With the decision to release an album's worth of material that he deems as an "EP" right off the bat, Dave East is moving with a different strategy than some would expect him to. With more appearances at social events, promoting, and East doing more interviews than average (like this one with The Breakfast Club from August 22nd), it seems East is ready to put himself out there full force, and with the backing of Queens, New York rap legend (and also head of East's label, Mass Appeal Records) Nas, it would appear that East has all the right tools to be put in a situation to win, and maybe even bring New York rap back to the forefront. East's promotion methods of dropping an EP (which feels like a full length LP) before an album is reminiscent of a pop rapper, which East is the furthest thing from, but this method poses the question; does East want his product to sell more than he wants it to represent his city, and ultimately himself? The final product was able to give East fans the answer they were looking for. Here are a few key observations from East's gritty new project, Paranoia; A True Story.
Accessible New York Rap
When hip hop heads think of rappers having an "underground sound", it generally means that this particular rapper is probably not cut out to make radio hits, but when a rapper/artist is defined as a "mainstream artist", it would normally indicate that said artist is making the most of his/hers money on the charts; East cannot be boxed into either category. While the potential for radio hits is there, East's sole purpose in rap currently lies in bringing back a gritty sound to New York hip hop. On the heavy title track, East pairs up with South Carolina born, Atlanta bred legend Young Jeezy for a very boom bap, bombastic track that finds both emcees boasting the fruits of their labor, the growth involved in the transition between drug dealing and making music, and yet is embedded in the "paranoia" that remains in living such a dangerous street lifestyle for so long. Nas gives his young Mass Appeal protégé a proper introduction on "The Hated", which East fuses a creative story-telling premise with using his past as fuel, and a hunger to strive for more. If East showcases anything in these 2 cuts alone, it's his willingness to pay homage to past New York rap, as well as his wishes to keep the deeply rooted narrative alive.
More Inspiration, Less Saltiness
Paranoia; A True Story is filled with stories from the point of view of ignorant adolescents in the hopes of dropping knowledge on how to better yourself and properly escape a past of darkness and hopelessness. Throughout the album, East speaks of the troubles, trials, and tribulations of the streets with a gritty story-telling ability comparable to Nas (which makes the co-sign make that much more sense), and a voice comparable to the likes of Game, Jadakiss, etc. (which we'll touch on in a minute). On "Found A Way", East vents over some angelic piano chords reminiscing on the hard times in life, ("I had to sacrifice for this life, I found a way, got sick and tired of wearing the same clothes, I found a way"), reminding people that through the struggle, reward can be found, and on the "Kairi Speaks" interlude, East offers a refreshing take on how having a daughter can change your views on the world; another reward found through sacrifice.
A Genuine Voice With Nothing To Hide
(*I do not own these songs or the rights to them*)
Comparing East's voice to the very distinctive vocal talents of seasoned veterans like Game and Jadakiss I know is a stretch, but if you really listen to East, you can hear the scratchiness and grittiness that he offers on every single track (which is a help to his story-telling talents). East's vocals at first appear to be naturally standoffish, but when listening closer to tracks like his "Kairi Speaks" skit, you soon understand that that's just the way the man speaks. His voice has a tendency to make it hard to identify the differences between when East is really rapping and flexing, rapping with an edge, or pouring his heart out on tracks, but on the more open and emotional tracks on the project (specifically "Found A Way" and his voice when talking to his daughter on "Kairi Speaks"), he has a lighter way of going about speaking, and maybe even showcases some underrated singing talents, which would be interesting to hear on future Dave East projects.
As history has it (in most cases), mixtapes before albums, EP's before albums, or even "albums" before albums (much like the case here, though blogs are reporting it as an EP) are signs of a much broader goal than simply getting your music out into the public. With all of the Dave East promotion we've seen the past few months (as discussed before, social events, interviews, etc.), it's not hard to tell that East is pushing to get his name out, move units for Paranoia; A True Story, and ultimately his yet to be announced debut album (?). No stories or news has been announced on whether East is in fact dropping another album to officially call his "major label debut", so the smart money says that Paranoia; A True Story is in fact the official debut for the Harlem rapper. With that being said, East gives a solid body of work that allows him to show all of himself; vulnerabilities mixed with a gritty, grimy New York rap style round out his debut perfectly enough to not be overbearing, and allow the fans to be anxious for what he has to offer next. East's hard and rugged underground rap style plays heavily into his persona, but a future on the radio is certainly not far fetched because of his underrated ability to create melodies. If Dave East sticks with the fear and Paranoia of being just an average rapper, then it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see him come back even stronger, and harder than before.
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