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Dwele Interview
RnB/Hip Hop | Tuesday 6th December 2011 | Osh
Neo-soul singer Dwele is another star to emerge from Detroit, he got his start by working with the likes of J Dilla and Slum Village. The Grammy-nominated talks to GLN about his journey so far.
How you doing?
I’m good!
Good good, what are you up to?
I’m in Detroit right now, I’ve been doing interviews for about 4 hours now!
Ahh man, that must be long for you!
It’s just part of the game.
You’ve come a long way from selling CDs in the trunk of your car, how does it feel to be a nominated Grammy Award artist?
Ahh its good, ya know, most definitely, it’s a long way from selling the CDs…but it’s been good ya know, it’s been a far journey... I’ve enjoyed it so far, I cant wait to see what tomorrow has in store..ya know what I’m saying..cant wait to get back into the UK. But I’m enjoying it most definitely.
Well we can’t wait to have you! So..what kind of an impact do you feel you have had, or wish to have as a soul artist?
I know what music does for me, music creates memories and hopefully that’s the impact that I have with my music. That’s really what I try to do, I try to be the soundtrack to people’s lives, ya know, whatever it is they’re going through at the time. And hopefully 10-20 years from now when they hear a song, it takes them back to a better time, or whatever they were going through at that time; that’s really what I try to do with my music.
Yeah man, that’s what all music should be about…Been listening to your album, and we cant wait to see you down here! When does your European tour begin?
I know we go to South Africa in September..I think they are setting up the UK tour in maybe October/November. I don’t have any definite dates yet, but I know they’re trying to set it up for one of those two months.
Wicked…Are your family a big part of what you do?
Most definitely. My mother is like, my biggest supporter ever! (laughs) She’s like my biggest fan and the one that tells everybody about everything. Ya know, shes most definitely my backbone. My little brother is also a supporter, a lot of times he would come out when I’m on the road when he’s not teaching, so yeah he’s most definitely into what I’m doing.
So, your new album, Wants World Women, has three separate sections for different songs, what is the meaning behind that?
I actually came up with the concept to do it that way, I was working on the song ‘I wish’, and the first lines that came to me were: ‘I wish I had a dollar, for every dollar you think I have. I wish I had the Gucci shoes to match that Gucci bag.’ And I felt like, that’s a part of me that a lot of people don’t really get to see. You know the guy that kinda likes to wear Gucci shoes, or you know sometimes I like to wear diamonds and things like that but I don’t really get a chance to talk about that in my music. This album’s about all of those political songs that I had, and never really had the chance to put out, because it’s kinda hard to put a political song right in the middle of baby making music. So I never really did it, but I had a bunch of political songs, so that’s really the concept’s aim, of splitting the album up into three sections. The first section, is like my alter-ego, I’m outside of myself or I talk about myself in a way that I never really have done before. Then you have the world section, that’s more of an audio time capsule of the things that are going on in our economy. Then you got the women section, and that’s the baby making music, the feel good music.
So, the first section is kind of like your equivalent to Sasha Fierce?
Yeah you got it!
So you say your new album has a more political side, would you say this record means more to you than the others?
I mean, right now yeah because it’s the most recent.
How was your working relationship with artists you have collaborated with, such as Slum Village, J Dilla and Kanye?
Oh it’s always good working with Slum, ya know working with them is like breathing, it’s just easy ya know, we’ve been working together for so long, so it’s always nice working with them. With Dilla, most definitely the same thing, I always enjoy working with Dilla, after working with him, I always came outta there learning something new, about the MPC or about recording. Ya know he is most definitely ahead of his time with his music. Kanye, its always great working with him. In his past album we did the single called ‘Power’, I actually flew out to Hawaii and we went from there. It was good, we actually got the chance to have a game of basketball and do some extra-curricular activities! It was good ya know, we could kinda connect in that way.
That’s good! Do you have anyone in mind that you would work with? Perhaps Erykah Badu?
I most definitely feel like I gotta work with Badu, I mean, I’m scared of what that song would sound like! I feel like Badu would bring out the other side to me, she would force me to do that craziness that I kinda suppress sometimes, so yeah I think that would be a crazy track I most definitely wanna work with her.
Hook it up! So what’s your favourite track that you’ve made so far?
On this album, if I had to pick a favorite song, oooh I don’t know, I got a few favourites! I think one of my favourites out of the Want section is probably the track that I did with Raheem. ‘Dim The Lights’. Off the World section, I think one of my favourite songs is ‘The Hangover’, and my favourite off of the Women section is ‘I Understand’.
