forever in my dad. Like musically, I know that
I can go in the studio at any given time
it's something amazing, something timeless can come out.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I can curate, I can curate something.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
That speaks to you know, not only my one percent
demo of like eighteen year olds, but also my twenty
seven percent demo of like that thirty five to forty five,
you know what I mean that or that twenty eight
you know to.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thirty two, you know, so age group.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
So uh you know, and you know, seeing that the shows,
it's kind of like the proof of the put In
because you know, I do the meet and greets and
it's like a mother and a daughter there somebody the
mother the daughter, or the mother the daughter and the grandmother,
the mother, the daughter and the grandfather, you know what
I mean. So it's interesting, you know, like you know,
music is not only the heartbeat of about people, you
(08:13):
know what I mean, but it's the heartbeat of like
the world. It doesn't you know, I truly believe that,
you know, music is colorblind. You know great music, you know,
it's colorblind, it's gingerless, it's all it's all the things
you know that brings all these people together from different
walks of life to come here.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Whatever it is. The messages that you're conveying, you.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Know, that's so good. Y'all.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Don't get the pleasure of seeing him on this video
like I do when I tell y'all, he is suited
and booted, the glasses are on, the skin is moisturized,
the hair has been washed and conditioned. I'm so happy
about that. I'm so excited to.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Have you here. Now. One thing I know, if rahiem
Devon don't.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Do nothing else, he is going to give us music.
You've got three albums that you've released within the same.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Year, Am I correct?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, that's correct. Yeah, you know I'm gonna I'm on
a system of like.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Putting out, putting out, you know, three or four projects
a year, you know what I mean, you know, tentatively,
you know, even for twenty for twenty twenty four. Some
things that you know happen enough that I'm involved in,
you know. Uh, you know, the business model is spanding
now like you know, it's not. It doesn't always have
to be me in the front the center, you know.
(09:38):
In some cases, and maybe me presenting a project that
you know, produced or executively produced. And you know, so
in some cases, maybe a Rayen Devin presents, you know,
or it may be a three song pack of something
that is me, you know, Uh, it may be a
female artist, say like Tanya Nolan, who's a phenomenal independent
(09:59):
artists out of the Houston area. He's self made, you know,
reconnected doing the duet that we did pace Yourself and
had a relationship from there and it just kind of
just like group.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Shout out to Corey Moe who connected us.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
And one of the things that Corey uh initially asked
me when when he talks to me about time and
saying like, hey man, I would love to see you
take her under your wing and kind of just show
her the tools and you know, the secret sauce, you
know what I mean. So we've been able to connect
it and do that, and that's work into me like,
you know literally like you know, co executive producing her
(10:35):
first official like project or you know, which would be
dropping some time this year. So it's been great to
be able to go from being the clay to allow
myself to work with artists who like trust me with
your art, which I feel like is a sacred thing.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I constantly tell artists like Tanya and different individuals I
work and I'm working with currently, it's like, hey, like,
thank you for trusting me with your art because it
means that you know, I know, that's a vulnerable space
to be in. You know, it's not about it's not
about your heart earned money, get your investments to yourself.
It's more about for me, it's about the art and
not to move about the music and people want something
(11:14):
to maken here and fielm and that has a nostalgia
to it and you know what I mean. So yeah,
so so giving myself to the art in a different way,
taking time to work with new artists and stuff of
that nature and features. You know, it gives me an
opportunity to show myself with a different light, which was
a space that I grew into because as you know,
(11:36):
as a as a as a songwriter, a producer.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
And the vocal producer, there is a patience that's required.
There's a level of patience.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
It's a level of patience and communication you have to
have with someone that's coming into the studio. You know,
in some cases a lot of times working with you
for the first time. In some cases they you know,
depending on what who they're signed to, with the politics are,
they might not even want to be there. They kind
of just like they were either told to be there
(12:07):
or you know, it's kind of like all right, they're
stepping out of their comfort zone, so they're looking for
something new or you know what I mean. And and
again it's you know, it's the vulnerability that that can create,
you know. Uh, you know, I wanted to be finding
for them. I wanted to be a learning experience for them.
