Yes, you did indeed read that right. Storied (and somehow still undersung) producer Apollo Brown – adored by hip hop heads for essential albums with everyone from Guilty Simpson to Planet Asia to Joell Ortiz, not to mention last year’s widely acclaimed As God Intended with Che Noir – has linked up with none other than Raheem DeVaughn for his first foray into full on R&B production.
Adored for his often grimy boom bap sound, Brown has unearthed an entirely new world for his sound here, with fellow stalwart DeVaughn mining a delicately balanced world somewhere between Al Green and Anderson .Paak, equal parts D’Angelo and Miguel. To say the least, it’s a lovely, horny, love-obsessed project.
Despite the surprise of Brown’s turn here, it makes perfect sense: given his long-running penchant for chopping up soul samples – perhaps second only to DJ Premier in that arena – his ultimately arriving on those very shores in his own right feels destined, vital, even necessary.
The result of the two’s meeting of the minds arrives in Lovesick, due out this June, boasting features from Skyzoo, 3D’NaTee, and even BeatsPerMinute favorite Westside Boogie. DeVaughn told Rolling Stone:
“On this new collaboration with producer, Apollo Brown, I’m ready to make you dance while continuing to remind you what great soul + r&b feels like. An homage to the greats, because without artists like James Brown & Prince there would be no Raheem DeVaughn.”
To stave off the hunger pangs for a collaboration this delectable, the pair have shared lead single, “When a Man”. Check that out below, look out for Lovesick come June 4, and stay tuned for more information soon.
Lovesick arrives on June 4 via Mello Music Group (pre-order/save).
You can find Raheem DeVaughn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
You can find Apollo Brown on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
