Andwele Gardner (born February 14, 1978),[3] known professionally as Dwele, is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2007 single "Flashing Lights" as well as his often-uncredited performance on West's 2010 single "Power", both of which peaked within the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. Gardner's 2003 debut solo single "Find a Way" narrowly entered the chart and led his debut studio album, Subject (2003), released by Virgin Records.[4]
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.[5][6][7] 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."[5][8] 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.[5]
Gardner recorded a demo in his bedroom, called, The Rize, and sold it out of the trunk of his car.[5] He had about 100 copies, which sold out within a week. He caught the ears of local hip hop group Slum Village and their producer J Dilla.[7] Slum Village invited Dwele to sing the hook of the song "Tainted" for their album Trinity (Past, Present and Future). It was successful and led to more high-profile work with rapper Bahamadia, the group Lucy Pearl and London's New Sector Movement.[7] Dwele signed to Virgin Records in 2001, and the label released his debut album, Subject in spring 2003, which mixed neo soul and hip hop.[5]
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."[9] A second album, Some Kinda..., followed in 2005.[5] He then later signed with RT Music Group and KOCH records in March, 2008.[10] He released his fourth album titled, W.ants W.orld W.omen, on June 29, 2010.
Dwele released the first single, "What Profit", from his fifth studio album Greater Than One. The song was written and produced by Mike City,[12] the same producer behind his other singles "I Think I Love U" and "What's Not to Love". The song was sent to radio on May 22, 2012.
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