Dwele:
Subject

Release Date: 19 May 2003

Reviewed By:

1. Intro (Poppa)

2. The Truth

3. Find A Way

4. Twuneanunda

5. A.N.G.E.L (Interlude)

6. Day At A Time

7. Subject

8. Sho Ya Right

9. Money Don't Mean A Thing

10. Hold On

11. Kick Out Of You

12. Without You

13. Whoomp (Interlude)

14. Lady At Mahogany

15. A.N.G.E.L ( feat. Slum Village, Reprise)

16. Let Your Hair Down

Fredrp Starr - Don't Get Mad Get Money
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Combining the genres of RnB, soul, hip hop and jazz is where 25-year-old Dwele excels. Many of you would have been introduced to this artist on Slum Village's 2002 hit, 'Tainted', on which a sultry male voice sings the laid-back chorus. That voice belonged to Andwele Gardner, a friend and longtime collaborator of Slum Village. Now with his own album released to critical acclaim, Dwele is reveling in the limelight, and just one listen to his debut is enough to silence the haters.

Although outside of the studio, he comes across as a somewhat quiet, soft-spoken young man, when he gets in front of the mic, it seems as if he has a newfound confidence, one that is heavily portrayed on his debut album, 'Subject'. This LP is a prime example of the unique talent the Detroit native possesses, and his musical influences, including Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder right through to hip hop masters A Tribe Called Quest and Jay-Z, are apparent as you listen to the album.

The first single to be released is the mid-tempo soul-infused track, 'Find A Way', a song which sees Dwele reminisce about a past love: "I was hoping we could find a way/ To have what we had again today/ Though it's been some time since you and I/ It wouldn't hurt to try, to find our love." The mellow vibe of this track is continued on 'Day At A Time' and 'Let Your Hair Down', smooth jazz numbers that Dwele has added his own fresh twist to.

One of the highlights of 'Subject' is the club friendly 'Money Don't Mean A Thing', a hip hop-soul joint which in my opinion, is very worthy of a single release, as the sound of the strings and the catchy guitar loop is guaranteed to get your head nodding. Other songs to look out for are 'Kick Out of You', 'Sho You're Right' and 'Truth', Dwele's personal favourite. On this track, Dwele showcases his full abilities, slowly easing the listener into the love song before picking up the pace and turning it into an energetic soul groove, sounding at times like a classic '70s tune.

Being able to hold his own on up-tempo cuts as well as on slower tracks is one of the surprising things about Dwele, one which you are unlikely to find in many contemporary soul artists. As a musician, he is extremely well rounded - the former emcee writes, sings, and produces almost half of the album, and also manages to play the guitar, keyboard, trumpet or piano, whichever instrument is needed, on practically every song. Together, these amazing skills help the upcoming star to shine on this beautiful debut, one that should not be overlooked by any true fan of urban music. As he himself sings: "I'm a young man, the world is mine." - now that really is the 'Truth'.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Favourite Three Tracks:
2) Truth
9) Money Don't Mean A Thing
11) Kick Out Of You

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