In your quest to become the next big thing, what do you think is more important: talent or tenacity; likes or lyrics? All are evidently valuable but when it comes to getting a rap legend in the game to take notice, the paramount quality most definitely has to be skill. All things considered, one guy from Harlem has the industry and the internet buzzing around what makes him so special. Especially since some of his fans include Kevin Durant and several music executives. The question then becomes: what makes Dave East so extraordinary that Nas decided to sign him to his label Mass Appeal Records? The answer is simple. Between majoring in communications and playing college basketball, he still found time to story tell on the mic. But his rhymes aren’t the kind of rhymes the game is used to hearing. His artistry has heart and speaks truth. He’s not on Instagram or Twitter pretending to be someone he’s not; or like every other rapper out there. No, the kind of lyrics you will hear from Dave East are comparable to prowess of ‘Illmatic’. It has been said that Nas has been beefing up his label roster and in search of someone different. So ask yourself this, if you were standing right in front of the one person who can change the game for you, will you be like everyone else? Or will you stand out?
- Dave East was born in New York, NY on June 3, 1988 and grew up in Harlem.
- Most of his childhood was spent in Harlem and Queens playing basketball.
- Although he had a skill for playing basketball, his heart was always in writing rhymes.
- He loved rapping so much that he spent every waking moment that he could writing and mastering his sound.
- Growing up in difficult circumstances didn’t stop him from finishing school and going to college.
- Dave’s skills on the court took him all the way to University of Richmond where he
garnered attention from the NBA. - College basketball didn’t keep him away from staying in the studio late nights to record.
- Between 2010 and 2011, he released his first mixtape called ‘Change of Plans’
- Dave East eventually released his second mixtape in 2012 titled ‘Insomnia’.
- Dave East then went on to release his third mixtape called ‘American Greed’.
- Eventually his music became part of the regular rotation of many industry DJs.
- When Dave decided that basketball wasn’t his true calling, he focused his energy on music full time.
- Some of his musical inspirations include Cam’ron, Nas, Big Pun, and Jadakiss.
- In the summer of 2012 he released two more mixtapes: one named ‘Don’t Sleep (Hosted by DJ Radio) and the second one called ‘No Regrets’.
- In 2013, Dave east released his sixth mixtape titled ‘Gemini’.
- His music soon got heavy rotation from New York radio stations such as Hot97.
- Because of his buzz in New York, Nas eventually caught wind of his skills and was soon signed to his label.
- In the summer of 2014 he released his seventh mixtape under Mass Appeal Records called ‘Black Rose’.
- Black Rose became such a hit that DJ Khaled, Wyclef Jean, and DJ Premier helped promote it.
- His music has been featured on Sirius FM’s Shade 45, Power 105, and Hip Hop Nation.
Dave’s advice to aspiring rappers: “Go Hard, Keep Your Circle Tight, and Watch Who’s Around You”.
Post by: Rosie J. – music marketer
