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Dave East
Dave East in 2017
Dave East in 2017
Background information
Birth nameDavid Lawrence Brewster Jr.
Born (1988-06-03) June 3, 1988 (age 36)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active2007–present
Labels
Websitedaveeastmusic.com

David Lawrence Brewster Jr., (born June 3, 1988)[1] known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, Black Rose. Its release caught the attention of fellow New York rapper Nas, who signed East to a recording contract with his label Mass Appeal Records in 2014, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings two years later.

In 2015, Dave was chosen as part of the XXL's Annual Freshman Class. His tenth mixtape, Kairi Chanel, was released in September of that year and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200. His eleventh mixtape, Paranoia: A True Story (2017) peaked at number nine on the chart. His debut studio album, Survival (2019) peaked at number 11 and his fifteenth mixtape, Karma 3 (2020) peaked at number 36. His second studio album, Fortune Favors the Bold (2023) failed to chart.[2]

East began an acting career in 2017, when he was cast as himself in Being Mary Jane and The Breaks. He also had a supporting role in the Netflix film Beats (2019) as "Mister Ford". His breakthrough acting role came in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019), where he portrays Method Man.

Early life

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David Lawrence Brewster Jr. was born in New York City and spent his life between East Harlem where his mother resided, and Ravenswood where he lived with his aunt in his late adolescent life. The rapper is of Bajan and Louisiana Creole[3] descent. He played basketball, and football at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD near Washington, D.C.[4] Additionally, he played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with then-future NBA players Ty Lawson, Greivis Vasquez and developed a close friendship with current Phoenix Suns all-star Kevin Durant.

College basketball career

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After Springbrook High School, East attended the University of Richmond, then transferred to Towson University where he played basketball.[5] While attending Towson, East had ongoing issues with coaching staff which ultimately led to his decision to leave the university. Shortly afterward, he started running into legal trouble in Baltimore, Maryland.[6]

Career statistics

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Richmond 13 5 16.7 .365 .389 .583 1.7 .4 .7 .3 4.1
2007–08 Towson Redshirt Redshirt
2008–09 Towson 22 5 15.8 .306 .220 .657 1.7 .7 .5 .2 4.6
2009–10 Towson 10 4 16.3 .347 .300 .625 2.5 .2 .4 .2 4.8
Career 45 14 16.2 .330 .293 .636 1.9 .5 .5 .2 4.6

Career

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2010–2013: Beginnings

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In 2010, he released his first mixtape Change of Plans which gained him minor local recognition.[7] He later released the mixtapes Insomnia, American Greed, Don't Sleep and No Regrets, solidifying his commitment to music.[8] In 2013, East periodically sold drugs throughout Harlem to support himself and his music.[9] He then released his sixth mixtape, Gemini in April of that year.[10]

2014–2016: Mass Appeal signing and Kairi Chanel

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In 2014, his music caught the attention of prominent hometown native Nas, who soon looked for ways to contact East. Unbeknownst to Nas, East was close friends with Nas' younger brother and fellow rapper Jungle, who quickly introduced the two.[11] By mid-2014, East was signed to Nas through his newfound record label, Mass Appeal Records.[11] In July 2014, he released his seventh mixtape, Black Rose for the label, which received favorable critical reception.[12][13] In 2015, he released his eighth mixtape Hate Me Now, which gained further recognition and high-profile guest appearances from label boss Nas, as well as Pusha T, and two-thirds of The Lox; Jadakiss and Styles P.[14][15]

In June 2016, XXL magazine revealed their annual Freshman Class for 2016, which included East, along with G Herbo, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Desiigner, Lil Dicky, Denzel Curry, and Anderson Paak.[16] The following month, he performed on the Freshman Cypher along with G Herbo, hosted by Philadelphia-based disc jockey, DJ Drama.[17] In August 2016, he released a joint extended play with rapper Kur titled Born Broke, Die Rich.[18] In September 2016, East performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher alongside Young M.A., Ms. Jade, Kur and Sam Black.[19] In September 2016, he signed a joint venture record deal with Def Jam Recordings negotiated by hop executive Steven "Steve-O" Carless,[20] and the next day released the mixtape Kairi Chanel,[21] which peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200.[22] The mixtape featured guest appearances from Fabolous, the Game, The Diplomats, Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel, and 2 Chainz.[citation needed]