Did you always know you were gonna make your dream come true?
I kinda felt it! I felt like it was gonna happen for me, it was like that’s gonna happen but I didn’t really stress about it when it wasn’t happening. I always knew I was gonna do music, I knew that music was always just a part of me, but I was content with my job, and the opportunity just kinda made it’s way to me, and it came at a time where, if it didn’t work out I could always go back to what I was doing. When the opportunity presented itself I jumped on it, and I’ve been writing my dream ever since, and its been great, I feel blessed.
What advice would you give to other musicians?
Just get in the game. I couldn’t tell them to do the same things that I did ten years ago because the music game has changed so much, but I would say most definitely take advantage of the internet. There is so much free promotion on the internet, and really its not even about being with a major label right now. Its just about putting out good music and good material. If you have something that’s entertaining, something that people wanna see and people wanna hear, you can push it yourself and you can make it happen yourself. Just take advantage of that free promotion of the internet!
Have you heard any of our new UK music, is there anyone that you are fond of?
I’ve worked with a few UK artists in the past, but I can’t say I’m up to scratch with the music in the UK right now, I’m gonna have to brush up on that, when I come over I’m gonna have to go out and hit the streets.
Whats your favourite sandwich?
Peanut butter jelly
So American!
[laughs] Yeah!
If you could take one person to dinner right now, who would it be?
If I had to take one person to dinner? For entertainment purposes…I would take…oh that’s a great question! I would take Amerie to dinner, and I would hit her with every pick up line I have! [laughs]
If you could have a swimming pool filled with anything, what would it be?
I’d have a swimming pool….filled with………[laughs]
Half naked ladies??
[laughs] Haha yeah! Half naked women! You came with it! That’s the alter ego now talking…
Everyone’s afraid of those creepy crawlies, so what little buggers get you jumping on the chair like a little girl??
Ahhh man, I have to say that I hate centipedes. I know they cant hurt me but I just hate em! I don’t know about jumping on the chair but…I don’t like them!
Whats your favourite film?
I have a lot, but I have to say one of my favourites would be David Bowie, Labrynth.
And finally, describe your average weekend…
My average weekend consists of waking up at 5am, going to the airport, taking a plane somewhere, [laughs] sleep two more hours as soon as I get back to the hotel, waking up doing promo, interviews, shows, after-parties, get two hours sleep, wake up at 5 the next morning and fly back home…that’s usually how my weekend goes.
Ahh man no rest for the wicked
Naaah I’ll rest later.
Well its been lovely speaking with you, we’d love to catch up with you when you come down to the UK!
Alright cool I appreciate it!
Ahh its good, ya know, most definitely, it’s a long way from selling the CDs…but it’s been good ya know, it’s been a far journey... I’ve enjoyed it so far, I cant wait to see what tomorrow has in store..ya know what I’m saying..cant wait to get back into the UK. But I’m enjoying it most definitely.
Well we can’t wait to have you! So..what kind of an impact do you feel you have had, or wish to have as a soul artist?
I know what music does for me, music creates memories and hopefully that’s the impact that I have with my music. That’s really what I try to do, I try to be the soundtrack to people’s lives, ya know, whatever it is they’re going through at the time. And hopefully 10-20 years from now when they hear a song, it takes them back to a better time, or whatever they were going through at that time; that’s really what I try to do with my music.
Yeah man, that’s what all music should be about…Been listening to your album, and we cant wait to see you down here! When does your European tour begin?
I know we go to South Africa in September..I think they are setting up the UK tour in maybe October/November. I don’t have any definite dates yet, but I know they’re trying to set it up for one of those two months.
Wicked…Are your family a big part of what you do?
Most definitely. My mother is like, my biggest supporter ever! (laughs) She’s like my biggest fan and the one that tells everybody about everything. Ya know, shes most definitely my backbone. My little brother is also a supporter, a lot of times he would come out when I’m on the road when he’s not teaching, so yeah he’s most definitely into what I’m doing.
So, your new album, Wants World Women, has three separate sections for different songs, what is the meaning behind that?
I actually came up with the concept to do it that way, I was working on the song ‘I wish’, and the first lines that came to me were: ‘I wish I had a dollar, for every dollar you think I have. I wish I had the Gucci shoes to match that Gucci bag.’ And I felt like, that’s a part of me that a lot of people don’t really get to see. You know the guy that kinda likes to wear Gucci shoes, or you know sometimes I like to wear diamonds and things like that but I don’t really get a chance to talk about that in my music. This album’s about all of those political songs that I had, and never really had the chance to put out, because it’s kinda hard to put a political song right in the middle of baby making music. So I never really did it, but I had a bunch of political songs, so that’s really the concept’s aim, of splitting the album up into three sections. The first section, is like my alter-ego, I’m outside of myself or I talk about myself in a way that I never really have done before. Then you have the world section, that’s more of an audio time capsule of the things that are going on in our economy. Then you got the women section, and that’s the baby making music, the feel good music.
