Portland’s Vinnie Dewayne is a beast. Want some proof? Listen to The St. Johns Scholar, an audio story that deserves some front to back play in your headphones. The beats may be laid back, but his unique vocal tone keeps images of growing up in The North moving energetically through your mind. If you aren’t familiar with Portland’s hood then Vinnie invites you to take a trip to the St. John neighborhood in North Portland.
“The way I wear my clothes don’t mean I’m saggin’ my goals”
https://soundcloud.com/vinniedewaynemusic/sets/the-st-johns-scholar-by-vinnie-dewayne
The album starts off with my favorite track “Full Ride”, where Vinnie is really at his best. The vibe that this record sets is really consistent throughout the whole project. “Easy“, featuring Myke Bogan, still has a laid back vibe but is one of the more upbeat feels on the project, as well as another stand out. Illmaculate’s appearance on “Back at The Start“ is another solid example of the talent within the city of Roses. Versatility is shown with tracks like “No Where” and “ENVY“ where Vinnie showcases his story telling talents.
The only downside I could really say about this project is I wish it had one more record that had more upbeat replay appeal. The album is truly better when you listen to it in its entirety and deserves a thorough listening like most great projects. All in all, I’ve been bumping this record the past two weeks and recommend you start now.
Stand out records: “Full Ride”, “Easy”, “No Where”
We haven’t really featured Vinnie Dewayne outside of his video for “Easy”, but he has been on our radar for some time. I caught on late to his Rites of Passage EP, but still gave that some serious rotation.
Follow Vinnie Dewayne on Twitter.
