Dave East and Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre

Today we are getting back to the music, and I have quite the track for you. I have to be honest, my rap game has been really off lately. I haven't talked about rap as much, posted much about the genre, nor have I spent a lot of time talking about any new rap artists. But today, I want to introduce you to a rapper by the name Dave East.

Dave East hails from East Harlem, and he really started to gain attention in 2014. Yes I know, it is 2018 and I am behind the game. But hey, I got to him eventually! The story behind Dave East and his music is one that I find very interesting. There are a lot of artists who write about hardships in life, from falling out of love to internal struggles and wars, to societal issues that meet many people. Somehow, Dave East is able to beautifully talk about all three topics and more in his music. That is what makes him so great and refreshing as an artist. He is able to talk about what life is really like, from the streets of Harlem to being in jail to finding himself in a new religion. There is a severe authenticity and rawness to his lyrics, and some may find that to be a bit intimidating. But his style of music is reminiscent of what 80's and 90's hip hop and rap were all about. He brings us his own version of New York's rap era when the music was filthy and lyrics unabashedly real.

When it comes to Dave East, I can't help but focus more on the lyrics because of how impactful they are. In this track particularly, we get an inside look at the thoughts Dave East has on a day to day basis. We are given the opportunity to see and understand exactly what it is Dave East is thinking and why he thinks that way. Not only does this tell us a lot about the world around him, but it also tells us about how he handles the outside. Dave East seems unfazed and non-distracted by the demons and temptations surrounding him. In a way, it feels like he is so lost in his thoughts that the outside world doesn't have the ability to steal him away. He seems like an omniscient viewer of his neighborhood, telling us the story of what is happening and what he sees. And the way Dave East delivers these lyrics is a bit cheeky, to be honest. He is slick and sly, very witty yet straight to the point. He dares to ask questions that we don't like to think about. He dares to ask us the deeper questions about life and the meaning it has. The darker tones of the song make their way through to the forefront, and in this track, we finally get to hear some real thoughts about life on the streets. We get a track of hardship and life and the strength that one must have to pull through.

The musicality of this track is very much like early 90s rap. The music is simple and carries that nostalgic sound, but maintains the crisp clarity of modern production. All we really get here is a repetitive set of hip-hop beats and some synth work layered on top. The whole song is meant to sound rather ominous and dark, which is done very well. Throughout the entire song, we get the sense that Dave East is drenched in darkness and that he raps with a sense of purpose.  The musicality of this track simulates the sensation of Dave East walking the streets, lost in his thoughts as he stalks through his home territory.  This track is meant to be a haunting introspective session, something which some may find rather intimidating or even a bit scary.

Dave East is an artist to keep watching and following. He has quite a few mixtapes out, and I am sure there are more on the way!

And since earlier I talked about how Dave East has a lot of 90s hip-hop influences thrown into the song, I thought it would be cool to have an instrumental rap song by a famous 90s rapper. Or in this case, two. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, some of the most famous rappers to come out of the 90s and veterans of this illustrious industry. We are taking it a bit back with this track, but nonetheless, it is a good one. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!


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