Daniel Oyinloye has been searching for his place in the world—poet, singer, rapper, or film maker, these titles only encompass a small part of his personality. Even with his latest work, Dawn of Redemption, which envelopes music, film, and visual art, Daniel searches for a way to organize his world:

“Because I need to find a way to piece it all together,” says Daniel.

For Daniel it’s about reaching a higher dimension: “If you told me to do it all in one dimension, it sound unpolished, unright, unraw…and it’s like boring. So, I choose music [because] music gives me time to articulate. It gives me time to organize. It gives me room to create….you can see the part of I’m protecting. Who I am not yet, but want to be. ”

It’s who Daniel wants to be that has been the driving force of his work. Moving to the U.S. from Nigeria as teenager, his idea of home has changed. This transition has given him a new perspective on not only himself, but also his music.

“Everything I’ve taken along the way is a part of who I am,” says Daniel.

Daniel expands his search with his current project Universe, a musical opus that spans from afro-centric rhythms to American fused hip-hop. Daniel sees this project as a continuing a larger narrative.

“After awhile, you get it. You get making music,” says Daniel. “But, you got to challenge yourself too…You got a regular three-minute song that you want to play on the radio. Cool, but there is no box here. I am making music [and] I got something to say.

The journey that Daniel’s music tries to define isn’t too different from the world we live in. If anything, it’s a place that everyone tries to discover.

For the complete profile, visit Perfect Duluth Day. Click on the play button above to hear the podcast.