No Jumper - Dave East Interview

Episode Date: November 26, 2019

Dave East opens up about being a Dad, his debut album, if being from New York comes with responsibilities, Wu Tang series, Nipsey Hussle, not knowing the real meaning of friendship until he became famous, Snoop, Max B and so much more! ---- FOLLOW OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST! https://spoti.fi/2vi9lsD CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz Follow us on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nojumper and iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/no-jumper/id1001659715?mt=2 and follow us on Social Media: http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm follow Adam22 as well: http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 and follow adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Jumber, coolest podcast on the world. And today we're in here with the one and only Dave East. How you doing, man? Yo, what up, my boy? Nice to have you in here finally. Cool, man. How are you feeling today? Feeling good, been listening to the album.

I'm enjoying it. Knocking it. Knocking it. I'm very intrigued because it feels like within the first couple of tracks, like it very much feels like you're trying to sort of take us back to the sort of, like you're trying to create a New York classic. is very much the vibe that we got.

And we really got Nause within the first couple of tracks telling us how important this shit is and how much he believes in you, which is big. Right. So within the first couple of songs, you go for a very direct appeal to, you know, like you're not making it at all obscured that you love classic New York rap.

That's me. It wasn't even like a... It's not even like I was trying to do that. It's just like, if I was... going to tell my story it had to sound a certain way you know what I mean I couldn't turn up and tell my stuff I mean so it had to be a certain production a certain you know just me trying to explain what I was trying to explain so in the beginning of the album I just tried to bring you back to my life before the Davey shit you know I mean yeah I have me thinking about like when you when you get to

like storylines that appear in classic rap records it really had me thinking about when Jay took bleak for that ride around the block and tried to give him a thousand bucks and he wasn't having it. And that just sort of was very much the energy that I was feeling right there. Yeah, yeah. You know, nah, that's big bro.

That's who I owe a lot. Most of this shit, too, you know, he got me out the hood. He was the first one, give me a deal. So I feel like that was a long time coming as far as just me and him making a record like that. You know what I mean?

What is that process like? when you decide like, okay, this is the song that I want to do with Nause, because it's like that opportunity is always there. Right. It's always a possibility that you could hit him up about any given track, but, you know, I'm sure you are selective with that. What's that process like? Yeah, we got a few drinks, but that one in particular,

he was already recording it, and I actually walked in on him in the studio. And I was like, what you're doing with this? And then we went from there. We went back and forth on him. But his process is dope. You know what I mean? it's kind of hard to catch him in the studio or in that mode. You know what I mean?

So that was a rare moment. Yeah, he seems like kind of a, you know, when you get to that level of success from being yourself as a rapper, and he's not used to fucking having to show up on time all that often besides the shows or whatever. It just seems like Nas is like the definition of a dude who gets to that hip-hop legend status and is very much just like, man, fuck everybody. I'm just going to be me.

Yeah, you got to care. I mean, he got to want to do it. Or, you know, he got to, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's dope with him. It ain't, it ain't about no money. It ain't about that. Like, if he don't care about it, you're going, you're going to know. And I mean, so for him to invest in me and put the time he didn't put in with me and, you know, just put his name next to mine is priceless. Right.

And it's, it's kind of like, you know, you're obviously way earlier in your career than him, but it seems like you kind of have a lot of that mentality, too, where you're very much kind of opposed to compromising in terms of just. of just making that one hit record or whatever. It's like, you know, Nas was always very resistant to that. Obviously, they have big hits and stuff. But is that, you know, because that's kind of, I see the integrity of what you're building, that you're trying to build a long-term brand and you're not necessarily interested in having this one blowout viral moment

in the short term. Yeah, I ain't for that. I feel like I would have burnt out by now. You know what I mean? Like, that's dope for those that do that, but I want to create something. I feel like I've been creating something that's going to live. that's going to outlive me, you know what I mean?

Like, everybody, like, I want something that's going to be around. And I mean, so, and I know that comes with a certain type of music that comes with creating a certain type of fan base that just supports you. You know what I mean, regardless of the fact, they're not jumping from artists to artists. Like, they may be, Davey, I feel like the Die Hard Davies fan is also fans of other people, but they're going to rock with me, you know what I mean, regardless of what I put out musically, if I'm acting,

they're going to go watch. Like they just been invested in me as a person more than the music. You know what I mean? Do you, have you always been concerned about that sort of King in New York conversation? Because it's over the years I feel like it's kind of like an opt-in thing. Like you can put yourself in that conversation or you can not. And that's always like a decision as a rapper because that's always been such a big conversation in New York. But a lot of people are like a big Bronson fan.

