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.
Vain
Dwele Lyrics
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No one stays the same
So I take it lightly
When you say that I've changed
All that I do
Is done for you
And I can't help but feel bad
When you place me at the blame
I'm such a sucka for you baby
Ooh
I'm such a sucka for you babe
I got enough money
To fly you around
And around the world again
Until you're ready to come down (all the way down)
But let's keep it real
Had it not been for the fame
I probably wouldn't have even known you
Or even got to know your name
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something this vain
(Sucka) It's all for you
(I'm a sucka) Everything I do
(I'm a sucka) It's all for you
I'm amazed at your selfish ways
You want to take me from my travels
All my musical gains
(But could you live here without) Could you live here without a flat screen
Your diamonds and thangs
If I took a breathe and left this business for you
I might lose you in the same
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something this vain
(I'm a sucka for you) Oh la-la-la-la-la
(I'm vain too) I don't want to loose what I got with you
(It's all for you) Ooh
I'm a sucka for you
I'm a sucka for you
I'm a sucka for you
I'm a sucka for you
I'm a sucka for you
I'm a sucka for you
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something this vain
In Dwele's song "Vain," he expresses a sense of frustration in his relationship with his partner. The lyrics express his perception of his partner's criticism about him changing due to his fame and success. Dwele takes it lightly, but he understands that all that he does is for her, and he feels bad when she blames him for changing. He admits to being a "sucka" for her and that everything he does, he does for her.
Dwele also discusses how his fame has afforded him the opportunity to provide for his partner and take her on trips around the world. However, he admits that, had it not been for his fame, he might not have even known her or her name. He feels that his partner is selfish for wanting him to give up his career and success for her. He believes that he might lose her if he were to leave this business for her, and he questions whether she would really be able to live without her material possessions. Nonetheless, Dwele is loyal and cannot help being a "sucka" for her, even if it is for something as vain as his fame and success.
Overall, "Vain" is a song that conveys the challenges that people face when success and love collide. Despite being wealthy and accomplished, Dwele feels that he must prove his love to his partner by constantly making sacrifices for her. However, he questions whether her love is unconditional and whether she would be willing to give up her possessions for him. This song is about the tensions that can arise in relationships when one person becomes successful and how it can affect the relationship dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
You're saying thangs
You're talking about me and my actions
No one stays the same
I understand that people change over time
So I take it lightly
I try not to let your words affect me too much
When you say that I've changed
I know you've noticed a change in me
All that I do
Everything I do
Is done for you
I do it all for you
And I can't help but feel bad
I feel guilty
When you place me at the blame
When you blame me for things
I'm such a sucka for you baby
I'm very susceptible to you and your actions
I got enough money
I have a lot of money
To fly you around
To take you places
And around the world again
All over the world
Until you're ready to come down (all the way down)
Until you're ready to stop traveling
But let's keep it real
Let's be honest
Had it not been for the fame
If I wasn't famous
I probably wouldn't have even known you
I likely wouldn't have met you
Or even got to know your name
I wouldn't have learned your name
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something this vain
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something so superficial?
It's all for you
Everything I do is for you
Everything I do
All of my actions
I'm amazed at your selfish ways
I'm surprised by your self-centeredness
You want to take me from my travels
You don't want me to keep traveling
All my musical gains
All of my successes in music
(But could you live here without) Could you live here without a flat screen
Could you be happy without certain luxuries?
Your diamonds and thangs
Your jewelry and other possessions
If I took a breathe and left this business for you
If I quit my music career for you
I might lose you in the same
I might still lose you
Oh la-la-la-la-la
N/A
I don't want to loose what I got with you
I don't want to lose what we have
Ooh
N/A
I'm a sucka for you
I'm very vulnerable to you
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something this vain
Can you blame me for wanting to hold on to something so superficial?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: UNKNOWN, BRUNO LAZZARONI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind