Raheem DeVaughn

“When you make timeless music - and I like to think that's what I'm doing - the fun part is picking the songs. You can clip and flop and mix and match, and when the record is timeless and it feels good, you know it's going to have the same appeal whether you put it out now or 10 years from now. That's what I'm about.”

“I have a good cry once in a while; it's such a great release. Or it could be a cry of joy - watching your child being born or your child walking across a graduation stage.”

“Every so often, you have a producer or a songwriter or both or a team that comes along and really reshapes and redefines sonically what music is and the interpretation of it to the masses.”

“'Pretty Lady' is the conversation piece where you just need to compliment your lady. If you are in a club setting, and you just been eyeing a beautiful woman, this song came from me trying to compliment women and them turning their face up at me.”

“No diss to any of my homies, but I pay very close attention to what people say about me.”

“I'm very big on content. I kind of feel like content is king and will continue to be that, so I'm just going to give the fans what they want.”

“We are all on a journey to mastering our inner peace.”

“Coming from a single parent household, I witnessed firsthand the strength and courage of the single mother. I always had my father in my life but my household was run by my mother and my grandmother. As a result, I have always had the utmost respect for women and have chosen to strongly convey that in my music.”

“Whenever I am faced with someone spreading negativity in my relationship, I remember the old saying, 'Misery loves company.' I am also reminded to be mindful of the company you keep. Sometimes you cannot see a hater until you are happy. It is then that they demonstrate their negativity.”

“I love people.”

“When it comes to beauty, women are nothing short of amazing. They come in variations of shapes, colors, and sizes. Each part of their character and personality adds an element to their beauty.”

“It's never my goal to throw any of my peers under the bus.”

“I never walk into a room and assume everyone knows who Raheem DeVaughn is.”

“I have faith in my art.”

“I was frustrated in the past, like, 'Wow, why do they have to throw me in the R&B urban adult contemporary lane?' 'Woman' was a no. 1 hit at Urban AC, so there's no disrespect to that lane. But did it get a fair shot at urban radio? No, I don't think so.”

“I think I've nurtured the following that I have to the point where I can consistently do a certain type of numbers when I put a project out.”

“I am humbled and truly honored to be the recipient of The Key to the City and my own day by the District of Columbia.”

“It's a world now where you don't necessarily have to be on the radio or be on the TV to be a star. Your audience can find you and find the music.”

“I feel like we'll forever live in a country that's divided... Divided by race... Divided by love and hate.”

“There is no single individual greater than a mother. They are the great keepers of our society and heads of our households.”