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.
My People
Dwele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a time of picked lines the days this long
Segregated history but he would also speak of a people in love
With unity but just how can this be that 1963 seems much better
I got me a new ride this time with insurance but gas is way too high
His right before our eyes ironically I can't
Drive my new sedan without my new black friend
Sometimes it rains and what is the Sun without a rainy day but
Man in power is rumoured to have taken many jobs away from us...
A young man finds family in a local
Gang and it ain't no good no no no...
And sometimes I feel safer riding a 5 ton
Piece of metal in the arrow looking in the hood
My brothers can't get out,
The hood is on lock down and cats is moving the keys
Homicide as if we don't loose
Enough from the battles going on overseas
Tonight my eyes will burn and pray
That we will learn to love our people
Let momma sing this song there's never been
A worst time to be living young and black.
And let it be a fact sometimes I feel the good outweighing the bad
And if I had the chance I would crush this feeling.
For all our people.
The lyrics to Dwele's song My People speak to the struggles that the black community faces in America. The singer of the song references his father and his father's time, a time of segregation and inequality. Although progress has been made since then, the singer struggles with how the present day can still be so difficult for black people. He speaks of the challenges of high gas prices and the difficulty in driving his new car without his black friend. The song also touches on the issue of police brutality, with the singer feeling safer inside a big truck and referencing the hood being on lockdown. There is also a mention of a young man finding solace in a gang, highlighting the lack of opportunities and support for the black community.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of hope and unity, with the singer praying that the community will learn to love each other. He acknowledges that there are good moments even in the midst of the bad, and that he wishes to crush the feeling of despair for the sake of his people. The overall message of the song is one of struggle and perseverance, while also calling for a greater sense of empathy and unity within the black community.
Line by Line Meaning
If poppa could sing this song He would speak
If Dwele's father was alive, he'd speak about the past.
Of a time of picked lines the days this long
He would speak about the long-gone days of racial segregation.
Segregated history but he would also speak of a people in love
Despite the segregation, there were people who loved each other.
With unity but just how can this be that 1963 seems much better
Despite the love and unity, things were better in 1963 than they are now.
I got me a new ride this time with insurance but gas is way too high
Dwele bought a new car that he can't afford to drive due to expensive gas prices.
His right before our eyes ironically I can't
The answer to society's problems is right in front of us, yet we can't see it.
Drive my new sedan without my new black friend
Dwele's new friend might be perceived as a threat while driving his new car.
Sometimes it rains and what is the Sun without a rainy day but
Rainy days are part of life, and without them, sunny days wouldn't be as appreciated.
Sometimes I wish this rain would wash the reigns away and this
Dwele wishes that the problems of society could be washed away like the rain.
Man in power is rumored to have taken many jobs away from us...
Powerful individuals have taken jobs away from people and caused economic struggles.
A young man finds family in a local
Some young people feel like they belong in gangs because their own families don't support them.
Gang and it ain't no good no no no...
Joining a gang is not a good decision, no matter how much it might feel like family.
And sometimes I feel safer riding a 5 ton
Dwele feels safer driving a large truck than a small car due to perceived threats.
Piece of metal in the arrow looking in the hood
He feels like he's driving a weapon since his community might be perceived as a threat by outsiders.
My brothers can't get out,
Many people in Dwele's community feel trapped and unable to escape the cycle of poverty and violence.
The hood is on lock down and cats is moving the keys
The community is locked down, and outsiders hold the keys to unlocking its potential.
Homicide as if we don't lose
Gun violence takes away too many lives in the community.
Enough from the battles going on overseas
People in the community shouldn't have to also suffer from wars and conflicts elsewhere in the world.
Tonight my eyes will burn and pray
Dwele is emotional and will pray for solutions to the problems facing his community.
That we will learn to love our people
Dwele hopes that people will learn to love and support each other within the community.
Let momma sing this song there's never been
Dwele's mother should sing this song because she has lived through similar struggles.
A worst time to be living young and black.
It's a tough time to be a young black person in America.
And let it be a fact sometimes I feel the good outweighing the bad
Despite the struggles, Dwele sees good in the world that outweighs the bad.
And if I had the chance I would crush this feeling.
Dwele wishes he could completely eliminate negative feelings and struggles in the community.
For all our people.
Everyone in the community deserves better.
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stefanocaneschi2996
Let’s don’t mess around.. this guy is on another level.. much respect ✊
@tycp3
this man's music is a gift from up above, my granny is 80 and i got her playin dwele lol
@thegreatestbassist
My brother....Dwele is the truth....In this world (as we know it), Goodness goes without proper recognition, so that it may nurture & inspire....All that said...some of us continue to shine the light of truth.....and we all love our brother DWELE.......Oneness
@TheGrownasswoman
Dwele ! lord have mercy ....one for the books...
@HiImRack
It's amazing how every time you playa a Dwele track.... you're never disappointed!
@medmanmusic
Awesome vibes me and Dwele recorded this on a cold detroit evening
Im on m the percussion
~Bruce Cobb
@dhoseman
Nice!
@imaginicci
Super Dope!
@dozenroses4859
& I can dig it; hope you guys had a bottle of nice wine while recording this one.
@joelnicholsonjr.3877
Bruce Cobb Awesome! I was in middle school listening to this when it first dropped. This record was a present to me on Christmas 2010🙏🙏🙏