And I always thought it was interesting that he never even tried to. Go near that. Yeah, keep me out of that kind of one. I ain't no king of New York. You know what I mean? I feel like, you know, Jay Z and I still out here breathing. So there's nobody on earth that could, you know, say that. Like, that's from New York right now, that, and with them alive, Jada kiss is still out here breathing.

Stiles still out of breathing. Like, DMX is still, what I mean? Like, there's a lot of people that's still kicking and moving, so I don't feel like that's a title that you get yourself. You know what I mean? I feel like that's something if you're just, you know what I mean? city say that or if that's what people saying, you know, that's what they're saying. I mean, that's a good attitude. There's definitely a lot of people who throw themselves in that, though. Like, I feel like T.I., like the main plot line with him early on was like, this is the

new young dude who's saying he's the king of the south. And that's sort of like defined who he was. It's like, oh, he's cocky enough to say that and it sort of makes everybody consider you in a different light. Right. Like I said, I remember my music and the moves I make speak. I'm not the type that's going to be out here like, yeah, I'm the king in New York. I'm the king. Like, because I personally don't feel like I didn't put in enough work to even, to even wear that, you know what I mean? Like, I ain't been in it that long.

You got dudes come out one, two years, and they're jackingade the king from somewhere. So I, that's keep me out that convo. For sure. Do you, uh, it's weird, though, because it's like, you're one of the biggest artists out of New York right now. Right. And it's like that, when you're in New York, I mean, you're in that bubble. And it feels like New York is it and nothing else matters outside here.

So you can very much see why a lot of New York hip-hop sounds so New York and shit like that. And it's just, it's kind of like, have you ever considered, like, would you ever have been happy with the idea of just being like one of the dopest rappers in New York? Or do you always have loftier goals? No, I always wanted to, you know, expand beyond the city. I feel like that would I didn't want to be put in a box You know what I mean I didn't want to be like

Oh he's just a New York artist Oh he's just a I wanted to just be my name Like oh that's Dave East Like you know what I didn't want to know That's the New York dude Like I feel like I You know that anyway

You know what I mean So me moving around And working with this one that one Being in LA kicking it with these dudes Being here Like that was I did that on purpose

Because for one I actually had relationships With these people outside of my own city, you know what I mean, where I could go pull up on them and they heard, stuff like that. But I wanted people to fill me everywhere. It don't feel good when you sell out a show in New York,

and then you come to L.A. and there's nobody at the show. Like, you know what I mean? So that's what to show you. A lot of artists, like you just were saying, they do got New York on tilt, but they can't step out of the city, you know what I mean? And once they get out of that, there's nobody known. And that was a big fear of mine,

because I was always traveling, always running around, and I seen it. I can see the dudes that music you only heard in New York and you didn't hear it nowhere else, no other club. You know what I mean? Then you got artists that's everywhere. So I wanted to be one of them. Yeah, because when I think about it, like, because I lived in New York 2004 to 2010,

and there's so much shit that I don't know shit about rap-wise because it happened outside of New York during that time period. Like when I'm having conversations about even somebody like YG, it's like I missed out on the early part of his career because I was only. paying attention to dipset and GUNA and whatever was coming after that in New York and shit. And it was really only towards like 2010 where I started to like listen to a lot more, you know, Atlanta or LA, whatever. And like, I don't know.

Do you remember when you sort of became aware of the fact that to be a New York rapper was sort of like putting you in a different category than a lot of the other dudes on the game? You know what it was? I think it was when I first thought doing them free-stimes, like Flex. When I first started doing them, I had people telling me that, like, you know, being on that platform like that, rapping like that, you know, you got to come with some songs. You got to come with some records because if not, you're going to be a freestyle. They're going to think you just, you know.

And I had people in my ear telling me that, so I said, damn, I really locked in in the studio and try to, you know, just start to create projects, different tapes that people could live with and I can show you. I'm not how to put a song together. I'm not just a, yo, put a beat on. I ain't, you know what I mean? I could do more than that. But, yeah, early.

That was probably, like, right around, right before Nause, I was having them talks with people, you know, telling me, like, I see you on Flex. I see you doing that. Because I would go up to the radio on a regular, like, I kept going up there just rapping, rapping, rapping, and it was getting my buzz out in the streets, you know what I'm saying? But as far as, like, a broader scale, like, people in Atlanta, VA, or, like, every Florida, Cali, like, I had to start dropping them projects that had music that people could relate to in songs that made people take me more serious. You know what I mean?

Like, oh, no, he really can make records. He really could put songs together. He got this one with this one. You're working with this person. So I wanted to take myself out of that box quick. Like, wow, yeah, I do this, but then I got this too. You came so close to, like, generationally that you could have been on, like, a 106 in Park battle. Yeah, probably.

You missed out on that wave, though. Probably, yeah. That was kind of rough. That was right before me. I remember, like, at the height of, like, dipset shit, like, Hellrell had done that, like, a few years before. He was, like, because once you were dipset, it was like, you couldn't even imagine a dip set rapper going and doing that shit.

Right. Like, he had the old footage of him doing that shit, and it was just, like, crazy for us to be, like, damn, he was just, like, a regular non-dipset rapper at some point. Yeah. But I never was in the, I loved the battle, but I never was no, like, no battle dude, so I probably would have curved that whole. You never thought about going there with it? No, I ain't really, I used to like to watch watch it.

What was my man, Shaheed, poster boy. I used to watch him on him. I used to watch him on him. But I ain't, I wasn't in battling. Like, I used to want to really like, you know, I was, like I said, I'm fans of Naz and Jay-Z, these type of people that, you know, they track record is crazy as far as just the content they put in music. So I was more focused on that.

Like, what's my story going to be? You know what I mean? Yeah, I seen a tweet from a girl there. She was like, dudes will really have you over their house and then just start watching rap battles. Yeah. And I'm like, I've done that to girls for sure. Shows to all of them. Murder mode.

Loaded Lux haul of them. You know, I grew up watching that. But it puts you on a certain box. Yeah, I just didn't want to, you know, I always wanted to, like I said, I don't, I want to be able to do anything. You know what I mean? If Justin Bieber reach out, I want people to be able to say, oh yeah, he's got a song with Justin Bieber. Like, you know what I mean? I don't want to just be hot in the five boroughs in New York City or just.

just hot in a in a in a in a in a URL type of situation where I want to be hot everywhere man like you know what I'm saying well everybody can relate what I'm talking about but do you feel like the I feel like you're kind of a representation like with you getting into acting early in your career it kind of makes me think about I'm going to bring Bronson up again where there's like a sort of new model of what you could be as a rapper where it's like maybe like the old model is get signed by a record label that label tries to turn you into a person who can go platinum and sell a fucking million records and if you don't get that then you start on the shelf.

Now it's more like, okay, you could be somebody like a Davies or a Bronson who has just really respectable hardcore content maintains like a long-term fan base but then is able to take their brand name and do the acting thing. He did the show. You know, that kind of thing is, in a way that seems like a much more like stable, long-term thing. You know what it is? Because at the drop of a dime, you got your cool fan base that you created with your music.

So I could always go do that. You know what I mean? So why not venture off into other things to just, you know, expand my own brand, expand my name? It just make more sense to me, you know what I mean? And it creates fans from different lanes. You know what I mean? Like the rap, it brought the hood. You know what I mean?

Like when I pop with the rap, the hood came, you know what I mean? The acting brought the women, you know what I mean? It brought the kids. Like, you know what I mean? The older lady that would have walked right by me, she stopped me, she noticed me. So it's just, you know, it's expanding everything. And I mean, just me jumping into these different lanes is making me more of a household name, you know what I mean?

That was the goal from the jump. Yeah, it's interesting because like Exhibit did Pint My Ride because he acknowledged that his career basically wasn't working. Like he wasn't selling the amount of music that he was supposed to, blah, blah, blah. So that was like what he went to. And the old like rap logic was like, you don't do the acting thing because it'll make it so people can't take you serious as a rapper. But it feels like with the brand that you're building overall,

that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. No, I feel like, because I watch so many people do it. I watch, I watch meth do it. I mean, the dude I'm actually portraying. I watched him do it early. That's true. He did it very early, yeah. Nause was in belly.

