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. He caught the ears of local heroes Slum Village and more specifically their world-renowned producer 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 instant classic and led to more high profile work with female rapper Bahamadia, the all-star group Lucy Pearl and London's New Sector Movement. Dwele signed to Virgin Records in 2003, who released his debut album, Subject, 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 is coming out with his fourth album titled, W.W.W. (W.ants. W.orld. W.omen) coming out June 29, 2010. Dwele was recently featured on the first single off of Kanye West's fifth studio album, Good Ass Job. The song was entitled "Power" and was leaked on May 28, 2010.
5 Dolla Mic
Dwele Lyrics
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What you do when you move to NYC and you left your sounds at home
All you got in the box and pc your apple computer is on (baby)
I've got a 5 dollar microphone I bought from good guys up in LA
When Dwele found out that he left his good mic at home
We call it a blessing I'm guessing it must be God
'Cause I ain't touch the bag 'till I picked up to go to NYC and now it's all I got
All I got to do is make chorus with my vocals on the 5 dolla mic
Did I mention I had me a bass guitar it's a though and (I've got) a piano
It ain't no roads but it's nasty not to get my point across with no feel of lost
Erick from soul out just lend me his jazz guitar with no hesitation man
Gotta pick 'em up up, man that's the least I can
And I guess I'm done, I did my thing with the 5 dolla and now I gotta do something
The lyrics of Dwele's "5 Dolla Mic" speak about his experience of moving to New York City and discovering that he had left his sounds at home. All he had was an Apple computer, a box, and a $5 microphone he bought from Good Guys up in LA. However, he sees this as a blessing from God because all he needed was the microphone to make music. With just the microphone, he was able to create a chorus by using his vocals and make music in the dark. Despite not having his usual equipment, Dwele displays his musical creativity by using a bass guitar, a piano, and even borrowing a jazz guitar from his friend Erick from Soul Out.
The song's lyrics speak about the importance of creativity and making the most of what you have. Dwele's reliance on a cheap microphone illustrates that limitations can lead to unexpected creativity and beautiful music. It also speaks about how certain situations that seem like setbacks could actually be blessings in disguise. In this case, his forgetfulness led him to create music in a different way than he usually would have.
Line by Line Meaning
What you do when you move to NYC and you left your sounds at home
Dwele is wondering what he can do because he left his sound equipment back at home when he moved to New York City.
All you got in the box and pc your apple computer is on (baby)
The only equipment Dwele has is his computer and some basic software.
I've got a 5 dollar microphone I bought from good guys up in LA
Dwele bought a cheap $5 microphone from a store in Los Angeles.
When Dwele found out that he left his good mic at home
Dwele accidentally left his good microphone back at home.
We call it a blessing I'm guessing it must be God
Dwele sees the situation as a blessing from God, as it has forced him to be creative with his limited equipment.
'Cause I ain't touch the bag 'till I picked up to go to NYC and now it's all I got
Dwele didn't realize he had left his good equipment behind until he had already arrived in New York City, so the $5 mic is all he has to work with.
All I got to do is make chorus with my vocals on the 5 dolla mic
Dwele plans to create a chorus using his vocals and the $5 mic he bought.
Turn the lights and do my thing in the dark look my
Dwele is confident he can create something great with his limited equipment, even in low lighting.
Did I mention I had me a bass guitar it's a though and (I've got) a piano
Dwele also has a bass guitar and a piano to work with, but they aren't as important as his vocals and the $5 mic.
It ain't no roads but it's nasty not to get my point across with no feel of lost
Even though he doesn't have the best equipment, Dwele is determined to make something great and get his message across effectively.
Erick from soul out just lend me his jazz guitar with no hesitation man
A friend named Erick lent Dwele a jazz guitar so he could include it in his music.
Gotta pick 'em up up, man that's the least I can
Dwele is grateful for his friend's help and is eager to make use of the additional equipment.
And I guess I'm done, I did my thing with the 5 dolla and now I gotta do something
Dwele is satisfied with what he has created with his cheap microphone, but knows he needs to keep working and creating more.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dwele Gardner, George Archie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind