For the love of the beat

But, Dwyer isn't purely focused on rap - quite characteristic of today's neo-alternative hip-hop scene, particularly the one in Boston. His music draws vast influences, ranging from hip-hop to jazz to funk and blues. He subconsciously eschews the title "rapper" and simply settles for "musician" - being a talented guitarist and capable bassist and drummer. In addition, Dwyer's "rhymes" are rhythmic and poetic in the tradition of creative lyricists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Slug (from Atmosphere), among many others.

Dwyer first started experimenting with music at a young age while living in Seattle, Wash. - initially influenced by the region's famed grunge scene.

He transferred after his freshman year from Gonzaga University, intending to play football at Boston College. He then transferred out of BC into a study abroad program and then came back to BC for his senior year.

That year, Dwyer met Canyon Cody, A&S '06, at an open mic. The duo immediately sensed their shared interests and things clicked. They eventually started their own record label called Gnawledge Records.

Since then, Cody has acted as producer and Dwyer as Gnawledge's primary musician.

"We both started Gnawledge, but Canyon is more of the brains behind the operation, while I focus on the music."

Dwyer signed in 2004 and Gnawledge subsequently released his solo debut Broken Spoke. In 2005, he contributed to Gnawledge's spoken-word poetry compilation, Flow from Above.

After touring with the hip-hop collective Noc Rage as a guitarist, Dwyer put out an album titled Inthrumental under the moniker Gnotes (pronounced "notes" with a silent "g") in 2006. The tour acted as an impetus to explore the instrumental side of hip-hop.

"I think music without vocals and lyrics is so timeless."

Inthrumental is his best album yet - combining Cody's top-notch skills at the mixing board with Dwyer's clever live instrumentation and an array of influences ranging from Miles Davis' fusion experiments to RJD2's and DJ Shadow's innovative collage sampling. The Davis effect is corroborated by trumpet solos from Afro DZ ak, a member of the Eclectic Collective; making tracks like "Beautiful Story" genuinely beautiful. Other notable tracks include "A Cloudy Day in Cambridge," which features the rapper Kabir, "Gift of Prophecy," and "Guitars in the Trunk."

As most musicians do, Dwyer promotes his music through live shows. He has a big one coming up on March 28. Altogether, he believes Boston has an influential underground scene.

"When you think of Boston, you obviously know there are a bunch of college kids who are only interested in the Top 40, but there are cats like Audible Mainframe that I think of when I think of the indie scene," said Dwyer. "It's focused hip-hop."

Despite its obvious difficulties, Dwyer enjoys being an underground musician.

"People dismiss how much of an occupation music really is. I work a nine-to-five in order to pay the bills and get benefits, but every other moment is spent in the studio."

"I love it," he said. "It's the best feeling in the world to go off the stage after a show."

Dwyer is currently working on a new album that combines the elements of his previous endeavors: poetic rhymes along with emotive music.

"On this new album, everything is organically done," he said. "It's planned to drop in the spring - I'm really excited for it."

A graduate of the Lynch School of Education, Dwyer is also interested in meshing his academic pursuits with his musical ones.

"I like the idea of musicians as educators."