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Subject is the debut studio album by American musician Dwele. It was released on May 20, 2003 via Virgin Records. Production was mainly handled by Dwele himself, in addition to G-1, Dwayne Bastiany, Jake and the Phatman, Pete Kuzma, Joint Custody, and Ronald "Ron E." Estill, who also served as executive producer together with Timothy Maynor. It features guest appearance from Slum Village. The album peaked at number 108 on the Billboard 200 and number 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Critical reception
Jack Smith of the BBC claimed "Although the tempos never rise above head-nodding, Dwele displays the versatility and scope to his voice (infusing classical jazz and love poetry in the form of an old school balladeer) that few newcomers can match, displaying a crooning style that is far more seasoned and seductive than an army of singers twice his age."
John Bush of AllMusic noted "Mostly self-produced and recorded at his home in Detroit, Subject favors the gauzy beats-and-bliss production style of Slum Village auteur Jay Dee. Though it's a familiar format, it's one that works well as a bed for his vocal style, which uses odd cadences, extended phrasing, multiple layers of vocals, and often his own whispered responses to his main lines."
Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! remarked "Dwele's sound is organically soulful, couched in watery layers of Fender Rhodes keyboards and topped off by the smooth ambience of his spoken word cum rap vocal style. While that first EP entitled Rize, featured musical nuggets that sometimes only lasted a minute and veered into unexpected yet undeniably dope sonic directions, Subject finds Dwele's songwriting adhering closer to traditional song structure."
Christopher Sanders of the Miami New Times wrote "Singer/producer Dwele's debut album, Subject, is an exploration of the many idiosyncrasies that exist between lovers, set to a lush backdrop that is neither annoyingly contrived nor forcefully retro. His subtle, smooth numbers utilize an array of sounds and instruments."
PopMatters found "If there is anything transcendent about Dwele, like D’Angelo or any of his new soul predecessors, it’s that he is genuinely talented and, above all, refreshing. Subject, like Brown Sugar, is the type of album that can and probably will be played on repeat without wearing on any music listener’s nerves — if anything, it’s inspiring during each rotation."