I want to create something that's that's great, that's iconic,
(12:29):
and it's amazing. But I also I wanted to be
those things for me as well, you know what I mean.
So yeah, so it's again it allows me to be
able to just like put out be part of different
you know, projects versus doing like one one song, and
you know what I mean, it's just kind of just
like chase chasing the single or I don't necessarily even
(12:50):
want to call them like EPs or or albums now design.
It's just like projects, you know what I mean. Because
a project maybe you know, so like I said, two
or three songs, a project maybe fifteen tunes. The project
may be five you know songs, you know, or it
may be a soundtrack for a film or independent film.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
I am here for everything.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That's why I have I've just been sitting here listening
because I mean, you're answering so many questions. Now the
latest three albums that you released in the last year,
Love You, for the Summer of Love, and fall in Love.
Now would you I'm assuming like, can I call it
(13:34):
a trilogy?
Speaker 3 (13:36):
H man?
Speaker 4 (13:38):
If it would be a trilogy, it was a trilogy
long ago, like for the cult following fans, like, you know,
love has always been you know, the word love has
always been intertwined in some form of fashion, like in
all the projects.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It's something that just kind of just continue to figure
out and do in real time. You know. That's from
a love experience, to love behind the Melody, to the
love of what master.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Piece, to a place called love Land, love such passion, Yes,
decade of a Love King, you know, from Luster Dawn,
which was like a passion project which which I connected
with a lot of different artists from you know, social
media at that time, and you know, some of which
I'm still working with, two of which i'm you know,
I'm mastering. I'm in the mastering stage of their projects.
(14:23):
So you know, these things take yeah, the thing, Yeah,
these things take time. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
So if you've been that busy yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah, how you be finding time to be doing some
of the stuff that's in your album.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
If you pick up, if you pick up when I'm
putting down.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
It's always what they say. We always made time for
the things we love.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
We may time if you if you're if you're a
praying woman, you know, praying man, you're gonna you're gonna
find time make time to pray, you know, just like
you're gonna make time to lay.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You know what I mean. You got to you got
to pray before your name, All right, come on?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
But yeah, I mean I guess I am lyrically a lover,
not a fighter, you know, But I also understand like
it's my gift, you know what I mean, Like I've
coined and carved out a lane for myself that that
when people get the music and receive it or here
(15:24):
there's a new project, I know what I know, what
the expectation is.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And part of you know, part of my rebranding, part
of my you know, the secret to my success, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
You know, And part of being in your season is
knowing that it's knowing and loving who you are and
knowing who you ain't who you are, you know what
I mean? As well likes knowing. It's knowing what you
are and who you are, as well as knowing who
you're not and what you what you would never be,
and what you don't desire to need, and you know,
and then and then and then moving on intention of it,
(15:58):
like you know. Yeah, So that that you know, for me,
you know, allows me to be the conscious lover you know,
or mister Jimmy conscious you know, one of the many
attributes that I have, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Nicknames?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, So what's the nicknames for me? Sitting the
seat that I'm in? You have to be naturally curious,
not nosy.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
I have a lot of monikers, you know, because you know,
so it's uh, it's a let's see, uh, the R
and B hippie, neo soul rock star a k A.
Sup Cooler Jones a k A. Smoky Temptations, the Lypt God,
the who God, the Lipt God.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yeah, l I P l l I P.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I thought he said LIMP.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
God capital capital L capital all caps l I P. Yeah.
Young Marvin Marley Mayfield. This is one of my fast
which is one of my favorites, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah, so in a and the list goes on, I
mean these days, it's the lesson.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
You should say all of those names because I hear
all of those influence.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Okay, Marley Gay Mayfield.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Yeah, young Robarn Marley Mayfield Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
And I'll say Isley's as well. Absolutely Isley Brothers.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
And on the latest album there is someone that is
speaking who is giving me Is it Jamaican Nigerian?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
The woman doing the interludes?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Rob Brown is half black, half Filipino. Yeah. She grew
up in Philly, you know what I mean, Like she
actually went to school with like Jill Jill Scott. She's special.
