Originally from North Portland, Oregon, Vinnie Dewayne left his small neighbourhood on a scholarship to Columbia College. On the side, he began to work on his first mixtape Solitary, an upbeat creative project influenced by the soul and hip hop sounds that filled his childhood home. Always throwing back to his roots in St. John’s, Dewayne keeps it real from Solitary to St. John’s Scholar and now, Duality.
Duality opens with an electronic, binaural instrumental which his vocals take control over. Always personal and close to his own life, Dewayne covers love, pain, and death throughout the EP. Sleep Paralysis is ambient and touching, with his eerie synths and verses about his struggle on the streets and the importance of black solidarity. Vamoose embodies post-breakup pain perfectly, and Henny & James instantly resonates with anyone feeling lost in life: “If you ain’t got you a plan for the next five years, you in the same boat as me.” Vinnie Dewayne makes music for you to not just vibe to, but connect with.