2017–2018: Acting debut and Paranoia 2

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In January 2017, East made his acting debut, starring in BET's Being Mary Jane series.[23] He later appeared in Puma's Tsugi Shinsei commercial and starred in rapper, Trina's "It Ain't Me" music video.[24][25] In August 2017, East released his the EP, Paranoia: A True Story, supported by the singles "Perfect" featuring singer Chris Brown, "Paranoia" along with Jeezy, and "Phone Jumpin" with Wiz Khalifa. The EP peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200.[26] Later in the year East then released his eleventh mixtape, Karma which was hosted by DJ Holiday. This was the beginning of the Karma series. This tape featured tracks such as "Militant" with Bronx rapper, Don Q. Chris Brown also reappeared on "Bentley Truck" track which was also featured on the Karma tape. In September 2017, East hosted the first annual Goldie Awards, a DJ and producer battle set taking place in New York City.[27]

East began the new year by releasing his twelfth mixtape Paranoia 2.[28] on January 15, 2018. In the following month, East signed a sponsorship with Belaire Rose. The signing of this deal led up to a promotional music video for the brand with his song, "Fresh Prince of Belaire" by Rick Ross featuring East.[29] March 2018, East signed an endorsement deal with New Era Cap launching his new "lifestyle" 59fifty fitted collection. Shortly after his newly found endorsement, East was featured in New Era's "Claim the Crown" commercial along with some of the top MLB players Javier Báez and Jose Altuve, as well as record producer, Mike Will Made It.[30] As things continued to look up for East, he released his thirteenth mixtape, Karma 2 on July 27, 2018. The project mixtape featured artists including Lil Durk, Gunna and BlocBoy JB, as well as close affiliates Kiing Shooter and Border Buck.[31] Although the project failed to reach the same success as his studio album, managed to peak at number 41 on the Billboard 200.[32] In the same calendar year, he released his fifteenth mixtape, Beloved, which saw him join his personal-favorite rapper, Styles P. The tape exposed and expressed the gritty street life of New York City.

2019–2021: Survival and Karma 3

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East made his movie debut in the Netflix film Beats (2019) in which he had a supporting role as "Mister Ford". His breakthrough acting role came in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019) where he portrays Method Man as a series regular. In September 2019, it was confirmed that East would have a supporting role in the film Boogie (2021).[33] After a night in Las Vegas gone wrong, East was pulled from the film. The role of "Monk" was recast and eventually played by Pop Smoke.[34][35]

In 2019, he was featured on the single "Is U Down" by Pvrx and appeared as a guest vocalist on the single "Taxin" by DJ Shadow.[36] He released a two part promotional release titled Survival Pacc with the singles "Everyday" featuring Gunna on and "Wanna Be a G" featuring Max B on August 1, 2019, as a pre-release for his debut album.[37][38] On October 4, 2019, East released the single "Alone" featuring Jacquees to support the release of his then upcoming debut album. He released the album, Survival, on November 8, 2019, through Def Jam Recordings, Mass Appeal Records, and his own label From the Dirt.[39] It features guest appearances from Teyana Taylor, Rick Ross, Nas, The-Dream, Lil Baby, amongst others.[40] East also started his first world tour in release of the album, titled the Survival Tour which spanned from November 22, 2019 — December 20, 2019.

On March 8, 2020, East announced that he was working on the third installment in the Karma series of mixtapes. The mixtape cover featured background images of East with the now late rappers Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke, and East stated that he and Nipsey were making plans to create a collaborative project prior to his death. The album was initially set to be titled Thoughts of a Menace, however it was changed to simply Karma 3. Like his previous album, it was released via Def Jam and Mass Appeal.[41] He released the lead single of the mixtape, "Really wit Me", on March 12, 2020. Numerous people, including Korey Wise made a cameo in the music video.[42] Karma 3 was released on August 14, 2020,[43] to critical acclaim.[44] A deluxe version of the mixtape followed on October 23, 2020, with features from Dej Loaf, Junior Reid, Chris Brown and G Herbo, as well as the "Handsome" remix featuring Jeezy.[45]

On July 30, 2021, East and producer Harry Fraud released a collaborative album titled Hoffa. That same year, he purchased a storefront in his hometown, and plans to open additional businesses.[46]

2022/2023: Upcoming releases

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In a January 2022 interview with Vibe, East revealed he had been working on various projects, which he intends to release in the year, the first of which will be Beloved 2, a sequel to his 2018 joint-album with Styles P. He also said his next solo project with Def Jam/Mass Appeal will likely be released in February or March. He also confirmed a follow-up to Survival.[46] And he has Book of David 2 with Buddha and Grandz, HDIGH 2 with Mike and Keyz, Cool and Dre Collab tape, young chris EP 6 PACC, Pablo and Blanco 2 with Millyz and Arrabmuzik collab tape all in the works.