She's she's a really dope spoken word artist and a
phenomenal like a writer.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Like she does a lot of writing for different different projects,
you know, outside of like the conventional like making records
and making albums, you know, work world.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You know. Uh, she's been part of my journey, whether
she knows it or not.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And I went back to like kind of like go
grab her at the right time, and like, you know,
I want to start incorporating you know, spoken word artists
and poetry into what I do. So, you know, the
first open mic that I ever touched in d C,
she was she was the host. She's talking you know
what I'm saying. We're talking over twenty five years ago,
you know what I mean. Yeah, we talked years you know,
So taking it back there, like before the world knew
(18:30):
my name, like you know, uh, there was there was
a spot I would go to Bar None, which which
which a lot of people think I was discovered there,
but that's where I went to kind of just like Shave.
It definitely had the like the Love Jone. It was
given like Love Jones vibes, we need to go in there,
you know. But you had spoken word artists, you had
you had mcs, you had singers, you had instrumentalists you
(18:50):
know that would go through there, and uh you know
that was that became the hub and in my safe
space to be able to go and be vulnerable and
you know, and work on my craft, you know, and
get comfortable form, comfortable beforming in front of people. My
first CE or mixtape that I sold out of a
knapsack like out of a book bag was like Apple.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
None so and people got to know that that part
of the journey.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Okay, you know, so yeah, it was it was it was,
it was, it was. It was the knapsack.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
It was broad Now it was the green camera had
the green had this little beat up green camera toyo,
thea cameray and I, you know, and and I used
to basically like hand in hand, you know, sell my music.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
So you knew you were dope.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
You knew and that that confidence that I see now
in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I knew I had something special. I knew that it
was that I was still developing it.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
But yeah, I knew back then that I had something
that was unique and that and more importantly that when
I would jump off the mic, I would see the
reaction or like the questions I.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Would People would be like, yo, where can I get
that song?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
So I let me know that was create at demand
and that you know, the hustler of me said, okay,
well if they're asking for it, then you know then
I mean I got to get product ye immediate, whether
that means like buying a CD burner, and you know,
the quality might not be what what we might think
it needs to be, you know, but I have to
start somewhere, you know. And and that's so that's always
(20:21):
been my you know, that's always been my mentality. That's
always been my goal and understanding that you know, you
start somewhere, you know, and then from there you evolve.
You keep moving, you know, keep moving. I look at
my career, I look at my life as a as
a marathon. You know that it's never been to it's
never been the sprint, you know, it's been there's always
been that like, Hey, we're gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna
(20:43):
get on these tracks with these individuals, with my peers,
you know, pull my b love. But you know, it's
a very competitive business. So I'm gonna get on this
track and I'm gonna start to run. And when they
say all your market said, go I want to start,
I'm going to start running and I'm going to like
and if I get tired, want to walk.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
You know, you don't let your feet stop moving, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Get thirsty, you know what I mean. You have you know,
there's no there's no eye in the world team. So
you might have a team member that runs up and
gives you, you know, something to drink. But if the
game and the rules of the game are hey, when
this race starts, the last person that whose feet are
still moving will be declared the winner. Then you know,
(21:26):
my mindset is that Okay. I'm just going to just
like but you can do whatever you need to do necessarily.
You can do whatever you need to do in the process.
If you need somebody to hand you a sandwich because
you're hungry on your feet, don't stop moving, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Whatever?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
I love that because you run your race.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You're quiet about it, but you still have results. You're
not like the loud arrogant. It don't seem like you
have beefs with anybody in these R and B streets
that I know of. You seem to know your niche
like and I don't want to say because some people
like you know your lane because that means what you say,
I can't I can't go to the middle lane if
(22:08):
I want to, I can't go to the left lane.
