The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
Live From The Current Studio

Live Virtual Session: Dwynell Roland at Sounds Like Home

Digital flyer for Dwynell Roland's Sounds Like Home performance.
Digital flyer for Dwynell Roland's Sounds Like Home performance.MPR graphic

by Andrea Swensson

May 27, 2020

Over the weekend of May 15-17, The Current hosted Sounds Like Home: a virtual festival of Minnesota music. You can find all the performances archived on The Current's Facebook page, and we're also sharing the archived sessions one by one on YouTube. Thanks to the Minnesota Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which allowed us to compensate artists for their performances.

"Life is just like Tetris, but I ain't given no lectures," Dwynell Roland spits on his single "Devils." Roland has made a name for himself with phonetic wordplay and exuberant moxie since day one: the North Minneapolis rapper has been relentlessly dropping EPs, mixtapes, and full-length records since 2012's MakeDue. Engaging with Roland's discography showcases an artist constantly influx. MakeDue finds Roland rhyming over samples from indie rock artists like Daughter, while 2018's Young Roland demonstrates his ability to ride minimalist, trap-inspired beats.

Not only is Roland a relentless producer, he has also become an accomplished featured artist in his own right. You can find him joining Doomtree mastermind P.O.S on his LP Chill, Dummy; providing hip-hop spikes for the lo-fi, internet pop of Comp Keyz; and mobbed up with his contemporaries Finding Novyon and Devon Reason on "@ The Spot" for the #Foodnetwork mixtape.

Roland's unique flow and varied collaborations make him one of the most intriguing acts in a burgeoning Minneapolis hip-hop scene.

Songs performed

01:13 "Good Life"
03:35 "Control It"
15:28 "'98 Regal"

Hosted by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Erik Stromstad
Web feature by Caleb Brennan

Dwynell Roland - Bandcamp