The son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadud, Maryland-based R&B vocalist Raheem DeVaughn kicked his career into gear after initiating a series of independent releases, aided in part by the cash reward earned from winning a talent contest. Jive became interested, signed him, and released The Love Experience in June of 2005. The album peaked within the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 album chart, with the singles "You" and "Guess Who Loves You More" regularly spun on some of the more adventurous R&B stations across the U.S. Love Behind the Melody followed in January 2008, but not before its first single, "Woman," was announced as a 2008 Grammy nominee for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.