We can only dream…
Dave East in the past made mention of wanting to bring JAY-Z and Nas together on a song for his debut album. We still have a long way to go before then but in a recent interview with billboard, the Harlem rapper reveals he still has hopes of a collaboration.
“That’s an idea that I let both of them know and yeah we’re gonna finessed this,” he said. “I’ll be the first one to do that from anywhere. I don’t know another artist that got both JAY and Nas on a record. We gonna see what it do. We’re gonna keep our fingers crossed.”
Dave is signed to Nas’ Mass Appeal label and he’s also mentored by him so getting the Queensbridge rapper on board with the idea shouldn’t prove too difficult. Chances of Nas and Jay-z being on a song together, I believe falls on Hov and the right paper work.
And if Dave East doesn’t succeed, maybe we can get DJ Khaled to come through.
Read some excerpts from his interview with billboard.
How has it been being attached to a major label in contrast to when you were an independent artist?
It’s been dope. The difference is I feel like [being attached] creates a certain persona around my name that just goes with the history of Def Jam. They have won for so many years. So for me to be a part of that, that legacy is dope. It just made me feel that I’m wearing it on my back. Like with every move that I’m making and doing, I’m waving that flag for Def Jam. It’s dope.
On the opening lines for “It Was Written,” you rapped: “Everybody keep telling me make a club record/ You ain’t trappin’ no more, stop doing drug records.” Have you found yourself at that crossroad where you’re sacrificing your old sound to appeal to more of a mainstream crowd?
Nah. I’ll never give up my style. I ain’t ever gonna give that up. I just feel like I found that balance where it’s a mix of me and the s–t that I like to do and what’s appealing to the masses right now. Like on Paranoia, I got the intro and 808 Mafia did it. Nobody ever heard me rap on that type of beat, as far as my projects go. I’ll do East-mixes and little freestyles to whoever, but as far as my own projects, you usually get a total New York City feel from it.
With this one, I kind of tried to venture off a little more, as far as the production. Now me and my stories are always gonna be New York, but as far as the actual sound, I’m in a younger game. I did the [XXL Freshman] cover with Uzi, 21 Savage, Yachty and all of these dudes that really got the youngins in a headlock right now. So you gotta kind of balance out with what they’re doing.
I remember you told us at Def Jam Upfronts that this would be the appetizer for your debut album. What stories are you saving for your debut project?
A little more of the stories right before I got on. Like for what I was going through, there were a lot of stories that I didn’t really touch on, like super-detailed and specific moments that I haven’t really spoke about on records. That’s more than anything that and I still want to run around a little more. I still ain’t tour yet.
There’s a lot of things that I still want to do before I say, ‘Alright. Here’s my album.’ I want [Paranoia] to be everywhere. I feel like right now I’m moving at a good pace, but they need Paranoia first. It’s not album time. Mentally, I’m there. Musically, I’m there, but just as far as where I’m right now, I don’t think it’s album time yet. A lot of people tell me it is, but I rather give them this, see what this do and come right back.
You said that you and No I.D. were locked in the studio for your debut album. Have you guys made any progress since?
We got a couple joints. We got a good four, five in right now. He knows what I want to do already. That’s the difference with this s–t. You have people that want to hear you their way or show you something that’s like, ‘Let’s do it like this.’ He’s more of a like he knows what I want already. He’s worked with all of my favorites. All my favorites he’s worked with.
So as far as my goals that I’m trying to accomplish, the sounds, he knows it already. I just gotta tell him what I want to talk about and he gets right into it. With him, it’s like, ‘Wow. I’m really creating music with one of the best producers ever.’ That’s a beautiful thing and I didn’t know he was doing JAY-Z’s [4:44] album like that. So just the timing, I couldn’t have asked for something better.
How did you and Drake link up?
Through Karen Civil. Shout out to Karen. I was in a soccer game in Miami, El Classico. He was the coach. It was him and Draymond Green. Draymond was the other coach, [Drake] was my coach. It was one of them things where it was like I’ve been a fan of what he’s doing. He’s all the way in tune [with me]. I used to see him liking videos. Anytime I’d be rapping — not pics — he’d like the videos and s–t like that. So I knew he was familiar with me. We just never met or never crossed [paths].
We were on the soccer fields. We got to kick it then and I just was like, ‘Yo. We need to get it in my n—-a. We need some rap s–t. I know you could spit.’ He was like, ‘Pssh. I was thinking the same thing.’ We were able to vibe out for the weekend in Miami. We had a few private events. I went and kicked it with him and we just been chopping it up every other day.
He a good dude. He a fan of what I’m doing. So I gotta take that and capitali
ze off what I’m doing. I’ve been a fan of what he’s doing. So I think it would be dope to hear that mix. So many people are used to hearing me with the street sh-t. I feel like it’s gonna create a challenge for both of us because I can’t sing, but I can spit.
ze off what I’m doing. I’ve been a fan of what he’s doing. So I think it would be dope to hear that mix. So many people are used to hearing me with the street sh-t. I feel like it’s gonna create a challenge for both of us because I can’t sing, but I can spit.
Are we gonna get a “Find Your Love” Drake or a “6 A.M. in Dallas” Drake?
Nah. He gon’ rap. He gon’ rap. It’s hard. The record is hard already. He got it. He got the record already. It’s hard.
Dave East’s “Paranoia” EP is due on Friday (August 18). See full tracklist here.
