Raheem DeVaughn has proven that post-millennial R&B artists can be traditional and progressive at once and achieve commercial longevity without concessions to pop radio. The singer, songwriter, and producer paid dues in Washington, D.C.'s music scene and was showcased on DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent (2002) a few years before he debuted on the Billboard R&B/hip-hop chart with "Guess Who Loves You More" (2005). Parent album The Love Experience, DeVaughn's first, began a streak of artistically adventurous, Top Ten R&B/hip-hop full-lengths with depth far beneath the singles. Among his subsequent achievements are Grammy nominations for the songs "Woman" (2007) and "Customer" (2008), both off the number five Billboard 200 hit Love Behind the Melody, his second album, as well as a Best R&B Album nomination for LP three, The Love & War MasterPeace (2010). DeVaughn has transitioned out of the major-label system while maintaining his affinity for sprawling, loosely conceptual full-lengths via A Place Called Love Land (2013), Love Sex Passion (2015), and Decade of a Love King (2018), all of which have been issued independently.