Dave East

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DAVEEAST

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jasmine Durhal (@jassieuo) WARDROBE: Ani Hovhannisyan (@hovha) CREATIVE DIRECTION: Tasheema Felder (@tasheemafelder) ASSISTANT STYLIST: Tavaris Neal (@tavarisneal) WRITER : Malcolm Trapp

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JACKET: STU ̈SSY

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Karma 3 is available now, what can fans alike expect tohear on this project?

Me. If you’ve been tuned in with me for the past few years, just me growing and touching on different stuff I’ve been going through. With this project, I got to work with a couple of people I’ve never really got a chance to work with before. With this project, it’s almost half and half. It’s a few songs with just me on there and I have some pretty good features on there as well. Outside of that, perfecting my sound.

I’m constantly changing and evolving so my music isn’t going to be the same. It’s always going to be a different vibe.

With that being said, you’ve released tons of music over the years, do you feel like you’re at the point where you can say “I made it”?

Do you still write or freestyle, do you enjoy being alone or surrounded by others in the studio?

I jot stuff down but I don’t write. Honestly, I’ve been lighting up the group I take to the studio with me. I went from having ten to fifteen people in the studio with me and they were just to smoke weed, get drunk, or tell me the music sounded good. Now, I’d rather have nine or ten producers or artists that can contribute to the record. I’ve just been more focused on what I’m doing. My daughter is getting older so I really just want to leave my legacy, leave my mark

Going back to how you said you took a lot of losses this year, how do you keep your head up in the midst of all that?

I feel like I’m always pushing it to the extreme as far as I can take it. However, for the time I’ve been in the game, I feel like my influence on the youth and hip-hop as a whole, I’ve really made my mark. The majority of people know who I am, whether that be through acting or music. I’m always trying to go as far as I can but in the meantime, I’ve done good for legacy.

Honestly, looking at my daughter smile. Everytime she smiles, she takes my mind off of whatever is going on in the world. So I try to keep her close and also, just being in the studio. That’s like my therapy almost, I get in the studio and put on a beat then it brings the best out of me.

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What’s your recording process like in the studio?

With Karma 3, it was good and bad. I lost my best friend, Kiing Shooter, in the making of it. I lost Pop Smoke in the midst of recording it; we were locked in. I lost my Aunt Charline (Salema), I just lost my OG Dubb. I took mad losses in 2020 but the music itself reflects a lot of pain. It’s a lot of struggle but it’s still a strong project as far as me making records. I didn’t try to go too personal, I still kept it where everyone can relate to it.

Being a prominent figure as well as a father, how has your daughter impacted you over the years?

The best way possible. That’s my little best friend right there so just knowing I got someone beside my mother or father that’s just filled with pure genuine love. It doesn’t have to do with no money or anything, just pure love from her. As soon as she sees me, she just jumps right in my arms.

TOP: Victor Li PANTS: A. Tiziano

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TOP: 40s & Shorties

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JACKET: Phlemuns PANTS: A. Tiziano

If we were to take a trip down memory lane to when you dropped Survival, how did it feel to finally put that project out and what took so long for you to share your debut?

Honestly, that was out of my control. Just being on a label, you have to figure out their process and nine times out of ten it's the complete opposite from yours. I’m always working and with the label, they want to plan everything. If it was up to me, I would’ve let it fly. To the fans, it looks like you took a year off but it took forever for the label to get it out. But when you’re really in the studio everyday and recording music videos, to your fans it looks like you’ve been doing nothing for eight months. So that’s a process I had to learn.

Despite that, I still feel like it’s a timeless project. It was a lot of emotions put into that, I was going through a lot last year. So just

27 emotion and dedication that was put into that

project made it feel timeless. People hit me up about that now like I just dropped it, but it was released months ago. That just lets me know I’m doing something right.

Looking at the trajectory of hip-hop and the new generation of artists coming in, is there anyone you would pass your crown to?

I like the artists that are true to themselves and want to push the culture instead of take from it. There’s a few artists I would, but if I say one name then I have to say another. If I don’t say one, the other will feel like I left them out. So really, shout out to everyone doing their thing.

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As far as legacy goes, how do you want to beremembered five, ten years down the line?

Authentic. Someone that took nothing and pushed it as far as he possibly could. Someone who left music that’s never going nowhere. I’m not in it for the quick club records or the song that’s going to be hot for a TikTok moment. I really want to make that music that you’re going to tattoo on your arm and shit like that. Something that’s going to mean something forever.

And even when you look back on your career over theyears, what would you say is the best decision youcould’ve made?

Not chasing clout, not being a goofy. I think the best

decision I made was staying true to myself and keeping the

28 same people around me with the exception of some people who I might’ve fallen off with. Same day ones, same family. So I feel like I kept my morals intact, I didn’t let rap or fame change who I was as a person.

Lastly, what message would you fans who’ve beenriding with you for the past few years?

I appreciate you. From the bottom of my heart, there wouldn’t be no Dave East without the people who’ve been supporting me. I really appreciate how my fans support me through real life stuff. I might not get a chance, but I read it. A lot of my fans have been really supportive of the losses that I’ve taken so I really appreciate it. They don’t personally know me, they don’t personally know my man, but I’ve gotten nothing but pure love. They don’t have to do that so I genuinely appreciate that.

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TOP: Bristol Studio PANTS: A. Tiziano JACKET: MIDNIGHT STUDIOS by SHANE GONZALES Sneakers: Jordan

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