Andwele Gardner (born February 14, 1978), known professionally as Dwele ( ), is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2007 single "Flashing Lights" as well as his often-uncredited performance on West's 2010 single "Power", both of which peaked within the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. Gardner's 2003 debut solo single "Find a Way" narrowly entered the chart and led his debut studio album, Subject (2003), released by Virgin Records.
Biography 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. He caught the ears of local hip hop group Slum Village and their producer J Dilla. Slum Village invited Dwele to sing the hook of the song "Tainted" for their album Trinity (Past, Present and Future). It was successful and led to more high-profile work with rapper Bahamadia, the group Lucy Pearl and London's New Sector Movement. Dwele signed to Virgin Records in 2001, and the label released his debut album, Subject in spring 2003, which mixed neo soul and hip hop.
In a 2005 review in The Independent, his style was summed up: "Dwele's rooted in vintage soul but isn't stuck in the past, overly reverential or an exercise in pastiche - there's a major hip-hop edge which betrays his original incarnation as a rapper." A second album, Some Kinda..., followed in 2005. He then later signed with RT Music Group and KOCH records in March, 2008. He released his fourth album titled, W.ants W.orld W.omen, on June 29, 2010.
Dwele was featured on the first single from Ye's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song is entitled "Power". He is also featured on "Flashing Lights" from West's 2007 album Graduation.
Dwele released the first single, "What Profit", from his fifth studio album Greater Than One. The song was written and produced by Mike City, the same producer behind his other singles "I Think I Love U" and "What's Not to Love". The song was sent to radio on May 22, 2012.
Discography Albums Year Album Chart positions US US Ind USR&B2000Rize (self-released) — — —2003Subject 108 — 202005Some Kinda... 54 — 102008Sketches of a Man 35 4 72010 W.ants W.orld W.omen 28 3 92012 Greater Than One 30 6 9 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles Year Title Chart positions Album US US R&B 2003"Find a Way" 93 42Subject 2004"Hold On" — 53 2005 "I Think I Love U" — 53Some Kinda... 2006"Weekend Love" — 1162007"The People" (with Common) 111 56Finding Forever"Flashing Lights" (with Kanye West) 29 12Graduation2008"I'm Cheatin" — 29 Sketches of a Man"A Few Reasons (Truth Pt.2)" — 752010"What's Not to Love" — 43W.ants W.orld W.omen2012"What Profit" — 38Greater Than One2013"Drive the Future" — —2017"Wanna Dance" (feat. Phife Dawg and Mike City) — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Featured on YearInformation2000BB Queen (Bahamadia)2002Trinity (Past, Present and Future) (Slum Village)2003New Awakening (DJ MITSU The Beats)2004Pure (Boney James)Detroit Deli (Slum Village)The Undeniable (Phat Kat)2006Shine (Boney James)SOULidified (Hil St. Soul)The Shining (J Dilla) "Dime Piece (Remix)"Dirty District Vol.3 (Brucie B.)Witness My Growth (Elzhi)2007Desire (Pharoahe Monch album)Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2 (2Pac) "Straight Through My Rear View"Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire"The People" (with Common) from Finding Forever"Flashing Lights" (with Ye) from Graduation"Who'd of Thought" (with BrassMunk) from FEWturistic2008Brooklyn's Don Diva (Foxy Brown) "Never Heard This Before"Of All the Things (Jazzanova)The Dresden Soul SymphonyTronic (Black Milk) "Long Story Short" (flugelhorn solo)Man vs. Many (Nefew)2009Death of a Man Rebirth of a King (Pryslezz)2010"Lay It on the Line" & "Mad at Me" (with Marv Won) from Wayne Fontes Music"Power" (with Ye) from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy2011"Flower Girl" (with Maysa) from Motions of Love"Celebrity" (with Big Sean) from Finally Famous"Time Stands Still" (with DJ Quik) from The Book of David"All I Know" (with Ro Spit) from The Glass Ceiling Project2013"Worries" (with Robert Glasper) from Black Radio 22014"Bad Boys" (with Hush) from Danny Boy: The Life & Times of a Kid in the D2018"2 Would Try" (with Black Milk) from Fever2020"Everything That's Missing" (with Big Sean) from Detroit 22022"God Send" (with Phife Dawg) from Forever
References
External links – official site
Dwele: W.ants W.orld W.omen review at Cream