Dave East

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David Brewster Jr. (born June 3, 1988), better known by his stage name Dave East, is an American rapper from East Harlem, New York. He gained attention in 2014 from his mixtape Black Rose. Since the release of his mixtape, East has been signed to rapper Nas' label Mass Appeal Records and has made a number of guest appearances. In 2016, East was chosen as part of the XXL magazine's 2016 Freshman Class. In September 2016, he signed to Def Jam Recordings.

Video Dave East

Early life

David Brewster, Jr. was born in Harlem, New York and spent most of his life between Harlem and Queensbridge. He is of Bajan, Louisiana Creole and Dominican descent. He played basketball at Springbrook High School. Additionally, he played in the Amateur Athletic Union with then-future NBA players Ty Lawson, Greivis Vasquez and Kevin Durant. After Springbrook High School, East attended the University of Richmond, then transferring to Towson University.

Maps Dave East

Career

2010-15: Career beginnings

In 2010, he released his first mixtape Change of Plans which gained him a little recognition. He later released the mixtapes Insomnia, American Greed, Don't Sleep and No Regrets, solidifying his commitment to music. In 2013, East periodically sold drugs throughout Harlem to support himself and his music. He then released his sixth mixtape Gemini.

In 2014, his music reached the ears of his favorite rapper Nas who quickly 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. By summer 2014, East was the newest signee of Nas' new Mass Appeal Records along with Bishop Nehru, Fashawn, Boldy James and Run The Jewels. In July 2014, he released his seventh mixtape Black Rose through the label, which received favorable reviews from music critics. In 2015, he released his eighth mixtape Hate Me Now with features from Pusha T, Nas, Mack Wilds, Jadakiss, Styles P and more.

2016-present: Breakthrough

In June 2016, XXL magazine revealed their annual Freshman Class for 2016, which included East, along with other nine new artists. In August 2016, he released a joint extended play titled Born Broke, Die Rich with rapper Kur. In September 2016, East was featured on the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher alongside Young M.A, Ms. Jade, Kur and Sam Black. On September 29, 2016, he announced that he has signed a deal with Def Jam Recordings with the deal negotiated by Hip-hop executive Steven "Steve-O" Carless and the next day released the mixtape, Kairi Chanel, which peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200.

In January 2017, East made his acting debut, starring in BET's Being Mary Jane series. He later appeared in Puma's Tsugi Shinsei commercial and starred in rapper Trina's "It Ain't Me" music video. In August 2017, he released the Paranoia: A True Story EP, supported by the single "Perfect" featuring American singer Chris Brown. The EP has peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200. In September 2017, East hosted the first annual Goldie Awards, a DJ and producer battle set taking place in New York City. On the 16th of January 2018, Dave East released the album "P2" which was met with good reviews. The album contains features from Tory Lanez and T.I.

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Artistry

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

Dave East Releases 'Paranoia' Tracklist, Unveils Nas & Chris Brown ...

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Personal life

East has stated that he is a Muslim, and that he converted to Islam while in prison. Commenting his conversation, 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. It's about whatchu can do, not how people witchu." mood He had his first daughter Kairi Chanel, born on March 9, 2016.