But your niche or your sound? Did that take a
while for you to discover.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
My sound?
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think that happened organically, you know, like you know,
being able to have mentors like DJ Jazzy Jeff like
that nature average you know, I have an access to
somebody like that. Let me just start there. If you know,
you know, Jeff has always created an environment for artists.
I would describe it as like X men, Mmm, you
(22:39):
would be uh, what's that, professor X Yeah, and like
you would be the equivalent of like that for me
or for us. You know, the rooms I've been in
with the level of talent, like the caliber of talent,
like like not just in here in the US, but
like globally, like the meetups I've been in, and what
I've experienced being under under his watch you know what
(23:02):
I mean. He was at a very important time, Like
he was there. You know, he took me under his
wing and learning from him. You know, the relationships that
people that I that I met as a result from
kicking it with him and being around him in this
cool musical environment, you know Ken Dope and Louis Vanger
and DJ Terry Hunter, you know who are like worldwarnow
(23:26):
like DJs and producers and seeing the world and going
you know, Jeff taking myself and uh and other artists
like around the world at the time where you know,
my brand was still building, Yah, and being being able
to just understand that like music or R and B
and like soul music is just one gearure in music
(23:46):
that's just listen to start.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
There, and and that it's a very big world and
a lot of people love.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
You know, there are people that love what we do
and what we create that don't even speak English in
some places, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I mean, we think it's corny, but I used to
see it when I was growing up as a child,
when music was actually in the schools, they would see
the sign music is a universal language.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah it is, you know, And those things
help is developing your growing in real time if you
allow yourself to be you know, it's easy to kind
of put yourself in a box though too, you know,
depending upon like you know, listening to the labeled or
listening to the A N R. Sometimes, in some cases,
you know what I mean, it could be one of
the most toxic things for an artist, you know. But
(24:35):
it's about knowing and trusting that gut you know, the
voice of intuition is God whishper in your ear, you
know what I mean. So that gut feeling, that's the
voice of God like telling you. That's you know, as
universe saying like, hey, this is what you need to
be doing. Get It morphs into like knowing I'm in
a space where I know what I wanted to feel
like tastes like smell like.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
You know what I mean, like okay, like you look
like yeah, you know, so you know has a greeing
and the cologne.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'm here for it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
I cam here for it. Can you smell it, Colonne
through the speaker's baby, I can smell it.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
It's given amber, sandalwood. It's given a little bit of
well you said it in your song. It's given backwoods.
It's given although I'm like, now, wait a minute, don't
mess up your vocal cords. It's given brown sweet liquor, y'all.
If you know what I'm saying, is given honey butter,
(25:32):
I'm hungry.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
It's giving.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
It's giving everything sophisticated. I think it could because of
the season we're in, But if we're in the spring
or somehow, I would have said, it's given juniper.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
It's giving.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I'm trying to stick to the smells because you probably
don't want bath and body work types since.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
That's for the lady.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I'm not like biased, know to a woman that you
know uses back in the bodyworks, you know I'm not
biased me personally, you know what I mean? Go, you
know I'm there's so many like dope, black owned businesses
there are their eyes.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Like, you know, what are your favorite sense what are
some of your favorites.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
I'm you know, I'm a sucker for a woman as
you know that has that Carol's daughter, you know, you know,
but that but look brown sugar, but look, but look,
but you got to have like the source. You gotta
get that you know, word on the streeter. And she
does like a you know, if you know, you know
she'll do she does like a bat. She still she
still whips it up in the.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Kidnap for some of those of her. By the way,
I know which bats you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I know which bat you're talking about because I'll never
forget back in the day in the early two thousands,
walking down it just takes me back.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
To the Brownstones of New York. I know exactly what
bat you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
I'm not no, I'm not going to ask nothing like
specific as far as dating business. But what I do
want to ask, because you are the love king you
say you people have called you the lip God.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Do you find it pressure to be that or to
be who you are as an artist?
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Who you are as a man in relationships? Is or
are you like, wait a minute, I don't feel like
all that today. Yes, if you want me to just
listen to track twelve, but I can't be that right now.
