He is perhaps best-known for his longstanding songwriting and production relationship with R&B/soul singer Miki Howard, particularly his work on her early/breakthrough albums.

Humes began his recording career in the early 1980s, releasing the single "Dance So Fine" under the name Nijel in 1982.

[1][2] Working as a staff songwriter for Warner Brothers Music Publishing, he earned more public recognition when he wrote and produced nearly all of the tracks on Miki Howard's Atlantic Records debut album, Come Share My Love, including the top-ten R&B chart hit title track.

[7] Humes continued working with Howard, writing and producing several songs on her second album, Love Confessions, including (again) the title track.

This early success segued into work with other artists, including Stephanie Mills (producing "Comfort of a Man" on her Home album), The Pointer Sisters (co-writing their final top 40 R&B hit of the 1980s, "He Turned Me Out", featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 film Action Jackson), Ray Charles (writing "Let Me Take Over" on his My World album),[8][9][10] Thelma Houston, and Meli'sa Morgan.