DeVaughn's musical story began with his mother's vinyl collection. "I always loved music so I would sneak into her record collection when she wasn't around and play her stuff." DeVaughn's father, noted jazz musician Abdul Wadud was also an influence. DeVaughn knew at an early age that he would become an entertainer.
DeVaughn graduated from High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland; then headed to nearby Coppin State. It was the first day of college that changed the course of his life. "I saw a group of guys standing outside singing, Boyz II Men style," remembers DeVaughn. "I just went up there and started harmonizing with them. Before I knew what was going on, I was in a group, cutting class to write lyrics and record." After winning $2,000.00 in a talent show at Bar None, a Washington D.C. nightclub, DeVaughn decided to go for broke and invested all of his winnings into a CD burner. Several independent releases led to a showcase with Jive Records, and the career was on it's way.
My Peoples
Raheem DeVaughn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To take the long way home
And I've seen mothers mourn the
Loss of there only born
Still I believe we are given nothin
More than we can beg
A vision is only blurred
When life seems unfair
With the needle in his veins
When hes just chasing freedom
To escape the pain of the worlds fastpaced
Pipedreams and shortcomings
Hes just trying to make do and
Find a way out of nothing
Its like we damned if we do
And damned if we don't
And it's a very thin line
Between respect and being broke
And being one red button away
From world war three
Always called the minority
And always always pulled over
Facing police brutality
Why is every street a living hell
Probably cause they want us to fail
Yeah three strikes and surely back to jail
Like the slave ships when they sail
Years and years of civil rights
Chasing to pass that bill
But ask yourself people have we changed
Or are we standing still
Down and out struggling
In this concrete jungle
One check away from starvation, poverty
But they say being free is
About speaking your mind
Prophesise too much and that's where
They draw the line a line as thin as the
Line between war and peace
A line as thin as the
Line between west and east
One button away from world war I I I
Being called a minority
And being pulled always being pulled
Over and subject to brutality
Why is every street like a living hell
Probably cause they all just want us to fail
And three strikes and surely back to jail
Like the slaves ship when they sail
But they don't know that
My people whose pains are cornered
My peoples all shapes and colours
My peoples got more peoples with ills
That's more peoples more sistas and brothas
My people stay strong as an ox
My peoples will never fail
My peoples will always remain
Remain with a story to tell
My peoples was paints on the door
My peoples all shapes and colours
My peoples got more peoples with ills
That's more people more sistaz and brothaz
My people stay strong as an ox
My peoples will never fail
My peoples will always remain
Remain with a story to tell
My peoples was paints on the door
My peoples all shapes and colours
My peoples got more peoples in jail
That's more people than sistaz and brothaz
My people stay strong as an ox
My peoples will never fail
My peoples will always remain
Remain with a story to tell
My peoples was paints on the door
My peoples all shapes and colours
My peoples got more peoples with ills
More people more sistaz and brothers
My people stay strong as an ox
My peoples will never fail
My peoples will always remain
Remain with a story to tell
The lyrics of Raheem DeVaughn's song "My Peoples" convey a powerful message about the struggles and injustices faced by marginalized communities. The artist reflects on the realities of the streets, where youth are forced to take longer routes home, and mothers mourn the loss of their children. Despite these hardships, DeVaughn believes that we are only given what we can handle and that our vision becomes blurred when we feel life is unjust.
The lyrics touch upon the desperation and pain that lead some individuals to turn to substance abuse, highlighting their pursuit of freedom from the world's fast-paced and unfulfilled dreams. DeVaughn challenges the listener's judgment, asking who are we to judge someone with a needle in their veins when they are only seeking an escape from their pain.
The song also addresses the systemic issues faced by minority communities, such as racial profiling and police brutality. The reference to being constantly pulled over and subjected to brutality reflects the reality of many individuals' experiences. DeVaughn questions why every street feels like a living hell, suggesting that society wants certain demographics to fail. He draws parallels between the struggles faced by marginalized communities today and the oppressive history of slave ships.
