Dave East’s debut album Survival shows a depth I didn’t quite expect from him.  With 20 tracks, you’d think this album was Dave’s first and only chance to capture listeners; but the 2016 XXL Freshman Class rapper has been on the grind for years raising his visibility by releasing a slew of mixtapes and flexing alliances with Nas and Nipsey Hussle.  The result of that grind is an album that brings something for every type of rap fan, giving me comfort that Dave East just might have staying power in this fickle music industry.

BARS, BARS, AND…MORE BARS

Dave East is a lyricist – no question!  He comes out the gate on They Wanna Kill You feat. DJ Premier with all bars, no hook – straight, no chaser.  With production by Swizz Beatz and a sample of Mobb Deep’s Survival of the Fittest, Dave let you know he did not come to play. 

He shoots poetical cannons on tracks like On My Way to School and Seventeen (two coming of age stories); What You Mad At where Dave claps back at his haters; and On Sight, a bonus track and R&B banger feat. Ty Dolla $ign, showing East’s diversity in song-making.  

A standout for me is Me & Mines feat. DJ Clue.  Over a melodic horn and simplistic drum beats, Dave raps about his bond with his mans, his chick, and his gun.  It’s a real old school jazz vibe and the lyrics are reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s Me & The Homies, Nas’ I Give You Power, and Biggie’s Me & My Bitch.

MUMBLE RAP MATCH UPS

I fuck with Dave East because he’s a dope lyricist and (I don’t care if I’m dating myself) because I can understand his pronunciation, which makes him even more dope.  Dave don’t need no mumble rap assistance. On Every Day, Dave had me at the first verse; then here comes Gunna with his punch-drunk, auto-tuned flow.  The production was nice, but Gunna’s delivery is not a match made for my ears.

Surprisingly, I felt different about Night Shift feat. Lil Baby.  Lil Baby stepped his game up on this track and his verse was clear and understandable.  He cleverly raps “I’ve been popping these Addys, I can’t sleep/ I’ve been Crippin’ on beats like I’m Dave East.”  Clever, but sidebar: For the culture, can these rappers please leave these damn pills and promethazine alone? This shit ain’t natural and ninjas is dying.  Weed is from the earth. Just puff, puff, pass, my dude!

STREET STORIES

Dave East joined up with a crew of rap bandits worthy of slanging hood tales on Survival.  Story-telling Nas is back on Godfather 4 featuring The Soul Rebels.  Nas and Dave effortlessly trade bars over a melodic, soulful beat.  Nas’ first verse is especially vivid, but Dave’s verses don’t disappoint.  This song could have easily been on The Lost Tapes, but I needed to hear more of Dave.  Same with OG where Rick Ross takes the spotlight.  Production-wise, it fits Rick Ross’ style.  With a hook from The-Dream, the track felt out of place, though the flow from both Ross and East was decent.  

I was disappointed, however, with E-40’s performance on Devil Eyes – a grimy hood tale where East, 40, and Mozzy spit universal game about things that go down in every ghetto.  When lyricists get with other lyricists, the result is usually a massacre.  Both Dave and Mozzy killed the beat which has West Coast appeal, but Uncle Earl’s verse felt lazy.  I can picture the Bay gettin’ hyphy in the parking lot with this one though.

Wanna Be a G feat. Mix B brought a slower tempo for Dave than I am used to.  The production reminds me of an old school 2Pac song.  The content fits with the hood story theme, but I don’t think Dave should make a habit of slowing down his cadence.  It’s a feel-good joint, but I prefer his Uzi-style delivery over this revolver rhythm.

HOT SEX ON A PLATTER

While Dave East is a whole snack, hardcore lyricists don’t always appeal to the ladies’ listening pleasure.  It helps to have a familiar sample or two to set a vibe, even if it costs Def Jam a pretty penny.     

What’s Going On has a fire ass sample from Najee’s 80s hit, Betcha Don’t Know. This banger was one of my favorite tracks on the album and my favorite bar was from Fabolous:

“Bet you don’t know, prolly cause it’s too slept on/This that dope that makes the block get they two-step on.”

Fabolous

I love it when lyricists team up and make a track that has mass appeal (Pun intended.  Y’all know at times Dave East sounds similar to Guru from Gang Starr).  Ingeniously, Baby, which sample’s Marvin Gaye’s Just To Keep You Satisfied, follows What’s Going On.  I was super excited when I heard this sample because I first heard the original song sampled during one of my soul music marathons a few years ago.  Dave raps about an around-the-way girl he falls in love with. As usual, his cadence is sick and East flows nicely over the beat. He killed me when he said “I love scary movies, let’s fuck to Poltergeist.”  I enjoyed this one.

You get more “hot sex on a platter” on Alone feat. Jacquees, which samples R&B banger Feenin’ by Jodeci. The lyrics bring ultimate f*@%boy vibes, but it sounds so good on wax that someone just might go for the game.  This is one of the singles, so the familiar sample plus a good performance by the so-called King of R&B stand out.  Still, it’s not my favorite.

RESPECT TO THOSE WHO INSPIRE

You can’t survive or thrive without acknowledging the people that push you to grow and be better.  It’s no secret that Dave has people in his life who keep him grounded. Need a Sign begins with Dave’s father telling a story about how he was in a dark place when Dave returned home from college to pursue his rap career, just after Dave Sr.’s mother passed.  The horn-heavy track captures the mood and features a hook from Harlem homegirl Teyana Taylor.  Dave’s second verse inspires its listeners to hang on and break out of any funk or struggle they endure.   

There is more family dedication on Mama I Made It and Daddy Knows.  Anyone who was blessed to experience a mother’s love can relate to Mama I Made It.  With a sample from Mint Condition’s U Send Me Swingin’, Dave raps about how his Mom held him down, so he’s gon’ make sure she’s straight now that he made it.   Daddy Knows feat. Ash Leone is dedicated to Dave’s daughter Kairi, whose cute face stays on his Instagram.  

Having a kid will force you to grow up and you see this when Dave responsibly raps: 

“So small, could fit your face in my palm; I used to pray you was strong/You got my last name, you my earth, a goddess, a queen/The same month you was born I stopped drinking lean.”

Dave East

The Marathon Continues (Nipsey Tribute) continues to spread love to those who inspired East.  The track begins with Nipsey Hussle sharing gems about his precious Marathon brand and how it represented his motto to keep going and never quit.  I cherish every opportunity to hear posthumously released content from Nip because he was so transparent and real.  With an outro from Snoop Dogg over a melancholy piano, Nip’s legacy lives on.

Dave reminisces and gives listeners insight into their brotherhood, rapping: 

“Blue Laces was my shit, the blueprint to bein’ bosses/You created that/Remember when you played that beat for clarity?/You gave out so much free game that shit was charity.”  

Dave East

If surviving is what Dave is trying to do with this album, I’d say the Def Jam artist does more than deliver.  He’s shown he can make a well-rounded album and that he has staying power in this industry. Dave East is a survivor.