Artistry

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East is known for his raw lyricism and dark storytelling about street life.[47][48] He is influenced by, Styles P, Jadakiss, Eminem, Cam'ron, Big Pun, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Raekwon, DMX, Tupac, Snoop Dogg and The Diplomats.[49][50]

Personal life

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East as a teen joined the Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips, a subset of the larger Crips gang. East started serving a prison sentence, and during this time he converted to Islam and considered himself a Muslim.[9] Commenting on his conversion, East stated; "Islam really brought a discipline to my life that I didn't really have before... My old mindset was if they ain't helping me, I ain't helping them, but you can't live life that way."[51] East has two daughters with Millie Colon, Kairi Chanel Brewster born in 2016 and Kobi Chanai Brewster born in 2020.[52][53]

Discography

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Main article: Dave East discography

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role
2019 Beats[54] Mister Ford
Television series
Year Title Role Notes
2017 Being Mary Jane[23] Himself Episode: "Getting Nekkid"
2017 The Breaks[55] Hashim Episode: "Under Pressure"
2019–2023 Wu Tang: An American Saga[56] Shotgun/Method Man Series Regular
2020 Ridiculousness Himself Season 16, Episode 5
2021 Dave Himself Season 2, Episode 7

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2017 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards[57] Social Star Himself Nominated
2023 Grammy Awards[58] Album of the Year Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) (as a featured artist) Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Dave East biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "Dave East – Billboard.com". Billboard.
  3. ^ "Rapture | Netflix Official Site". Netflix.com. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  4. ^ "Stream Dave East's 'Kairi Chanel' Mixtape". XXL. September 30, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "Dave East Says He's Going to Play Basketball If J. Cole Makes the NBA". Complex. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Luc Belaire (April 30, 2018), Dave East | Self Made Tastes Better, Episode 10, retrieved April 25, 2019
  7. ^ "Dave East – Change of Plans (Hosted by DJ Ill Will & DJ Rockst". HotNewHipHop. July 15, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  8. ^ "How They Came Up: The Dave East Story". Indie Hip Hop. October 31, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Dave East Has Harlem, Nas, and the Whole City Behind Him". Village Voice. September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  10. ^ "Dave East – Gemini (Hosted by Adrian Swish)". HotNewHipHop. April 15, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Dave East Details Signing With Nas & Mass Appeal". HipHopDX. October 22, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  12. ^ "Dave East "Black Rose" Cover Art, Tracklist & Mixtape Stream". HipHopDX. August 5, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  13. ^ "Is Dave East Destined For Greatness?". The Source. July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "How They Came Up: The Dave East Story". Indie Hip Hop. October 31, 2014.
  15. ^ Schwartz, Danny (October 1, 2015). "Dave East – Hate Me Now [New Mixtape]". HotNewHipHop.
  16. ^ "2016 XXL Freshman Class Cover". XXL. June 13, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  17. ^ XXL (July 7, 2016), G Herbo & Dave East's 2016 XXL Freshmen Cypher, retrieved May 8, 2019
  18. ^ "Stream Dave East & Kur's "Born Broke, Die Rich" EP". HotNewHipHop. August 12, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  19. ^ "Dave East, Young M.A. & More Trade Bars On 2016 BET Cypher". HipHopDX. October 4, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  20. ^ "Dave East Signs to Def Jam, Reveals Nas Will Executive Produce His Major Label Debut". Billboard. September 29, 2016.
  21. ^ "Stream Dave East's Debut Album "Kairi Chanel"". HotNewHipHop. September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  22. ^ "Dave East – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  23. ^ a b "Watch Out D-Wade! Rapper Dave East Is Gabby's Guest On "Being Mary Jane" [VIDEO]". Bossip. December 31, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  24. ^ "Dave East Stars in Puma's Brand New Tsugi Shinsei Lookbook". XXL. April 14, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  25. ^ "Trina Releases "If It Ain't Me" Video With K. Michelle". Vibe. June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  26. ^ "Brand New Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Science Fiction'". Billboard. August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  27. ^ "A-Trak's Goldie Awards: Dave East to Host & More Details". Billboard. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  28. ^ "Paranoia 2", Spinrilla.com, January 16, 2018, retrieved May 8, 2019