Amidst the darkness, Raheem DeVaughn celebrates the resilience and strength of his people. He acknowledges the diversity within his community, emphasizing that they come in all shapes and colors. Regardless of the challenges they face, his people remain strong and will never fail. They carry stories and experiences that need to be heard and shared.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen streets we're youth are forced
I have witnessed streets where young people are compelled
To take the long way home
To choose a longer route to reach their homes
And I've seen mothers mourn the Loss of there only born
And I have witnessed mothers grieving over the loss of their sole child
Still I believe we are given nothin More than we can beg
Nevertheless, I hold the belief that we are not granted anything beyond what we can plead for
A vision is only blurred When life seems unfair
A clear vision becomes distorted when life appears unjust
Who am I to judge the man With the needle in his veins
Who am I to criticize the man who injects himself with drugs
When hes just chasing freedom To escape the pain of the world's fast-paced Pipedreams and shortcomings
As he is simply pursuing liberation to alleviate the agony caused by the unrealistic ambitions and failures of the fast-paced world
Hes just trying to make do and Find a way out of nothing
He is simply attempting to manage with what he has and discover an escape from a state of nothingness
Its like we damned if we do And damned if we don't
It seems as if we are condemned regardless of whether we choose to act or not
And it's a very thin line Between respect and being broke
There exists an extremely narrow boundary differentiating respect and financial destitution
And being one red button away From world war three
And being just a single press of a button away from triggering the third world war
Always called the minority And always always pulled over Facing police brutality
Consistently labeled as the minority and frequently subjected to being stopped by the police and experiencing brutality
Why is every street a living hell Probably cause they want us to fail
Why does every street feel like a torturous existence? Most likely because they desire our failure
Yeah three strikes and surely back to jail Like the slave ships when they sail
Indeed, three strikes and one ends up back in incarceration, resembling the times when slave ships sailed
Years and years of civil rights Chasing to pass that bill But ask yourself people have we changed Or are we standing still
Decades of fighting for civil rights, striving to pass significant legislation. But let me ask, have we truly evolved? Or are we stagnant?
Down and out struggling In this concrete jungle
Overwhelmed and fighting to survive in this urban environment
One check away from starvation, poverty
Just one paycheck away from experiencing extreme hunger and destitution
But they say being free is About speaking your mind
However, they claim that freedom revolves around expressing one's thoughts
Prophesise too much and that's where They draw the line
Yet, if you prophesize too excessively, that's when they set a limit
A line as thin as the Line between war and peace
A boundary as delicate as the distinction between war and peace
A line as thin as the Line between west and east
A boundary as negligible as the separation between the west and east
One button away from world war I I I Being called a minority And being pulled always being pulled Over and subject to brutality
Only a single press of a button separates us from a global conflict, characterized as a minority and constantly being stopped by the police, enduring violence
But they don't know that My people whose pains are cornered
However, they are unaware that my people's suffering is marginalized
My peoples all shapes and colours
My people encompass various shapes and colors
My peoples got more peoples with ills That's more peoples more sistas and brothas
My people have numerous individuals facing troubles, including more sisters and brothers
My people stay strong as an ox
My people retain resilience and strength
My peoples will never fail
My people will never falter
My peoples will always remain Remain with a story to tell
My people will always persist and retain a narrative to share
My peoples was paints on the door
My people were markings on the door
My peoples all shapes and colours
My people encompass various shapes and colors
My peoples got more peoples with ills
My people have numerous individuals facing troubles
That's more people more sistaz and brothaz
Including more sisters and brothers
My people stay strong as an ox
My people retain resilience and strength
My peoples will never fail
My people will never falter
My peoples will always remain
My people will always persist
Remain with a story to tell
Retaining a narrative to share
My peoples was paints on the door
My people were markings on the door
My peoples all shapes and colours
My people encompass various shapes and colors
My peoples got more peoples in jail
My people have numerous individuals incarcerated
That's more people than sistaz and brothaz
A larger number than sisters and brothers
My people stay strong as an ox
My people retain resilience and strength
My peoples will never fail
My people will never falter
My peoples will always remain
My people will always persist
Remain with a story to tell
Retaining a narrative to share
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cameron Rice
This is the type of music that I miss, nowadays the radio is polluted with garbage. Sad that music like this doesn't get the notoriety it deserves. Magnificent is one of the best albums I've ever heard and too many people don't even know about it
Global Vic
Real meaningful music never hits the airwaves my friend.
Eric Jones
raheem is definitely underrated, hope his records sell off the shelves. He is a very talented artist
Zama Khumalo
Agreed. Love this guy!
mic vic
Theme song for 2020 and beyond. As an Afro Latino I say we rise above this shit. Love all my peoples
Red Snow Records
the lyrics,the beat, the vocals..speechless.. this song deserves a distinctive place to occupy in the universe for all conscious minds to ponder for as long as the existence of mankind and all lifeforms compatible to understand
AlphaDean Lewis
"they want to pack the jail, just like they packed the slave ship to sail"
.... can you truly understand the lyrics this man is singing
Global Vic
He was deep, and I am listening my brother.
Rickey dj_yadot_
mad mad respect to jazzy jeff
seen him live in concert ( hands of precision )..... nice work on this track
Demetrius Robinson
One of the moving anthems of the new movement!!!