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.
Hold On
Dwele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oohhh Oohhh Oohhh
Hold on if you don't mind
Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Woa Woa Woa)
Open your ears
Don't allow these words to be ignored by years
Dealing just to deal is just a crime,
Besides I know you wouldn't mind
Trying something new so...
Let's (Let's)Try (Try)
We can work it out
If you let love(love) guide (guide)
The way that you feel for me,
Oh(Oh) Why(Why),
Let this opportunity pass (pass) by (by),
You should hold on
Please don't resist (don't resist)
Bless those harmonies to me, escape your lips (escape your lips)
There's no need to go home,
Just to dance along (dance aloo-o-one)
I know you can't enjoy it on your own
Really I don't see nothing wrong
With you and I spending some time--
Also let me mention, (Oooh)
My only intention, (Oooh)
Is to feed you every single thing you hunger for---
In my heart I have to (Oooh)
And-- want to have you (Oooh)
So fulfilled that you will never need to ask for more--
Let's (Let's)Try (Try)
We can work it out
If you let love(love) guide (guide)
The way that you feel for me,
Oh(Oh) Why(Why),
Let this opportunity pass (pass) by (by),
You should hold on
Bridge
(So)Girl instead of running from my love---,
You can run to,
To these arms that's meant for you---
So why (so why not) not stay (stay) around
Let's (Let's)Try (Try)
We can work it out
If you let love(love) guide (guide)
The way that you feel for me,
Oh(Oh) Why(Why),
Let this opportunity pass (pass) by (by),
You should hold on
Let's (Let's)Try (Try)
We can work it out
If you let love(love) guide (guide)
The way that you feel for me,
Oh(Oh) Why(Why),
Let this opportunity pass (pass) by (by),
You should hold on
(You should hold onnnnn
Feelings so stonnnnng
You should hold onnnnn
Feelings so stronnnnnng
You should hold on)
In Dwele's song "Hold On", he begins by urging the listener to open their ears and not let the words be ignored by time. He goes on to criticize the idea of avoiding change and only dealing with the same old things, and encourages trying something new. Dwele suggests that although love may be the new and unfamiliar thing, it has the power to guide us and "work it out" if we just hold on. He mentions his intentions of giving everything the listener could ever want and fulfilling all their desires. In the bridge, Dwele reminds the listener that his arms are meant for them and they should not run away from his love but towards it. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and the message to hold on to strong feelings.
Throughout the song, Dwele encourages the listener to try something new and embrace the power of love. He warns against becoming too comfortable with the same old patterns and habits, and inspires a desire for change and growth. The song emphasizes the importance of staying open to new experiences and not running away from love when it presents itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Open your ears
Pay attention and listen carefully.
Don't allow these words to be ignored by years
Don't let these words go unheard for years to come.
Fearing lullibies, containing the same old lies (same old lies)
Don't be afraid of empty promises that have been repeated many times before.
Dealing just to deal is just a crime,
Engaging in a relationship just for the sake of having one is wrong.
Besides I know you wouldn't mind
I know you are open to trying something new.
Trying something new so...
Let's take a chance and try something new together.
We can work it out
We can overcome any obstacles and make it work.
If you let love(love) guide (guide)
If we let our love guide us.
The way that you feel for me,
I know you have feelings for me.
Let this opportunity pass (pass) by (by),
Don't let this chance slip away.
You should hold on
Hold on and don't let go of this opportunity.
Please don't resist (don't resist)
Don't be hesitant or skeptical.
Bless those harmonies to me, escape your lips (escape your lips)
Sing to me and express your love.
There's no need to go home,
There's no need to leave or end the night early.
Just to dance along (dance aloo-o-one)
Stay and dance with me.
I know you can't enjoy it on your own
I know you need someone to dance and enjoy the night with.
Really I don't see nothing wrong
I can't see anything wrong with spending time together.
With you and I spending some time--
Let's spend some quality time together.
Also let me mention, (Oooh)
I want to add one more thing.
My only intention, (Oooh)
All I want is to make you happy.
Is to feed you every single thing you hunger for---
I want to fulfill your every desire and need.
In my heart I have to (Oooh)
I can't help how I feel.
And-- want to have you (Oooh)
I want to be with you.
So fulfilled that you will never need to ask for more--
I want to make you so happy, you won't need anything else.
(So)Girl instead of running from my love---,
Don't run away from my love.
You can run to,
You can come to me.
To these arms that's meant for you---
My arms are meant to hold you.
So why (so why not) not stay (stay) around
Why not stay with me?
(You should hold onnnnn
Don't let go.
Feelings so stonnnnng
Our feelings are strong.
You should hold onnnnn
Keep holding on.
Feelings so stronnnnnng
Our feelings are even stronger.
You should hold on)
Don't give up.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Dwayne Bastiany, Keith Brown, Eric Roberson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Soluchi {Michael Jackson Lookalike, Dancer, VFX}
Sounds like something out of a Fairytale. Lovely. 😊
Phillip Watkins
Dwele is such a slept on soulful voice !
NaimaE
This is giving me so much joy right now!
Set'N Tha HOOK wit Stubbs👀
Thats what are music Does!!!! It dont get no better than The Black music!!!
Harold Williams
16 years later still hotter than anything out right now 2019.
SOULar Lioness ELITE
Now 18 years later...same thing lol.
Harrison M. Mungai
That groove... I want to burst into song and dance, and sit still in awe at the same time.
Douglas Massie
This is my favorite song by Dwele. I like how he is so raw and emotional!
tamikawatersakalove2
His voice is everything!
tamcar04
One of my favorite Dwele songs! Thanks for the upload!