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Dwele

Written by Ashley Hanry

Signed with Virgin in 2002, Dwele, a musical artist launching the nu-soul revolution though his sound collision of jazz, hip hop and soul and who Rolling Stone said: “is trying to be this generation’s new D’Angelo,” is working on becoming a major artist one step at a time.

“The new D’Angelo,” laughs Dwele, “I don’t know; I guess I take it as a compliment being compared to him because he’s a great musician but at the same time I’m my own man, and I’m doing my own thing a little bit differently.”

Dwele, short for Andewele, which means “God has brought me” in Swahili, describes his music as a blend of past greats like Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder with his own vision of what future urban music should be. “I try to stretch out and do different things with my music,” he says. “I think that keeps the music interesting.”
Dwele has received some radio spins for Subject, his debut album released this past May, and CD sales were reported at 67,300 after the first week. When asked what he thinks of the current state of the music industry and radio airplay Dwele said he believes it’s improving. “It’s getting back to more of the musicianship instead of being all popish and bubble-gum type music,” he says. “I think radio is starting to recognize real music.”
Subjects’ theme is all about love. “The CD talks about relationships—past and present,” he says. “That’s it.” Music became Dwele’s emotional release at the age of 10 after his father was shot and killed outside their home in Detroit. “It became my way to honor him.”

Coming out of the hot zone of current music greats, a.k.a. Detroit, the area provided Dwele with a supportive and rich musical environment. “So much is big in Detroit right now,” he says. Dwele caught his big breaks in Detroit by first releasing his own demo and then through his connection with Slum Village who he toured with in 2001.
His advice to future artists trying to make it big is to do it themselves. “Put money into building their own studio instead of going and spending it at someone else’s,” he says, “And also put their material out themselves and don’t just sit back and wait for somebody else to come up and help them. Doing it themselves is really the only way it’s gonna get done and make people come to them.”
That is exactly what he did with his first demo The Rize, which he produced 100 copies of in his own bedroom. It sold out in one week and quickly had fans scouring for blank cassette tapes to make bootleg copies.

Recognition from The Rize is what hooked Dwele up with Virgin. “I was at a time in my life when I didn’t have many responsibilities or anything holding me down and it was perfect timing to take a chance and see what I could make of it,” he says. “I guess the timing was right for me to sign so I did it.” Dwele’s next project is to make a video for “By the Way” when he returns from touring overseas in late July or early August. “The tour has been good so far,” he says. “We go overseas on July 5th.”

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