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.
Takes22Tango
Dwele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and we aint even got our clothes on
lips hips feet are intertwined
im in your ear screamin hold on
yeah i know we end up tangled when we tango
a man in lust am i
everytime is better than the first time
move on it grind on me
slide down me baby
slide up and grind down slow
take your time and groove
i love when you let it go
I'm lovin your every move
rock fast or slow
it take 22 tango
keep your body so close to mine oooo
workin a horizontal dance move
but anytime of day
were dancin with the stars and a half moon
i know we need to find our groove
and when we do
a man in lust am i
everytime you give me that
ooo grind slide down me baby
slide up and grind down slow
take your time and groove
i love when you let it go
I'm lovin your every move
rock fast or slow
it take 22 tango
keep your body close to mine oooo
baby this aint your first time
take a minute explode
my horizontal dance flow
we dont need no teacher
we can learn as we go
as we cum we can cum as one
and we aint even hit our groove yet
play connect the dots wit ya sweat beads
like my lover the remixer
im guessin that you like that
im seein how your toes curl back
sometimes its like that
just wait til we do the flapjack
before you can dance
with your girl in romance
theres a few things you should do
im just tryna help you ciz you my dude yea
it takes22tango
first make her comfortable
she wont kno what hit her when til done ya heard
believe me thats my word
ooo listen
The lyrics to Dwele's "Takes22Tango" paint a sensual picture of two bodies intertwined and sweaty, engaged in a passionate dance. The opening lines describe the physicality of their encounter, with bodies sticky from perspiration and without clothes. The singer then details the intimate connection between the lovers’ lips, hips, and feet, emphasizing his excitement through his screams.
Despite their physical engagement, the singer is also keen to express his emotional connection to the experience. He describes his deep attraction to his partner specifically in the context of lust, but also notes that each time they come together is better than the last. The lyrics emphasize the importance of being in sync with one another as they grind and groove to the music. The singer revels in his partner's movements, urging them to take their time and let go fully.
Throughout the song, it is clear that both partners are enjoying themselves immensely, and are just getting started. When the singer suggests that they “play connect the dots with (their) sweat beads,” it is clear that their connection transcends the physical. In the end, the song is an ode to the power of dance as an expression of love, lust, and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
bodies are sticky we sweatin out
Our bodies are covered in sweat
and we aint even got our clothes on
Despite not having clothes on
lips hips feet are intertwined
We are entangled and intertwined
im in your ear screamin hold on
I'm telling you to hold on
yeah i know we end up tangled when we tango
I know we always end up entangled during our dance
a man in lust am i
I am experiencing intense sexual desire
everytime is better than the first time
Each time we have sex, it only gets better
when you move on it grind on me
When you move on me, it creates a grinding motion
slide down me baby
Slide down my body
slide up and grind down slow
Slowly slide up and down on me grinding
take your time and groove
Take your time and relax into the rhythm
i love when you let it go
I love when you let yourself go
I'm lovin your every move
I enjoy every move you make
rock fast or slow
Move quickly or slowly
it take 22 tango
It takes two to tango
keep your body so close to mine oooo
Stay physically close to me
workin a horizontal dance move
Having sex
but anytime of day
At any time of the day
were dancin with the stars and a half moon
We are having sex under the stars and moon
i know we need to find our groove
We need to find our rhythm
everytime you give me that
Every time you do that
ooo grind slide down me baby
Grind and slide down my body
slide up and grind down slow
Slowly slide up and down on me grinding
take your time and groove
Take your time and relax into the rhythm
I'm lovin your every move
I enjoy every move you make
rock fast or slow
Move quickly or slowly
it take 22 tango
It takes two to tango
baby this aint your first time
You're experienced in this
take a minute explode
Take a moment to let go and orgasm
my horizontal dance flow
My sexual rhythmic movements
we dont need no teacher
We don't need any guidance
we can learn as we go
We can figure it out as we have sex
as we cum we can cum as one
We can orgasm together
and we aint even hit our groove yet
We haven't even found our perfect rhythm yet
play connect the dots wit ya sweat beads
Trace patterns on your body with our sweat
like my lover the remixer
Like a DJ remixing a song, we are remixing our sex
im guessin that you like that
I assume that you enjoy it
im seein how your toes curl back
I notice your toes curling in pleasure
sometimes its like that
It can be intense sometimes
just wait til we do the flapjack
Wait until we try different positions
before you can dance with your girl in romance
Before you can have sex with your girlfriend
theres a few things you should do
There are some steps you should take
im just tryna help you ciz you my dude yea
I am trying to help you out because you are my friend
it takes22tango
It takes two to tango
first make her comfortable
Make sure she is comfortable
she wont kno what hit her when til done ya heard
She won't know what hit her until it's over
believe me thats my word
Trust me, that's what I say
ooo listen
Listen to what I have to say
Contributed by Sophia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.