LeMarvin

Lemarvin, a smooth R&B vocalist, overcame successive professional obstacles before securing his breakthrough with the 2009 release “Around My Way.” Although born in San Francisco, he was raised in Inglewood, California, and first performed while still in high school as a member of Last Minute, a group modeled on New Edition. After graduation he pursued a solo path with assistance from an artist management firm, yet at his mother’s urging he enlisted in the Navy, later going AWOL and serving two months in military jail. Following his discharge in 2002, he shopped his demos and landed a deal with Edmonds Entertainment Group, an outfit that soon folded. An even shorter contract came next with Flyte Tyme, the label headed by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, until 2007 brought a major move to Motown. An album was completed there but remained unreleased; frustrated by the delay, Lemarvin negotiated his release and transferred to Republic Records, another Universal imprint. At Republic he cut “Around My Way,” which featured West Coast rapper the Game, and soon afterward issued the follow-up single “Too Many Patrons.”