Let's talk about this thing called paranoia for a moment. It is a condition that can make a person afraid of virtually anyone including their family and friends from getting close to them. Paranoia can leave a person unable to cope with their own reality and in some severe cases, afraid of even their own shadow. It can be brought on by bad experiences, drug use and things of that nature. That's the vibe I was feeling listening to "Paranoia: A True Story" by East Harlem, New York's very own Dave East.
Now this is not my first time listening to a Dave East Project. His previous mixtapes "Hate Me Now" and "Kairi Chanel" are both critically acclaimed classics in their own right. So with this new EP, a certain level of excellence as well as skill is to be expected. On "Paranoia: A True Story", I was not disappointed but I did notice he was switching things up a bit in comparison to his previous efforts. His God given knack for raw lyricism and dark storytelling about street life is still at it's peak but on "Paranoia: A True Story", he gets up close and personal about his life and truth be told, it's damn refreshing to listen to.
The first track, "Paranoia" featuring Jeezy starts off the EP with a blast that gets the story going at a very fast rate. The beat on this song was hard hitting and very dope. Another great track is "Phone Jumpin" featuring Wiz Khalifa. The funny part about this track is when it first starts off, it reminded me of Busta Rhymes classic hit "Gimme Some More" but when Dave comes in with his verse, the beat changes and it's really dope how it all falls together. Wiz Khalifa also compliments this track beautifully and the beat is straight bananas. This was one of my favorite songs on the entire EP.
The various skits on this EP tell various stories about his paranoia as well. On "The Hated (Skit)", you can hear Dave meeting up with some of his friends, hanging out and having fun but the moment he leaves, his so-called friends talk really bad about his connection with Hip-Hop legend Nas and how they know other rappers that are much more talented than him. It's a prime example of how certain people can act like they are your friends in front of your face but are secretly wishing for your downfall as soon as your back is turned.
Hip-Hop legend NAS was featured on the track, "The Hated" as the great Nasir speaks at the beginning and at the end of the song. I was super excited when I heard Nas's voice but not hearing him rap on it was a big letdown for me. The beat and the concept would of been perfect for him to write a verse to this song. Let's just hope Nas makes a better guest appearance on the next Dave East project in the future. Overall, the song is really good and Dave East definitely displayed his lyrical prowess.
The EP picks up some serious pace with "Maneuver" featuring French Montana. What was so dope about this record is hearing Dave and French going back and fourth every couple of bars. It was very, very exciting hearing them both ride the track with such polished charisma.
In my opinion, the best tracks on the EP by far are "Wanna Be Me" and "Have You Ever". On both songs you can hear just how deep Dave East's pain really is. I can feel his mental traumas, his emotions and his deep rooted sadness listening to his vocals on both songs. The most bone chilling line I heard was on the last song, "Have You Ever", when Dave said, "That first night in prison is the worst/ Made it worse/ Was coming home and seeing my niggas on a shirt". It gave me chills listening to that because prison and death is a true reality for those whose lives are caught up in the street. There are never no happy endings and Dave captures that beautifully.
This entire EP is the Dave East I love listening to because along with him giving you songs about having the finer things of life, getting spoiled by beautiful women, and his larger than life tales about his life on the street. Dave East is an artist that's more than capable of exposing the actual truth about his life and how he's really moving forward.
The scary part about Dave East which separates him from some of the rest is that his mixtapes are put together better than other rappers official albums. That alone is solid proof that the rules of making Hip-Hop music are drastically changing. Regrets, honesty and real-life experiences are some of the key elements that make up really good rappers and "Paranoia: A True Story" is a intriguing body of work that shows the epiphany of all those things to a science.
Good day to all.
Verse Essential.
Follow Verse Essential on Facebook @Verse Essential and Instagram @Verseessentialafr_77
0 comments:
Post a Comment