Have they expected you to be that in a day
to day relationship?
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Well, in transparency, like you know, I'm not married, engaged
and I am dating. You know what I mean having
that dating like that? You know?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Okay, and just like you know, I think that not
to be cliche, but I would probably have to say,
like my wife, girlfriend and mistress is like my music
their career.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Yeah, he told you, he told you on checking in
with Michelle Williams. His wife, his girlfriend, and his mistress
is music. So don't have no expectations.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Just but I understand that like outside of that, like
you have to have experiences, you have to you know,
I understand the point is of like love and plutonic
friendship and growth in allowing yourself to have experiences that
you want to feel something. So with that, with that
being said, I want to make sure I'm to ask
(28:22):
you a question one more time.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
I want to make sure I like, if I were
dating a therapist, don't make him feel like the pressure
to be the therapist.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I got you here, Rahim Devon the.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Artist you know.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
So yes, there have been times where I feel like pressure,
but I think it has nothing to do with necessarily
like even the content. It's just the fact that, like
who I am and just being a public figure, I
was having this discussion every day, and I feel like sometimes,
you know, sometimes a woman may feel the need to
be like, give me an extra hard time because I
am because of who I am, and because he.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Wants to know that you are who what you sing about.
You ain't romantic enough what you're talking about. You didn't
grab my torso like you said in the music or you.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
I don't really have that problem. I don't have that problem.
And I think I don't have that problem.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I think because to love me is to really know me,
and to really know me is to know that like
they're very there's a lot of different shades and tones
to me.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
And that and that you know, that's that like that
you know that's where I'm going to yea, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
There's you know that's that that can be very you know,
it kind of would tell me a lot about the person,
you know what I mean, if the expectations it because
it can be kind of like superficial, you know what
I mean. Or it can be like it's like, hey,
do you want Raheen divine? The entertainer or the singer
or the you know, the writer, are you here? You know,
are you here for Raheem divine? Like the human beings
(29:54):
like you know what I mean, the person you know,
the person who who lost his father or a year ago,
or the or the person who still figures out how
to still be you know, uh just still you know,
you never stop figuring out how to be a parent,
you know what I mean when you have children or
could just be like the you know, the amount of
(30:15):
what I'm providing in terms of you know, being self
independent and being self made. You know, I'm still providing
jobs for people you know, down to like my musicians
and you know, uh and what have you know, an
economy and in a space that where like people come
out to buy a ticket for something it's election. Regardless
of what level you are in this business. You know,
(30:37):
if you can fill seats during this time, like that's
a unique gift to be able to be able to
fill seats or to know that you can go and
do the MGM and it's sold out already before you
go to touch it, and you know, and and and
people are there because you provide a very unique service,
you know what I mean. So it's like to know
the men and to know the music and then know
the lyrics, to really know the man behind the music
(30:59):
and the you know I means so yes, which means
like you got to come correct too, you know, as
the woman who is you know, pursuing you know what
I mean? I think in dating that the pursuit should
be equally ooked, you know what I mean. I realized that,
I realized it. I realized as a man that I
like to be pursued. And that's not to be misunderstood as.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
You want to feel that they want you.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
If you the woman that's waiting by the phone for
me to call you or like you know, daily and
you know whatever, the like, yeah you're not because you know,
I believe like if you think, you know, if you
think about me, then or show reach out, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
What I mean? So like you know what I mean?
So like yeah, so it's you know, hopefully I've answered
good question.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
No, it has been amazing And I was like, man,
I want to make great use of our time together.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
You've given me so much. You've given us so much.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
I told I was telling some folks that I was
interviewing the other day, they poured, you literally are pouring.
And I really think I'm thankful for that. And I
don't want to didn't want to come across offensive because
I was like, Man, I'm sitting here and just wondering
as I'm listening to music as a fan of like,
does he have pressure in that area?