All of them, that was early, early. Like, DMX was the star of that film. And that's when DMX was hot on fire, you know what I mean? So DMX jumped right into the acting. Like, when Tupac was top of the charts, he was doing movies. Like, it just depended on the person. You know what I mean? If you already got people that, then,

that believes in your music and you didn't, you got that, you know what I mean? That ain't going nowhere. Actually, you're right, yeah. If you're playing a cool motherfucker in a movie or whatever, then it doesn't seem like a problem. It can't be no cool. You probably just can't be no cool, you know,

there's no combo, man. Super gangster rapper, but he gets to the point of his career where it's like, oh, why not play a cop? But could you do that at this point in your career? Can you go be a cop on some show? I can play a cop on a show. Right.

I could do that. Yeah. I mean, just because it's acting at the end of the, the day. You know what I mean? And that's just a, I feel like that's something nobody would think of me as, like, you know what I mean? So, yeah, I do that on a show.

I do that. Yeah, I can see that working. That would be a good one. I could do that. Yeah. Cool ass cop. When did you start coming out to L.A. and, like, making connections out here and shit, because it seems like you've got, you know, a wide roller decks.

Right. People that fuck with you out here that you have relationships with. Um, I would say my first, first time coming to LA was maybe 2010, something like that. 10, 11. And then I started coming back heavy, like 13, 14. So since then, I've been back and forth, back and forth. You knew people out here when you first started coming out here, or would you just come out here on something like, I'm going to just meet people and make something happen?

I know a few people. When I first came out here, I knew a couple people. And then that just grew and grew and grew and grew and grew. And then me and Nip linked up, and then I met all the people he know. What year was that? I met up in maybe, I want to say, 2014. Okay. Where was that at?

Yeah. In his parking lot. So you went? Yeah, I met him in the parking lot. Back then before. Now everybody goes there. You were there back in. Rest in peace, Fats.

Fats was in the store. When I went, Nip wasn't even there yet. He called me. I'm in traffic car. I'll be there in a minute. That's the first time I met him right in that parking lot. Really? And then you guys just stayed in touch?

Made music together. Yeah, we just, you know, I sometimes you link with people and you just, like, catch that vibe, like, beyond what y'all actually do. You know what I'm saying? Like, he was cool, man. That was super cool. Right. Yeah, I mean, Nib is a good example.

Honestly, I was just building that sort of long-term brand name as well. It's going to live forever. He built things that were bigger than the music and the music only helped support that. The music, he showed me the blueprint. Like, a lot of these dudes I watch, but it'd be hard to follow it because, like, just was saying it'd be the old model. So like the way Nyes did it, I can't do like I, like that was a different era, you know what I mean? So for this era and for the way things is moving, he laid it down and he showed how to do it, you know what I'm saying? Be your own brand.

Create something that's going to support everything else you're doing. And I mean, so his clothes was in his videos. You know what I mean? His music, everything, everything like was his brand. He knew how to work everything and it was all for him. And, um, it's, something that's going to live forever. There's a lot to be said for being like the definitive representation of an area and just being like a cool motherfucker from that area. And Nip very much like for the past generation sort of represents what it is to be like a cool-ass, motivated rapper slash businessman.

And like you very much have like a similar vibe for sort of like this is what like an uptown New York City dude is like right now. We have a lot of examples from prior generations, but you kind of. sort of summarize that to a lot of people and that's sort of when we talk about this new model of a career that's like kind of what it's intent on is like building you up as like the definitive version of that that's a fact um so in in terms of accepting the method man role was do you always knew that that was what you were applying for like it was never considered that you might be one of the other members no it was my it was my fourth of it and and did that just like what was it

about him in general? Is it sort of the fact that you maybe have some kind of resemblance to him? Or was it just that you're a fan? I think that played into the casting of it. That's what they was telling me that I resembled him. I mean. But I always was a fan of meth, you know, I mean. It was crazy. I just did a film called Beets. It was on Netflix with Anthony Anderson's in it, Dreezy's in it, a couple different people. But Chris Robertson directed that joint, and then he directed the first episode for Wu-Tang for the American saga on Hulu. So he called me.

He said, you want to be Mephyman? Just like, it was like that. And I said, hell yeah. I had to audition two times when did the auditions, killed those, got the role. And then I can't remember exactly if I reached out to Meph or he reached out to me. But I went to Staten Island before we started filming and just vived with Meph. He was just out there? Yeah.

