Dwele (born Andwele Gardner) is an R&B and soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. "Dwele" means "God has brought me" in Swahili.
Dwele grew up in Detroit, listening to such Motown artists as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and jazz on the radio.

Dwele began honing his songwriting skills at the age of ten, after his father's murder outside his home. After briefly attending Wayne State, he left college to pursue a more informal education, while working for the AAA.

His demo tape, The Rize, generated interest, and subsequently started collaborating with hip hop group Slum Village and Bahamadia. Dwele's debut album Subject was released in 2003 through Virgin Records, and his second album Some Kinda... followed in October 2005.