Fresh off a Grammy nomination and the release of his latest album “The Love Behind the Melody,” Raheem DeVaughn is on cusp on long-term R&B stardom.

It’s kind of hard to be R&B’s best kept secret once you’ve hit the night show curcuit and had tracks you recorded for mixtapes end up getting radio play but the self-proclaimed R&B Hippie NeoSoul Rockstar is ready to get off the sidelines and get in the game.

Best known for his women-centric ballads and live performances which include a traveling painter who captures the vibe that night on canvas and are sometimes women only. “I’m always trying new things,” said DeVaughn.

“I just wanted to add color to the show and I wanted to give people their monies worth at the same time.”

His remixes have become MySpace favorites for urban hipsters who may love a Jay-Z track but want a soulful twist on it. DeVaughn, who at the time was making the transition from being an indie artist to being on a major label, was confused by the system of how labels released albums and singles at the time.

“I started doing the mixtapes out of frustration,” said DeVaughn. “I had to find a way to bridge that gap, and vicariously promote myself at the same time and feed the fix of the fans.”

And the fans ate it up, turning these “side projects” into mini albums and giving DeVaughn the opportunity to note major moments for him like birth of a friends child or the death of rapper Pimp C and Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, it gave him a vehicle to cross promote his ideals and music creating a win-win situation from himself and the label (Jive).

The mixtapes also give him a chance to work with some of his favorite producers and do tracks that might not be album ready.

Growing up in the DC Metro area (Prince Georges County), DeVaughn was inspired by the usual cast of classic soul artists and music but also local artists like Go-Go legend Chuck Brown.

“One of my biggest influences from D.C. is an independent artist named W. Ellington Felton,” said DeVaughn. “Chucky Thompson from a production stand point, Richard Harrison, Chuck Brown, just the longevity he’s had in this game those were some of my immediate influences.”

“I listened to a lot of everything, I appreciate Go-Go just as much as I appreciate R&B and I appreciate R&B as much as I appreciate alternative rock, so I think I have a balance.”

It was a job at Tower Records that he says taught him a lot about the music industry teaching him about different types of music and giving him the opportunity to see who buys and supports music.

The inspiration behind the Grammy nominated lead single ‘Woman’ was “90% of what you hear on the radio, the masongny inspired this song,” said DeVaughn.

“I wanted to pick up our women up who don’t see the worth in themselves.” The likely second single “Customer” is “sexy with a lot of innuendo” filled track letting a woman choose the way she wants well…you know.

Along with the album, DeVaughn has ditched the braids and hired a trainer to help in get in shape of the upcoming tour with Jill Scott.

“I’m a firm believer that we should constantly reinvent ourselves, we’re beautful and we have so many ways to show it off, plus I just felt more sexy this way,” said DeVaughn jokingly.

James Blunt, Sade and Jay-Z are all high on DeVaughn’s list of artist he’d like to work with but for now he’s looking at his place in R&B and is continuing to grind for more success.

The upcoming tour with Jill Scott will be DeVaughn’s chance to expand his fan base but also an opportunity for his loyal fans to get to see him with another Neo Soul star.

“I’ve always wanted to tour with her [Jill Scott] and I think this is the perfect time to set it off,” said DeVaughn. “I personally reached out to her before she went overseas and she said she was game for it and most importantly she kept her word.”

“I like to think of myself as grassroots where seeing is believing,” said DeVaughn.You can see Raheem DeVaughn opening up for Jill Scott in Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum Sunday, March 3rd at 7 p.m., tickets are still available for the show.

• Mike McCray