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I don't feel the pressure.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
I mean, not that I mean in the day about
that life, like I talked, like I talked with I
talked that talk about.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
That that life.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
So he's not a hypocrite, Like you're not gonna everything.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
You know, but everything for everybody.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
You know, you're doing in moderation and you know, even
in real time, you know, learning a lot about myself
and and uh, you know, and dating and you know
from my previous relationship not to make the same states.
And it's like all the all of those things, you
know what I mean, Like, you know, it's cool being
an artist, you know, That's I think that's the cool
part is that you can go through things and then
(32:55):
you can be your own news for them and go
in and you know, use your music.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
To not only hill yourself, but to also heal. You know,
music is healing for the for the listener, you know,
therapeutic in some cases. It's a doc connector to.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Love and fatherhood and motherhood and just like all the things,
depending on you know, what you're listening to, you know,
and what you get, what you get from it, you.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Know, Yeah, you mentioned your father. I just wanted to
ask you. He was a jazz musician.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, yes ahead, I'm sorry, yes, yes, I do, I'll do.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
He was a jazz musician and so were you the
son that wanted to make sure that he loved your music?
Was he excited or please? Had Did he ever participate
creatively with you music?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Yeah, you know, he would hang out.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Not many studio sessions he came to with me, but
there's one it sticks out, and it was the night
that I was recording the song just right. And he
didn't make many suggestions that night, but one of the
suggestions that he did make on the record is like
it's it's literally the way it is because it's something
that he suggested that I do, which was like there's
a bridge that happens like a pre hook that happens
(34:15):
in that in that record, in that song, and to
kind of make a different between the two, it was
there's this one line where he was just like, yeah,
just leave out the one word right there, and and
I'm like okay, and I'm me and the student anybody knows,
like I'm very kind of like as far as like
suggestions and stuff or.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
People like, hey, you should do like I hate that,
like you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
So sometimes I just need the space to get out
what I need to get in my head before, like
you know, and and and if I really, like, you know,
I'll ask an opinion, you know what I mean. But
it was just like Dad, and he made us right.
He was he was right, and the records just right
and it came out just right, you know what I mean.
(34:58):
But but yeah, like you know, I think probably the
part I missed the most is like, uh, we would talk,
you know, maybe two three times a day, but even
if it wasn't two three times a day, he would
always kind of like tap in after the show, like
you know, whether two three o'clock in the morning, you
know something about musicians who just up and up at night, right,
(35:20):
and uh, nocturnal and he and he would, he would, yeah,
he would, just like tap Man. And you know, it's
you can have people, you know, you can have different
there's a different conversation that you can have, say with
a parent who is in the.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Music business versus one that's not it's just a level.
They just understand.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
We talk a different language, we talk, We talk a
different language than most you know what I mean, you know,
whether we're talking business or on a you know, personal level.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
You know. But yeah, my dad, you know, for the
listeners out there, you know, check out his work.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
He was a child prodigy cellist and went on to
teach like some of his amazing students who are.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Now doing phenomenal things around the world. Wow, and yeah,
so yeah that's good. But I understand that, you know,
it's the progression of life, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So I'm thankful to be able to say that that
I had the experiences that I've had that I had
with him, you know, and to know that also you know,
they they definitely were in spirit, you know what I'm saying.
Our ancestors are in spirit, you know, calling the plays,
calling the plays that you will, thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
So much for sharing.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I understand, my I lost my father in twenty twenty,
but I rejoice in the fact that he was ready.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It was time, It was his time, It was his time.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Still miss him, still miss him dearly. He is a
huge musical influence. He was a DJ, and he had
like Milk Crates, Vinyl just from everything to the to
Marvin Gaye to Aerosmith. So I feel like that's why
sometimes I had a hard time kind of figuring out
I think what my sound was gonna be. But I'm
(37:01):
still a consumer to this day of just all things,
so many genres. Two more questions for you. Are there
any sounds that you still have yet to explore sonically?