  29. ^ Dave East (July 13, 2018), Dave East & Rick Ross – Fresh Prince of Belaire (Official Video), retrieved May 8, 2019
  30. ^ "New Era Debuts "Claim The Croen" Campaign Featuring Dave East, Mike WiLL Made-It & More". The Fresh Committee. March 6, 2018. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  31. ^ "Karma 2 Mixtape by Dave East Hosted by DJ Holiday". Datpiff.com. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  32. ^ "Dave East". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  33. ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (September 13, 2019). "Eddie Huang's 'Boogie' Rounds Out Cast With Mike Moh, Dave East, Perry Yung, Taylour Paige and Alexa Mareka". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  34. ^ "Eddie Huang says casting late rapper Pop Smoke in 'Boogie' was 'a blessing'". Today.com. March 6, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  35. ^ "'Boogie' director Eddie Huang explains how casting Pop Smoke was a last minute 'blessing'". EW.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  36. ^ Blistein, Jon (September 20, 2019). "DJ Shadow Previews New Album 'Our Pathetic Age' With Hard-Hitting 'Rosie'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  37. ^ "Dave East ft. Gunna "Everyday" Video: Watch It Here". Highsnobiety.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  38. ^ "Survival Pacc". August 2, 2019 – via open.spotify.com.
  39. ^ "Dave East 'Survival' Interview: Talks Debut Album, Nas and His Love For Acting". Billboard.com. November 7, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  40. ^ "Dave East Reveals 'Survival' Tracklisting". Rap-Up. October 4, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  41. ^ "Dave East Reveals 'Karma 3' Album Cover Featuring Images Of Nipsey Hussle & Pop Smoke". Allhiphop.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  42. ^ Powell, Jon (March 13, 2020). "Dave East prepares us for warmer weather with "Really Wit Me" video". Revolt.tv. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  43. ^ "Dave East Reveals 'Karma 3' Tracklist". Rap-Up. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  44. ^ "Critic Reviews for Karma 3 [Mixtape] – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  45. ^ George, Rachel (October 20, 2020). "Dave East shares the visual for his single, "Envy"". ABC News Radio. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  46. ^ a b Brown, Preezy (January 21, 2022). "Dave East Is Ready For Big Business". Vibe. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  47. ^ "Dave East Reps Harlem in His Version of Fat Joe's "All The Way Up"". Highsnobiety. April 11, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  48. ^ "Dave East Echoes A Nostalgic New York Street Vibe On 'Hate Me Now'". TheRapfest. October 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  49. ^ "Dave East – 2016 XXL Freshman Class". XXL. June 28, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  50. ^ "Mass Appeal — Mass Appeal Issue 56: On Deck". Mass Appeal. June 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  51. ^ "Dave East Opens up About Converting to Islam After Being in Jail – XXL". March 16, 2017.
  52. ^ "BABY SCOOP: Rapper Dave East Welcomes A Baby Girl". Ice Cream Convos. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  53. ^ Miller, Kai (June 9, 2018). "Snoop Dogg and Dave East Rep Their Set in "Cripn 4 Life" Video". XXL. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  54. ^ "Anthony Anderson, Uzo Aduba, Dave East, & Dreezy Star In Netflix's "Beats"". HotNewHipHop. May 15, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  55. ^ "The Beef Between Barry and Nikki Brews Over to Imani X and Dave East Makes His Debut on The Breaks". VH1. April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  56. ^ "'Wu-Tang: An American Saga': Julian Elijah Martinez, Dave East & Vinnie Pastore Join Cast Of Hulu Drama Series, Craig Zisk To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. March 5, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  57. ^ "BMI Social Star Award 2017". BMI Awards. August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  58. ^ "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List". GRAMMY.com. November 15, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
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