Lil Duval

Standup comedian, actor, and occasional recording artist Lil Duval has made appearances on numerous mixtapes and albums since the early 2000s, and during the following decade headlined singles including the 2018 release “Smile (Living My Best Life),” featuring Snoop Dogg. Lil Duval is the stage name of Roland Powell, a native of Florida’s Duval County, more specifically the city of Jacksonville. He got his start in standup in Atlanta, and following a 2001 competition in Oakland gained the support of Cedric the Entertainer. In addition to his on-stage work and a lengthening filmography, including roles in Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming, Scary Movie 5, and Meet the Blacks, Duval also became a semi-regular presence on rap recordings, with interlude material granted to releases by the likes of Trae tha Truth, Three 6 Mafia, Devin the Dude, and T.I. He appeared in a greater number of videos, including clips for tracks by most of the previously mentioned artists, as well as some by Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Wale, and E-40. In 2014, Duval started headlining unapologetically irreverent and parodic singles. “What Dat Mouf Do” (featuring Trae), “Drop It Off,” and “I Ain’t Stressing” were issued through 2017. The Midnight Star-sampling “Smile (Living My Best Life)” (with Snoop and Ball Greezy) followed in 2018. ~ Andy Kellman