While promoting his sixth solo album, Decade of a Love King, Raheem DeVaughn frequently explained to the media and fans alike that his work ethic was so impeccable and exact, he had the makings of 10 full-length projects — or at least enough songs to create multiple projects. Approximately one year later and since releasing another stellar project in The Love Reunion, he is singing a different tune.
“It’s probably about 15-20 now,” he reveals matter-of-factly. “I could drop an album every nine months for the next 15-20 years.”
The self-admitted balladeer accomplishes this task by challenging himself and going beyond his comfort zone. Be it a ballad or an uptempo track that brings about the balance needed to complete a project, he does whatever it takes.
It’s that passion, creativity and work ethic that drew the attention of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which brought DeVaughn on board as a result of the work he was doing in his community.
“They had been watching me for some time,” he shares. “There was an event that was curated a few years back that involved voting and The Roots, and we had another performer that came out, as well as speakers to [address] different social issues, which would be impacted by the vote at the time. They recruited me and let me know they had been watching me and that they wanted to do long-term business and we’ve had a partnership ever since.”
That relationship has been mutually beneficial for both, as DeVaughn does quarterly events for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, and in turn, it is an official sponsor of his yearly holiday concert. To boot, the “Love King” extends his heart and thoughts to the homeless and domestic abuse victims when he’s not fighting the most deadly, incurable STD of our time.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, DeVaughn will have the opportunity to spread love the best way he knows how alongside AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the United States.
“[I’ll be there] in support of advocating and fighting and bringing more awareness to the disease — HIV and AIDS,” he says, “and encouraging people to know their status and just the plight of what’s going on in Atlanta. It’s at an epidemic proportion.”
