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.
Brandi
Dwele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cheap, cheap
Its cheap
Its cheap
Its cheap
But fly
I ask can I get a taste
And I gotta vision of you goin' down my waist
Then never comin' till I get you out them cups
What are those? Double D
You different from my last chick, Moi
Who was a little chill and too bubbly see
You got me talkin' funny, being around you is no good
You only here to take all my money from me, Brandi
I woke today feeling dandy
I met this girl
Her names was, Brandi
She was so fine
She was fancy
I stepped with game
Cause she was fly
So fly
Don't understand me
She was flay
So fly
She was fly
Her name was brandi, carefree, antsy, cant see
Your mans three spinning like a ?
Chillin' in the palms sweet listenin' to R&B
Feeling all comfy poppin that bubbly
Scene and set lovely, loved it
Must be a lust in my undies
Shes livin' on front street
Yellin' you don't trust me
Cause see you know how I act, mack
Who keep chicks layin' on there back
Like Kwame kill Patrick, hey yo
Later we found
She liked money
Later she found
I had no money
Thats when I found
I need a plan b
Now she cant be found
Tell me where is
Brandi
Cause that girl was fly
But I was so cheap
We lasted about a week
Roughly bout three dates
I didn't even smash them damn cakes
I ain't need her no way
Hey yo, Brandi
Brandi
I ain't need her no way
Brandi
Hey yo, Brandi
Fancy
I ain't need her no way
Brandi
Dandy
Brandi
The lyrics to Dwele's song "Brandi" tell the story of a man who meets a woman named Brandi and instantly falls for her. Despite her appealing qualities such as her beauty and charm, he soon realizes that she has ulterior motives as she only wants him for his money. Throughout the song, the man struggles with his feelings for Brandi and his realization that their relationship is based on superficiality. Despite his initial attraction to her, he comes to terms with the fact that he doesn't need her and the song ends with him saying "I ain't need her no way."
The theme of the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the false nature of some relationships and the importance of recognizing true intentions. The lyrics suggest that looks and charm can be deceiving and that people can have hidden motives. The singer goes through a journey of understanding and self-discovery where he realizes that he doesn't need to chase after someone who only wants him for his money.
Overall, "Brandi" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of superficiality in relationships and the importance of being aware of true intentions. It highlights the common themes of love, money, and self-discovery while showcasing Dwele's unique R&B sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Its cheap
Referring to the relationship with Brandi - it's not worthy, of low value or importance
Cheap, cheap
Repeating that the relationship is inexpensive and not desirable
But fly
Despite being cheap, Brandi herself is very attractive and desirable
I ask can I get a taste
Asking for a chance to experience being with her, both emotionally and physically
Now I'm punched drunk love you got me slowing down my pace
Being in love with her is like being hit in the face, it has slowed down his life and pace of movement
And I gotta vision of you goin' down my waist
Imagining her kissing or touching him lower down his body
Then never comin' till I get you out them cups
He wants to be intimate with her, but she won't let him until he spends some money on her - 'cups' are slang for bras
What are those? Double D
Commenting on the size of her breasts, indicating his physical attraction to her
You different from my last chick, Moi
Comparing Brandi to his previous girlfriend, highlighting their differences and implying that he prefers Brandi
Who was a little chill and too bubbly see
His previous girlfriend was too energetic and not as relaxed or cool as Brandi
You got me talkin' funny, being around you is no good
Being around her makes him feel nervous and causes him to act awkwardly or differently than he normally would
You only here to take all my money from me, Brandi
He thinks Brandi is using him for his money and is not interested in a genuine relationship, implying that she is a gold-digger
I woke today feeling dandy
He woke up feeling good or fine, maybe implying that he's over Brandi or the whole situation
I met this girl
Referring to Brandi, starting the story of their brief relationship
Her names was, Brandi
Her name is Brandi, confirming her identity
She was so fine
Reiterating his physical attraction to her
She was fancy
Implying that she is sophisticated and high-class
I stepped with game
He approached her with confidence and charm
Cause she was fly
She is extremely attractive and desirable
Don't understand me
It's hard for others to understand how he feels about Brandi
She was flay
Repeating that she was very attractive and desirable, just in a different way than other women he's been with
Her name was brandi, carefree, antsy, cant see
Describing her as carefree and restless, but also somewhat blind to her own faults
Your mans three spinning like a ?
Unclear meaning, possibly a reference to a spinning top or a DJ playing records
Chillin' in the palms sweet listenin' to R&B
Relaxing and listening to R&B music with Brandi
Feeling all comfy poppin that bubbly
Sipping champagne and feeling relaxed and comfortable with Brandi
Scene and set lovely, loved it
He enjoyed the atmosphere and spending time with Brandi
Must be a lust in my undies
Admitting that he was physically attracted to her
Shes livin' on front street
Brandi is living in a public and open way, possibly flaunting her lifestyle or behavior
Yellin' you don't trust me
Brandi is accusing him of not trusting her, which he probably doesn't due to her behavior or his own insecurities
Cause see you know how I act, mack
He admits that he may have acted untrustworthy in the past, but he's also wary of Brandi's motives
Who keep chicks layin' on there back
Referring to his past behavior of using women for sex and not being committed
Like Kwame kill Patrick
Unclear reference, possibly to a famous athlete or someone who is successful with women
Later we found
Implying that their relationship didn't last long
She liked money
Discovering that Brandi was more interested in his money than him as a person
Later she found
Brandi realized he didn't have as much money as she thought
I had no money
Admitting that he didn't have a lot of money
Thats when I found
Realizing that the relationship wasn't based on genuine feelings or mutual attraction
I need a plan b
He needs to come up with a new plan or approach, possibly to find a new partner or to deal with his financial situation
Now she cant be found
Brandi disappeared from his life, possibly due to their disagreements or differences in priorities
Tell me where is
Asking where Brandi is, possibly indicating that he still has some unresolved feelings or curiosity
Brandi
Repeating her name, possibly as a way of holding onto the memory of her and their brief relationship
Cause that girl was fly
Reiterating that Brandi was very attractive
But I was so cheap
Acknowledging that he didn't treat her well or invest enough in the relationship
We lasted about a week
Highlights the short-lived nature of their relationship
Roughly bout three dates
Further emphasizing that their relationship didn't have a lot of time to develop
I didn't even smash them damn cakes
Admitting that he didn't even have sex with her, implying that he didn't take the relationship seriously enough
I ain't need her no way
Stating that he didn't need her in his life, possibly indicating that he's moved on
Fancy
Repeating that Brandi was high-class and sophisticated
Dandy
Repeating that he woke up feeling fine or good
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON B. DESSNER, MATTHEW D. BERNINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind