Dwele

Artist Image: Dwele
Attribution
Image Credit: Jalylah Burrell Brooklyn, NY (Dwele), CC BY-SA 2.0

Biography

Andwele Gardner (born February 14, 1978 in Detroit, Michigan), better known simply as Dwele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and producer known for his work with Slum Village, J Dilla and Kanye West. After self-releasing the demo tape Rize in 2000, he released his debut studio album Subject in 2003 through Virgin Records, his second album Some Kinda followed in 2005 and his third studio album Sketches of a Man was released in 2008. His fourth studio album W.W.W. (W.ants. W.orld. W.omen) was released in 2010. Although Dwele has had somewhat of a short career as a commercially avaliable artist, he has a vast catalogue of material currently unreleased that die-hard fans revere as some of his best work, considerably superior to his material released as a signed artist that showcases the true depth of his artistic and diverse talent, displayed without constraint. Gardner was raised on the west side of Detroit in a musical family. He played piano from the age of six, later taking up trumpet, bass and guitar. He was deeply affected by the fatal shooting of his father outside his home when he was age ten, later stating “I learned to put my emotions into music; it was my therapy.” He cites Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Roy Ayers, Miles Davis, and Freddie Hubbard as favorite artists, and took inspiration from hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, becoming an MC, and working with Slum Village. Gardner recorded a demo in his bedroom, called, The Rize, and sold it out of the trunk of his car. He had about 100 copies, which sold out within a week.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1978
Number of Albums 11
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Dwele on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Genres

Soul

Trivia

What did Gardner play from the age of six?

piano

...er was raised on the west side of Detroit in a musical family. He played piano from the age of six, later taking up trumpet, bass and guitar. He was d...
What hip hop group did Gardner take inspiration from?

A Tribe Called Quest

...ard as favorite artists, and took inspiration from hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest , becoming an MC, and working with Slum Village. Gardner recorded...
What was the name of Gardner's bedroom demo?

The Rize

...ing with Slum Village. Gardner recorded a demo in his bedroom, called, The Rize , and sold it out of the trunk of his car. He had about 100 copies, whi...
How many copies of his demo did Gardner sell in a week?

100

..., called, The Rize, and sold it out of the trunk of his car. He had about 100 copies, which sold out within a week. He caught the ears of local heroes...
Who was the producer of the Slum Village demo?

J Dilla

... heroes Slum Village and more specifically their worldrenowned producer J Dilla . Slum Village invited Dwele to sing the hook of the song Tainted for t...
What was the name of Slum Village's album Trinity?

Past, Present and Future

... to sing the hook of the song Tainted for their album Trinity ( Past, Present and Future ). It became an instant classic and led to more highprofile wor...
What instrument does Dwele use to compose his music?

piano keys

...From stirring melodies composed on piano keys , he writes poignant music, performs with natural grace and captivates with his clear, silky tone. He is ...
What type of music does Dwee write?

poignant

...From stirring melodies composed on piano keys, he writes poignant music, performs with natural grace and captivates with his clear, silky tone. He is ...
How many critically acclaimed albums has Dwele released?

five

...lled in another era. Yet Dwele has cultivated his own spirited road with five critically acclaimed albums Subject, Some Kinda, Sketches Of A Man, W.an...
Dwele was raised in a highly musical family that was pared down to his mother and what else?

younger brother

...hly musical family that was tragically pared down to his mother and younger brother , once his father was gunned down outside their home. The loss of m...
How does he capture inner city blues?

hiphop nuances

... beyond his years. He captures the rawness of inner city blues with hiphop nuances that speak to his generation and beyond. His ear was shaped by Donn...
Where did his family play regularly in their home?

Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis

...peak to his generation and beyond. His ear was shaped by Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis , which his family played regularly in their home....
What was Dwele Gardner's first name?

Andwele Gardner

...Dwele was born Andwele Gardner , his first name translating as God has brought me in the African language of Swahili. He was raised on the west side of...
At what age did he start playing piano?

6

.... He was raised on the west side of Detroit. Dwele started on piano at age 6 , and later learned trumpet, guitar and bass. Growing up in the age of rap...
What genre of music inspired him to become a hip hop MC?

rap

...e 6, and later learned trumpet, guitar and bass. Growing up in the age of rap , though, he first became a hip hop MC inspired by A Tribe Called Quest. ...
What was Dwele's first solo album?

Subject

...ging and playing. It was his turn and next up were his two solo albums, Subject (2003) and Some Kinda (2005), followed by an even more impressive stri...
What were his first two solo albums?

Subject (2003) and Some Kinda (2005),

...g. It was his turn and next up were his two solo albums, Subject (2003) and Some Kinda (2005), followed by an even more impressive string of cameos an...
What artist did I always want to work with?

Common

...ing down with other artists, Dwele states, I always wanted to work with Common so that was a natural. Boney is a great guy and I love his work. But wi...
Who is a great guy and I love his work?

Boney

...Dwele states, I always wanted to work with Common so that was a natural. Boney is a great guy and I love his work. But with other artists that I'm not...
What do I really look for?

something that can take me in a direction that I haven't touched yet

...aring the work or being able to hear myself on it. But what I really look for is something that can take me in a direction that I haven't touched yet ....
What was Gardner's third album called?

Sketches of a Man

...econd album Some Kinda followed in 2005 and his third studio album Sketches of a Man was released in 2008. Gardner was raised on the west side of Detr...
Where was Gardner raised?

west side of Detroit

...ketches of a Man was released in 2008. Gardner was raised on the west side of Detroit in a musical family. He played piano from the age of six, later ...
What group did Gardner work with?

Slum Village

...hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, becoming an MC, and working with Slum Village . Gardner recorded a demo in his bedroom, called, The Rize, and sold ...
Where did Gardner record a demo called The Rize?

his bedroom

...ming an MC, and working with Slum Village. Gardner recorded a demo in his bedroom , called, The Rize, and sold it out of the trunk of his car. He had a...
What was the name of the song that became an instant classic?

Tainted

...oducer J Dilla. Slum Village invited Dwele to sing the hook of the song Tainted for their album Trinity (Past, Present and Future). It became an insta...