An Open Blog to Raheem Devaughn

Dear Raheem aka R&B Rock Star,

It's been a couple of years since I had any contact with you. At the time MySpace was still a bit personal where you could easily reach out and connect with someone. Nowadays, superstars, aspiring stars and wanna be stars aren't even too personal there anymore. During the time of our brief virtual communication I approached you about a short story I had written that wove in some old lyrics of yours.

Indeed, I've been a fan of yours since the dawning of your underground days. I didn't become fully smitten by your music until a friend of mine from Baltimore hipped me to a mix tape by her close friend DJ Karizma. The mix included the song by Soul Fusion with your vox as the main/lead vocal; to which you were known simply as "V". The song, "I Got Rhythm" instantly made me giddy and want to dance. Your voice was beautifully haunting as seductive. It took me a minute to put two and two together after hearing your vocals with the Urban Ave projects and on Jazzy Jeff's Magnificent album - which I couldn't get enough of the song "My People" and strangely I feel a bit urked that within the recent year Michael Baisden is playing the song to death on his show as if it is brand new and he should have BEEN known about it (I get this way about anything that surfaces from the underground and gets its due late.) - to realize V and you are one in the same.  I further fell in love with your music when I finally heard you live one summer at the Carter Baron when you opened up for Amel Larrieux. I even stood in your face after the show as my same friend from Baltimore talked business with you. Though I never said I word as we stood there in your presence, I took in such a small wonder with a booming voice that is perhaps larger than that amphitheater.

P.S. I hope you got some kind of rest before your flight to Barcelona the next day.

Nevertheless, listening to "I Got Rhythm" always took me to a place that was different from the comfort of my walls in Southeast, DC. One night, as the tune played in my head, I scribbled my thoughts. A sentence became a paragraph. A paragraph became a prose. The prose became a full blown short narrative. It wasn't until a few years later I sought to have the story published within an anthology. That's when I contacted you as I was seeking your permission to use the story with your lyrics. You were open about it, but of course wanted to review what I had written. No problem. You referred me to your assistant Brooke - to which I realized she attended my old high school, but was few years younger than me. I contacted Brooke, attaching the story. However there was no response. I even did a follow up with Brooke. Again, no response.

The deadline for the final edits of the anthology were upon me and I made the decision to remove that particular piece and replace it with another.

I didn't think to contact you again, because like you and other artists, writers, creative misfits, etc. I moved on to other projects and captured many other thoughts on paper to keep on adding to the collection. Yet I feel compelled to dust off the old story as I have a (pirated) copy (sorry - how much I owe ya?) of the song posted on Imeem. I keep receiving private messages about the song from folks who never heard it and love it. Also, a couple of folks who have read the short story have asked if I found a home for it yet (has it been published) out of the blue.

I'm not sure what all this means... if it's time to seek publication for the story or not. Yet, I'm leaving it to chance and by Divine Rite! If you should happen to a break in between performing, recording, writing..whatever.. and you happen to pop online for a break, maybe even feel compelled to Google yourself and you come across this blog... feel free to read and even comment. Hopefully we can discuss a business agreement in which I do have your permission to use your lyrics if I should choose to have the story published.

Thanks for the music!

Tiffany "Mahoganie" Browne.

Genre: Fiction (short story)\

Word Count: 536

Copyright 2003

Rhythm Play

By: Mahoganie

*Words in italics are from the song "I Got Rhythm" by Soul Fuzion featuring Vee (Raheem DeVaughn).*

Now…how would you like… if I got… CLOSE UP
Now... how you would like ... if I made you… SWEAT!!!
I got rhythm... YES
I got rhythm ... OH...
I got rhythm... YEAH
Rhythm

I felt the presence behind me get closer. The smell of cloves made its way to my nose. My mild hypnotic state transformed into a full blown trance.

The seduction had begun...

Tell Me… would you mind If I got close up
Tell Me… would you mind If I want your body just like this song...

I got rhythm for you baby if you have the time...
I got rhythm for you baby if you have the time...
I got rhythm for you baby if you have the time...

The presence was strong. It merged with my existence. We were one silhouette, joined at the hip.  We had become a subservient infinitive lyric to a superior rhythm.

Tell Me would you like…If we danced longer
Tell Me would you like… could you hang if the rhythm never ended
Oh, the RHYTHM....
Yes, Rhythm…

Our lyric was coming to life. It was bold and abstract against the rhythm. It was telling a story of two becoming one and questioned the longevity of the creation.

My silhouette to his presence...our lyric.

Tell Me would you like if the DJ brought it back
Tell Me would you like if the DJ brought it back

I'm a slave. I'm disciplined to want nothing but the rhythm. I'm told that without the rhythm there is no lyric.

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