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah, definitely, there probably a lot of things. Like I'm
in a space. I let that happen organically, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
You don't force it like I'm going to do Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Yeah, yeah, I like that. I like that I let
the music dode. That tells me.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I think probably the most eclectic record I have about
right now, it's a record called Favorite Things to Do,
which is which it has a It has a vintage
failire vibe to it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I love him.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
Shout out to DJ Terry Hunter, who produced that out
of Chicago, you know, but to kind of like show
the diversity like Terry also produced you you know.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
For me, you know, many moons ago.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
So uh you know, but again, you know when you
start when I started getting my back and thinking about
like the work that I that I've already done with
like King Doapro in particular.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Right, I'm gonna find it. I'm gonna find it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
See me looking down because I was able to play
Sondra Isador. I was the original Sondra Isidor in the
Fela touring.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Production that was on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yeah, it was on Broadway.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Okay. I came to see that in New York.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Yeah, so it was on Broadway, but I was in
the Broadway producers took it on the road and I
was in. I was the original Sondra Isador on the road.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Man. That was incredible.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Like, yeah, I was introduced to his music in two
thousand and eight, and I'm like, I wish I knew
of him in nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
I just shout out to his son, to his kids
and FAMMI you know, you know he is like that. Yes,
he's like the split version of his dad. It is
at the heart of this got the heart of a lion,
you know what I mean, Like, you know, so okay.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
I'm okay, I'm excited. I'm excited. Okay, thank you for
sharing that.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Last, but not least, the foundation of my podcast is
regarding mental health.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
We know that we know, or I know, everybody has
mental health, but everybody does.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
Not have mental illness. Even you, righting you have mental health,
you seem to be very grounded. You shared so much.
But to the heart of that creative who might be
struggling with their confidence, to the creative who is just
maybe they're.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Just struggling in the area of their mental health. They're
dealing with depression or anxiety.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Have you ever walked that road where you were like, yeah,
I've been down a little too long.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Or absolutely that's some fear.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
For the first time in my life, I willingly intentionally
started doing therapy, and it was like when I lost
my dad, Black King, Come on now. Prior to that,
I definitely probably was one of the people that I
thought I didn't need or didn't get or like you know,
or thought that you know, there had to be something
like really going wrong to you know, ironically, you know,
(40:12):
mental health.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Is like one degree separation. For me, it's like very close,
like so much so close.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
That like which I've never spoken about is public for
me until now, right, is that my my dad has caisophrenia. Wow,
And I've always been you know, for whatever reason, as
he got older and I got older, for whatever reason,
I was I was probably the one person out of
the family that could kind of like get him back
(40:39):
on traps, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
So that became a thing for me, you know.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
So when I say, like it's one degree separation, I'm
looking to go down the rabbit hole and and now
and so so that's something that's like, you know, very
you know, having my foundation, doing the work that I've
done community wise, revamping the foundation and and and with
new initiatives, that is something like mental health is like
something that's very important to me.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
And I understand it like in a way.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
That most probably be wouldn't you know what I mean,
because again on both sides of my family, like you know,
it's one degree literally one degree.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Degree separation.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
So I understand that, like you know, and I didn't
understand until I started doing therapy how important therapy is.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
You know, the tools and things that you can be
given the healing that can happen from it, and how
you can identify the source of trauma, you know what
I mean, like like because sometimes the source of your
source of trauma may be like all roads may lead
back to one person yep, and and the series of
a vist that it's transpired and then you know whether
it's say, hurt people, hurt people.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
So it's so it's so important to get in tune
with y'all, like your trauma and your hurt and your pain,
because you don't want to be one of those hurt people.
This is out here hurting people intentionally or unintentionally, you
know what I mean. So, yeah, mental health is like
and everything for me, you know, for anybody out there
that's going through anything.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
Is that I would just say, like in.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Transparency and like again, as artists, like you know, we
remember that it's something about the TV or the Netflix
or the radio or these you know, or social media.
