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.
closer
Dwele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
Seems like I've waited to know
Can we get closer?
Girl you should come up for the week
I'll make you cum from the tub to the sink
Rubbin' your feet in a luxury suit
And I'ma make ya toes curl up like they are earlin'
I'll whisper in your ear, tell ya something
Stick my tongue in ya bellybutton
Reach down below, ya know I'm well sprung
Hit ya from the back to get ya calfs tremblin'
And pull ya hair 'til it's straight, you'll look half Indian
Laughing, giggling with champagne bubbles tickle ya nose
Before you I wouldn't throw my old nickels at hoe's
I'm just glad we can get close, for breakfast in the mornin'
We can fly out to Paris France for the French toast
You made me wait so long and that's a good thing
Now let me make ya candy rain' dampen your thong
I hit it off like a champion strong, for real
Your still bumpin' and grindin' even after the song but all along I, I
There's somethin' I wanted to know
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
Seems like I've waited to know
Can we get closer?
Let me talk to ya, feel me for a sec
I love ya sassy ways I must confess
Ya lookin' good girl, I hope you into sex
Sort of a model type with a splash of innocence
Ya fast charms, ass like ya mums
I love that Tiffany charm that's hangin' from ya arm
And if we get it on I'ma take her back to the fort
Show her how I run game like an athlete in sport
Sweety I can see that money ain't a thing
Been doin' this for a while no need to explain it
Ya doin' swell girl, ya never doin' poorly
Ya know I'm hoppin' in whips just look at the jewelry
Plus you need a man in your life
Yo, someone who can hit it right, and plus got the right doe
Plus I'll treat you like a queen
Yo your place or mine I was thinkin' we should get close
There's somethin' I wanted to know
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
Seems like I've waited to know
Can we get closer?
A lot of cats have tried it
I like to touch the na na, I
I know you act real shy but
Know you get down
You are not that type we go
Just keep it low and let it go
No need to act up 'cause, I
Know you get down
Can we get closer tonight
I'll make you cry
Touch you inside baby, I
Make you get down
Hold you very close
With or without clothes
Public or closed doors
We will get closer, yeah
There's somethin' I wanted to know
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
Seems like I've waited to know
Can we get closer?
There's somethin' I wanted to know
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
Seems like I've waited to know
Can we get closer?
The song "Closer" by Dwele feat. Slum Village is a sensual and steamy R&B jam with lyrics describing the desire to get physically closer to a woman that the singer has been waiting to be with for a long time. The first verse emphasizes the singer's intention to give pleasure to the woman, using imagery of luxurious surroundings, rubbing her feet, and making her toes curl. The second verse includes compliments on the woman's appearance and references to the singer's wealth and success. The chorus repeats the title question, indicating the singer's longing to be close.
The lyrics of "Closer" are explicit in their sexual nature, and the verses describe various acts of physical intimacy. However, they are not vulgar or derogatory towards the woman; rather, they express a desire to please her and compliment her. The song presents a consensual and respectful approach to sex, with an emphasis on mutual pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
There's somethin' I wanted to know
The singer wants to ask a question
Can we get closer? Yeah, baby
The singer is asking if they can become more intimate with the listener
Seems like I've waited to know
The singer has been waiting to ask this question for a while
Girl you should come up for the week
The artist invites the listener to spend a week together
I'll make you cum from the tub to the sink
The artist promises to pleasure the listener in various ways
Rubbin' your feet in a luxury suit
The singer will take care of the listener's needs and make them feel comfortable
Make sure you come with nothin' on just a long shearlin'
The singer wants the listener to be comfortable and naked
And I'ma make ya toes curl up like they are earlin'
The artist promises to give the listener pleasure so intense that their toes will curl
I'll whisper in your ear, tell ya something
The artist will seduce the listener with their words
Stick my tongue in ya bellybutton
The artist will be intimate with the listener's body
Reach down below, ya know I'm well sprung
The singer is confident in their sexual abilities
Hit ya from the back to get ya calfs tremblin'
The artist will engage in sexual activities that will make the listener shake
And pull ya hair 'til it's straight, you'll look half Indian
The singer will be rough with the listener and may pull their hair
Laughing, giggling with champagne bubbles tickle ya nose
The singer wants to enjoy champagne and laugh with the listener
Before you I wouldn't throw my old nickels at hoe's
The singer values the listener and wouldn't pursue someone else
I'm just glad we can get close, for breakfast in the mornin'
The artist is happy to be intimate with the listener and plans to share breakfast
We can fly out to Paris France for the French toast
The artist wants to go on a trip to Paris with the listener
You made me wait so long and that's a good thing
The singer appreciates the wait and buildup to intimacy
Now let me make ya candy rain' dampen your thong
The singer will give the listener pleasure to the point of orgasm
I hit it off like a champion strong, for real
The artist is confident in their sexual abilities and has had successful experiences before
Your still bumpin' and grindin' even after the song but all along I, I
The artist enjoys being intimate with the listener and wants to continue even after the song ends
Let me talk to ya, feel me for a sec
The artist wants to connect with the listener
I love ya sassy ways I must confess
The singer likes the listener's personality and attitude
Ya lookin' good girl, I hope you into sex
The artist is attracted to the listener and hopes they can be intimate
Sort of a model type with a splash of innocence
The singer sees the listener as beautiful and also somewhat innocent
Ya fast charms, ass like ya mums
The listener is attractive and has features similar to their mother
I love that Tiffany charm that's hangin' from ya arm
The singer likes a piece of jewelry the listener is wearing
And if we get it on I'ma take her back to the fort
The artist plans to have sex with the listener and then take care of them
Show her how I run game like an athlete in sport
The artist is confident in their abilities to satisfy the listener
Sweety I can see that money ain't a thing
The singer knows that the listener is financially stable
Been doin' this for a while no need to explain it
The singer has experience in being intimate with someone
Ya doin' swell girl, ya never doin' poorly
The listener is doing well in life
Ya know I'm hoppin' in whips just look at the jewelry
The artist is showing off their cars and jewelry
Plus you need a man in your life
The artist believes the listener needs a romantic partner
Yo, someone who can hit it right, and plus got the right doe
The singer is confident in their sexual abilities and financial status
Plus I'll treat you like a queen
The artist will treat the listener well
Yo your place or mine I was thinkin' we should get close
The singer wants to be intimate with the listener either at their place or the singer's place
A lot of cats have tried it
Other people have tried to have sex with the listener
I like to touch the na na, I
The singer enjoys being intimate
I know you act real shy but
The listener may seem shy during sexual activities
Know you get down
The artist believes the listener can be sexually adventurous
You are not that type we go
The listener is not the type of person the singer usually pursues
Just keep it low and let it go
The singer wants to keep their intimacy private and low-key
No need to act up 'cause, I
The listener doesn't need to pretend or exaggerate their interest
Know you get down
The artist knows the listener enjoys being intimate
Can we get closer tonight
The artist wants to be intimate with the listener
I'll make you cry
The singer will give the listener pleasure to the point of tears
Touch you inside baby, I
The artist will be intimate with the listener
Make you get down
The singer will make the listener feel pleasure and get into it
Hold you very close
The singer wants to be intimate with the listener
With or without clothes
The singer is okay with being intimate with or without clothing
Public or closed doors
The artist is okay with being intimate in public or private settings
We will get closer, yeah
The artist and listener will become more intimate
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDWELE GARDNER, CHRISTOPHER JASPER, ERNIE ISLEY, JASON POWERS, MARVIN ISLEY, O'KELLY ISLEY, R.L. III ALTMAN, RALPH II RICE, RONALD ISLEY, RUDOLPH ISLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ifeyinwa
Still obsessed with this song in 2022 - it's been on repeat for 2 days straight.
Danielle N
Still bumpin this TIMELESS CLASSIC in 2020. I MISS REAL MUSIC ππ
LIHLE SKEYI LIHLE SIKEYI
This jam... Is Like a warm π€ hug
Farah Williams
It's hard to beat a slum village and dwele collab
lenkwetse gabonamong
this classic wont loose its crisp ...timeless
MoneyOverFame
indeed
Dave Francisco
i feel bad for anyone that slept on dwele. such a smooth track.
Soulful Inspiration
Love slum village & dwele, hope they come out with more albums in the near future
Adventures Bliss Connection
My absolute favorite Slum village/Dwele Collab
Makai Ngoma
I've always loved this song 13 years plus still on my playlist