What Happened to Jaheim?

Jaheim Hoagland went from living in the projects to releasing platinum albums. With a voice reminiscent of a young Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross, Jaheim told Vibe magazine he “marketed” himself off Mary J. Blige, and it worked.

He was on his way to becoming one of the best R&B soul singers of his generation. He even snagged three Grammy nominations in 2010. But throughout the years, the New Jersey native’s popularity has diminished.

Here’s what happened to Jaheim.

Jaheim grew up in the projects

Jaheim was born in New Brunswick, N.J., and was raised in the Memorial Parkway public-housing project. He told Dub CNN that growing up in the projects was a “disaster.”

When he was two-years-old, his father passed away. His mom Julie Hoagland raised Jaheim and his two brothers with some help from their tight-knit family that included his grandfather, the late soul singer Hoagy Lands.

He told Dub CNN that while growing up, he got into a lot of trouble in the neighborhood by following in the footsteps of the older guys. He got locked up on a charge, and that’s when he really began contemplating the direction of his life.

His first time in the recording booth

One day, he headed to a recording studio with some of the guys from his neighborhood. Jaheim hopped into the booth and sang a rendition of Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” over a club beat. Everyone loved the track, and he told Essence it encouraged him to leave the streets behind and focus on his singing.

A young Apollo Theater winner

At the age of 15, he performed the Luther Vandross song “A House is Not a Home” at the Apollo Theater. He was crowned the winner three times.

After his riveting performance, he just knew he was on his way to becoming a star. Multiple industry execs were reaching out to him, in hopes of having him sign to their label. However, none of the deals panned out, and maybe it was for the best.

The loss of a loved one

When he turned 16, he experienced the greatest heartbreak when his mother, Julie Hoagland, passed away. Jaheim slipped back into old habits and got locked up over and over again during a six-year time period.

Some people think what happened to Jaheim has a lot to do with grief. Perhaps he never truly got over the loss of his beloved mother.

Signing his first deal

His life completely changed when his demo landed in the hands of DJ Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature. Jaheim was signed to Kay Gee’s Divine Mill Records and released his first album, Ghetto Love, in 2001. With his soulful voice, paired with his baggy clothes and diamond chains, he was affectionately labeled the “thug of R&B.”

More music from Jaheim

In 2002, he released Still Ghetto, which included the platinum song “Put That Woman First.” Jaheim said the song was inspired by his own relationships and the relationships his mom went through.

Fans were connecting with his raw lyrics and his powerful voice, and they couldn’t wait for him to come back with a third album. But what happened to Jaheim behind the scenes would cause him to temporarily put his career on hold

Trouble with the law but with a happy ending

On June 14, 2004, the R&B artist was outside of a seven-eleven convenience store in Hillsborough Township, N.J., when he was approached by an officer. He was charged with having 50 grams or less of weed in his car and for resisting arrest. Jaheim was also sentenced to 90 days behind bars.

The R&B singer appealed the conviction in 2005, and a judge tossed out his charges after it was discovered the officer didn’t have the right to search his vehicle. He was still placed under two years of probation, was ordered to attend an anger management program, and was required to write an apology letter to the officer for acting out at the time of his arrest.

In the end, Jaheim was just happy that the drug charge was reversed.

A scary car accident

His troubles were far from over though. In 2005, he was driving his luxury vehicle when he was hit by a tractor-trailer. His car was totaled and years after the accident, he told R&B Philly website that he was still recovering from his injuries.

He would have good days and bad days, and he would sometimes experience a bad twitch in his neck. He visited a chiropractor, but because he was always so busy handling his career, he never gave his body the opportunity to fully heal.

Back to work

He built a recording studio inside his New Jersey house and began writing and co-producing his third album, entitled Ghetto Classics. He told Dub CNN website he picked that name because he loved the ghetto so much.

The album was released in 2006. It continued with the theme of chronicling inner-city life. It became his first number one album after it sold over 150,000 copies in its first week.

In 2007, he left Divine Mill Records behind and signed with Atlantic. Under his new contract, he was asked to record the “DJ Don’t” remix alongside Gerald Levert for Tyler Perry’s film, Why Did I Get Married?

That same year, he released his fourth album, The Makings of a Man. His song “Never” peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it appeared that people were growing tired of Jaheim’s music offerings. Pop Matters website said his “songs about hustling and paternity disputes […] sound tired and cliché.”

He had dreams of being on the big screen

He told Billboard magazine in 2007 that he was going to star in a Paramount film based on a true story. As of 2019, that movie has yet to be released.

Music was still his number one passion, and he told Billboard he planned on being a professional singer for at least the next 30 years. So he headed back into the studio to work on his next project. In 2010, he released the album Another Round, which included the hit song “Finding My Way Back.”

The heartfelt track, which borrowed elements from early ‘70s soul music, was a fan favorite. Even though the song only reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, Jaheim received three Grammy nominations.

More legal issues for Jaheim

2010 brought more issues for the singer. Just months after Another Round was released, he was pulled over in New Jersey for driving 65 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone.

Officers could smell a strong odor of marijuana from the vehicle. After Jaheim gave them consent to search, they located marijuana underneath his driver’s seat, according to NewJersey.com. This incident led many to believe the artist had bigger demons he was battling.

And just like that, he disappeared from the limelight again.

A new record & his own label

In 2013, he reappeared with the album Appreciation Day. Jaheim told Majic 102.3 radio station that the title track “Age Ain’t a Factor” was inspired by a lost love. Sadly, the album was a flop.

He relaunched his own record label called Julie’s Dream Music Group in 2014. His label signed a deal in conjunction with BMG Records, and in 2016, he released his seventh studio album, entitled Struggle Love.

Public ridicule  (a.k.a. leave Jaheim alone!)

Jaheim debuted a new look, which didn’t go over well with the public. Charlamagne Tha God of The Breakfast Club crowned him the “Donkey of the Day” for his new hairstyle. Jaheim tried to defend himself with a bunch of clap backs, but that only led to more ridicule from online users.

The R&B musician made a comment on his Instagram, encouraging people to not fall victim to groupthink. Basically, he thought it was ridiculous how people jump on the bandwagon to hate someone just because the majority of people dislike him.

But it wasn’t the first time he was bashed online. When he showed up to Whitney Houston’s funeral in a bright blue tux, he was clowned all over the internet. Jaheim was also reportedly denied access inside, but he still received a lot of love from fans who were standing outside of the event.

Does Jaheim drive for Uber?

Jaheim basically disappeared from the mainstream music scene, up until March 2019. An Instagram user named Gordon Davis reached out to Flyheight.com (via Sandra Rose) and said he got into an Uber outside of his Atlanta hotel and Jaheim was behind the wheel.

The man claimed Jaheim told him he was in Atlanta for a few days visiting a relative and ran out of money so he decided to drive Uber in order to make enough cash to make it back home.

This story led many to believe the singer had fallen on hard times. However, Vin Rock of Naughty by Nature told Heavy the story was fake news from an uncredited blog. Vin Rock added that Jaheim could easily bring home $15,000 a week from performing, so why would he need to drive for the rideshare app?

Jaheim made nothing from his hit albums

Expressing himself through music is one of Jaheim’s greatest talents. He told All Hip Hop he made good money performing his songs on the road. However, he got paid “basically nothing” for all the albums he has released.

This seems like a common theme for older musicians in the industry. Maybe they weren’t as business savvy or they didn’t have people in their corner to help them make the right decisions. But so many old school artists have stated they weren’t fairly compensated for all their hard work, like Adina Howard for example.

That’s why I’m so happy celebrities are wising up and taking matters into their own hands. They’re starting businesses and building lucrative empires of their own!

Anyway… Jaheim told Page Six in 2017 he was happy with his new position in the industry. He was still running his own label and had better control over his music. He said, “I love the business I just don’t like certain people in the business.”

What happened to Jaheim when he changed his lifestyle?

Pushing away from the industry also brought about a new lifestyle change. In 2018, he revealed lighter colored hair and a smaller frame. Again, he was mocked for his appearance and everyone was wondering: what happened to Jaheim?

He took to his Instagram to say his new look had nothing to do with drugs nor alcohol. In fact, he had given all of those things up some years prior. He attributed his weight loss to his new meat-free diet. He even shared a cooking tutorial that included whole banana peels. Yeah…pass…

Those rumors about his sexual preference

Since stepping out on the scene, Jaheim has been questioned about his sexual preference. During an interview with Sway at Hot 97, he began throwing equipment around when his alleged relationships with other men were brought into question.

When All Hip Hop asked him why he reacted so strongly, he said he was young at the time and he now realizes that people were only saying those things to make him act out of character.

His alleged bad behavior in the industry

Rumors about Jaheim’s behavior have floated around the industry for years. Singer Syleena Johnson said she almost got into a physical altercation with him back in 2005 over a song credit.

And radio host Russ Parr said when he asked Jaheim to stop talking over other people and dominating their interview, Jaheim allegedly knocked over the microphone and hit a table before storming out.

It seems like all the artist wants is the respect that he deserves. He told Essence magazine, “I want to be known for giving something to the game.” And his fans are ready and willing to support him all the way.

What’s Jaheim up to these days?

Sadly, what happened to Jaheim has a lot to do with the business side of the industry. In June 2019, he was reportedly a no-show three nights in a row at a St. Louis music festival. With no official explanation given, concertgoers were offered refunds.

So what happened to Jaheim and what is he up to these days? He was featured on Angie Stone’s 2019 album Full Circle, but we’re unsure when he will deliver another studio album of his own. And in July 2019, he released a statement on his Instagram, stating he won’t be performing anytime soon. He wrote, “I am changing a few things, then we shall meet again.”

Jaheim’s legacy

With over 5 million records sold worldwide and numerous Grammy, Soul Train, and American Music Award nominations, what happened to Jaheim breaks our hearts. He has countless songs and albums that speak for how talented he is.

While he’s no longer as prominent in the music industry as before, he deserves to be celebrated and honored for giving us so many classic hits, don’t you agree?

Let us know if you’re surprised by what happened to Jaheim’s career, or drop us a comment on our YouTube channel.