So, the first section is kind of like your equivalent to Sasha Fierce?
Yeah you got it!
So you say your new album has a more political side, would you say this record means more to you than the others?
I mean, right now yeah because it’s the most recent.
How was your working relationship with artists you have collaborated with, such as Slum Village, J Dilla and Kanye?
Oh it’s always good working with Slum, ya know working with them is like breathing, it’s just easy ya know, we’ve been working together for so long, so it’s always nice working with them. With Dilla, most definitely the same thing, I always enjoy working with Dilla, after working with him, I always came outta there learning something new, about the MPC or about recording. Ya know he is most definitely ahead of his time with his music. Kanye, its always great working with him. In his past album we did the single called ‘Power’, I actually flew out to Hawaii and we went from there. It was good, we actually got the chance to have a game of basketball and do some extra-curricular activities! It was good ya know, we could kinda connect in that way.
That’s good! Do you have anyone in mind that you would work with? Perhaps Erykah Badu?
I most definitely feel like I gotta work with Badu, I mean, I’m scared of what that song would sound like! I feel like Badu would bring out the other side to me, she would force me to do that craziness that I kinda suppress sometimes, so yeah I think that would be a crazy track I most definitely wanna work with her.
Hook it up! So what’s your favourite track that you’ve made so far?
On this album, if I had to pick a favorite song, oooh I don’t know, I got a few favourites! I think one of my favourites out of the Want section is probably the track that I did with Raheem. ‘Dim The Lights’. Off the World section, I think one of my favourite songs is ‘The Hangover’, and my favourite off of the Women section is ‘I Understand’.
Did you always know you were gonna make your dream come true?
I kinda felt it! I felt like it was gonna happen for me, it was like that’s gonna happen but I didn’t really stress about it when it wasn’t happening. I always knew I was gonna do music, I knew that music was always just a part of me, but I was content with my job, and the opportunity just kinda made it’s way to me, and it came at a time where, if it didn’t work out I could always go back to what I was doing. When the opportunity presented itself I jumped on it, and I’ve been writing my dream ever since, and its been great, I feel blessed.
What advice would you give to other musicians?
Just get in the game. I couldn’t tell them to do the same things that I did ten years ago because the music game has changed so much, but I would say most definitely take advantage of the internet. There is so much free promotion on the internet, and really its not even about being with a major label right now. Its just about putting out good music and good material. If you have something that’s entertaining, something that people wanna see and people wanna hear, you can push it yourself and you can make it happen yourself. Just take advantage of that free promotion of the internet!
Have you heard any of our new UK music, is there anyone that you are fond of?
I’ve worked with a few UK artists in the past, but I can’t say I’m up to scratch with the music in the UK right now, I’m gonna have to brush up on that, when I come over I’m gonna have to go out and hit the streets.
Whats your favourite sandwich?
Peanut butter jelly
So American!
[laughs] Yeah!
If you could take one person to dinner right now, who would it be?
If I had to take one person to dinner? For entertainment purposes…I would take…oh that’s a great question! I would take Amerie to dinner, and I would hit her with every pick up line I have! [laughs]
If you could have a swimming pool filled with anything, what would it be?
I’d have a swimming pool….filled with………[laughs]
Half naked ladies??
[laughs] Haha yeah! Half naked women! You came with it! That’s the alter ego now talking…
Everyone’s afraid of those creepy crawlies, so what little buggers get you jumping on the chair like a little girl??
Ahhh man, I have to say that I hate centipedes. I know they cant hurt me but I just hate em! I don’t know about jumping on the chair but…I don’t like them!
Whats your favourite film?
I have a lot, but I have to say one of my favourites would be David Bowie, Labrynth.
And finally, describe your average weekend…
My average weekend consists of waking up at 5am, going to the airport, taking a plane somewhere, [laughs] sleep two more hours as soon as I get back to the hotel, waking up doing promo, interviews, shows, after-parties, get two hours sleep, wake up at 5 the next morning and fly back home…that’s usually how my weekend goes.
Ahh man no rest for the wicked
Naaah I’ll rest later.
Well its been lovely speaking with you, we’d love to catch up with you when you come down to the UK!
Alright cool I appreciate it!
