New York City rapper Dave East delivers verses like a freight train—just as a train is unassuming and familiar in its bulk and speed, his performances have a powerful momentum that’s belied by his restrained persona and low-humming voice. He’s understated on the mike. Though he isn’t one to raise his voice, he can still give every syllable sharp definition, and his light rasp lends gravitas to his straightforward lyrics. East is often most effective when he’s most blunt: “Them homicides left me traumatized / Seen mamas cry / Still surprised, asked how I’m alive,” he raps as a parting thought on “Can’t Even Know.” That track appears on the May release Apt 6E, an album that pairs him with Los Angeles beat makers Mike & Keys—one of three full-length collaborations East issued in 2024. He sandwiched Apt 6E between February’s For the Love (where he worked with New York DJ and producer Scram Jones) and November’s Living Proof (a collaboration with Rhode Island–based producer AraabMuzik). The alluring, menacing nighttime glamor of Living Proof casts East’s hard-won grit in sharp relief, and the contrast makes him sound bigger and bolder—even though he hasn’t changed lanes himself.
Dave East DJ Mustafa Rocks spins. Fri 12/27, 10 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, $40, $50 table seating, $100 meet and greet, 21+