It just makes us look bigger than life that sometimes
people forget that we're human beings and we believe the
same way you do. You know, we have the same
losses that you do, we have the same anxieties, we
(42:27):
have the same in some cases prayers. You know, I
never try to claim the spirit of depression, you know
what I'm saying, Like, you know, I feel like depression
is a word.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
It kind of it'sat it's just data.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I saw somebody say that.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
I can't remember when I saw this, but depression it
really stands for decompression, like you need to It just
means that your avatar is tired and that you just
need to let your avatar like decompress, you know what
I'm saying. And whatever that process is. Maybe that process
is you know, taking a quick trip for going like
going somewhere and just like standing in the water, or
(43:06):
you know, meditating or you know, you know, for some
people it's like back with you know what I mean.
But I would suggest finding good ways to you want
to make sure that you're not running to like the bad.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Habits, the bad habits, bad you know what. We Sometimes
people feel like what is what's a solution?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
It's really a distraction and they're not getting to the
root of that pain, you know, They're they're substituting it.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, first of all, let me let you know that.
Speaker 1 (43:39):
Michelle Williams and I'm sure folks.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
That are with the Black Effect.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Who my podcast is you know under Charlemagne, who has
the Mental Wealth Alliance? Like whatever, however we can and
I guess Charlemagne, I signed you up. Yeah, however, I
let me speak for me. However I can get behind you. Yeah,
in whatever it is in that mental health space, I'm
(44:04):
gonna be following up because that's really big. And thank
you for trusting my platform to share what you shared.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
There are so many things about the artists that we
know and love, like he said, go through the same
things that we have. And maybe he just didn't feel
or there is a safe enough space to share what
he shared. Again, therapy is not always about It doesn't
(44:33):
always have to be about trauma. It can be how
can I unpack transition? How can I get an unbiased
opinion about how to deal with a loss? And guess
what therapy is about trauma too if you want to
go there. Okay, so you have made yourself even more
lovable by being vulnerable. That took some vulnerability to share,
(44:57):
but that's what you know.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
But again, that all kind it goes back to like,
it goes back to the art, like you know, ass right,
And it's why you know, it's part of these These
are part of the things that like our challenges, our
things that we deal with that we don't speak on earth.
You know, they shape us, state, mold us, you know
what I mean. And you know, so you know, it
kind of gives people kind of wonder why I move
(45:19):
the way I moved, or like people wouldn't believe some
of the things unless they saw it, you know what
I mean, I heard it or you know, or you know,
we had a conversation piece about it. So like, yeah,
I'm looking forward to being more verbal. And you know, again,
mental health is just it's it holds a very hold space.
A lot of it purposely and intentional because of like
(45:42):
you know, it being a one degree separation thing for me.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Listen, thank you, y'all. His foundation is called love Life Foundation.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Yeah, the Love Life Foundation.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:56):
It's committed to raising awareness and funds for domestic island education, homeless,
mental illness, if I is that correct.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Mental health, autism, cancer, Listen.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
It's so well rounded for music and arts, HIV and
AIDS if we can. Matter of fact, I'm gonna follow
right now love Life DMV And as he said on
one of his interludes.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
You can find him at Raheem Underscover Devon on Facebook
as Raheem Divine.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You can find him there. I think you poured so much.
Speaker 4 (46:35):
Thank you for checking in, Oh, thank you for having me,
Thank you for having me. We gotta do it again
for sure.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Anytime, anytime, anytime.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Okay, I did not expect I did not expect.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
This, and I'm so glad that he was just willing
to share, because sometimes, you know, artists can be, you know,
be wanting to be all and whatnot and not share,
you know, but he was just absolutely a jewel. And
we are dedicating this episode to his father, Abdul Dude.
(47:15):
And I'm grateful that Checking In is a safe space
where people begin to share things that they probably normally
wouldn't share. And he's got my full support. And continue
prayers and blessings into anybody out there. You've lost a
loved one recently, just know that my heart goes out
(47:36):
to you and I'm wrapping my arms around your body
as best as i can and just praying for you
and just wanting to send you some love as well.
(48:05):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and the black effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
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