Does he stay out there? Some significant percentage of the time? I don't know. He was just there for the day. I don't know where MF lived, you know, but he was, we linked up in Staten Island, where he's from, you know what I mean, and we went over the script, smoke, vibe, just chopped it up, you know what I mean? So you were on the ferry?

No, I drove out there. Oh, okay. I don't do the ferry. See, I don't know if I ever drove to Staten Island. I ain't do the ferry as a kid. I ain't doing that shit down. No, the ferry is lit, because the ferry used to be my default. Like if I had a girl in town, I'd be like, let's go to the,

I'm going to show you the Statue of Liberty. Right. The ferry is free. Oh, you do a good scene. We ain't, I, nah. That kills like an hour plus. We're doing a hood. Chicken spot.

No, man. You got girls visiting from out of town. Shit, that's cool. When you're a rapper, you don't really have to take girls on some weird shit to fill the day doing some sightseeing shit. I ain't never took a chick sightseeing, man.

Not in New York. I'm going to show you Times Square. And to me, it's like literally the most boring thing on earth. Like, there's the Sparrow's, the Hard Rock Cafe. I'm so annoyed. Like, I'm really walking through Times Square by her right now. And there's such a rapper thing that you never really had to show a girl a good time. You just get to just come over.

And you know, Staten Island was always mad far to me. Like, we used to meet. Oh, yeah. We would meet girls, like, on the dudes. Like, I'd be damn turning to meet chicks from Staten Island and would never go out there. And I mean, if they wasn't coming to Manhattan or coming to Queens, like, never see you again. Staten Island is like the most underdog borough, for sure. Like, they're probably, literally everybody who's hearing this who's from Staten Island

is thinking like, wow, I can't believe they're talking about Staten Island as much. No, I ain't going on front. I had a good time out there filming and we was in the hood. Like, that was my first time. We was actually in their, in Park Hill, who was actually in Stapleton. Like, we was in their projects. So that's what made it even doper. Like, it wasn't like a green screen or a fake set.

Like, they really had us in the buildings where they were they was from. You know what I mean? So that just made it dope. But the people that was from there was outside watching, showing love. So that was love. Shows to Staten Island War. When you look at the current generation, though, Do you feel like at all, you know, not happy with the fact that it feels like the younger

generation is really not that knowledgeable about the hip-hop legends? Any of that? You know? Because like, when I think about the kids in Staten Island, I'm just wondering, I'm like, I wonder to what extent they really have listened to Wu-Tang and understand. Now, the kids now, right? Yeah. I feel like, you know, it's the times, man, you know.

The music moves and you got kids being... people being born every day. You know what I mean? So you got those that are saluted forever and stand on and and know what it represented and know what it did. But you got those that don't know nothing about it and don't care nothing about it. It's almost the equivalent of my mother or father

trying to tell me about the artists in the 60s. You know what I mean? That was like probably that was hot in the 60s. You could probably hear the songs and totally be like, yo, that's a dope song. But you don't know about that life. I don't know nothing about. It don't move me.

It don't, I don't care, because that was way before anything I know. You know what I mean? So I understand the youth, you know what I mean? As far as that goes, but if you're from any part of them errors, you know what that time, you're supposed to salute that. You know, you know what they did. That's crazy too because, like, there are projects from that time period that it's like nowadays everything is just dropping, like, you know, your project is out, but there'll be some

new project. Even for, you know, people that like that type of music and stuff, you know, give it a couple weeks there'll be some new album out that people will be talking about like crazy and it just feels like that's why we have to be so obsessed with elmatic and reasonable doubt and all these things is because we've listened to those projects hundreds and hundreds of times and there probably might never be another project that we really listen to that much especially with the way we listen to music now where it's not really like a strong reason to listen to the whole project the way through and I realize that the fact that I still do that that I don't like it would be very foreign to me to put

on the Davis essentials. I always go to play the album because I want to hear where you were at during that period of time. And that's why, honestly, that's why I did the type of album I did because I know it's people that do that. You know, I don't just conform to what's going on now

or the trendy, like, you know what I mean? Like, all these playlists, I don't knock them because it's dope. But when I give you my body of work, I want you to go play that. You know what I mean? Like, go sit with that. Same way you would have went sat

with a Jay Z album or a Nause album. Like, I feel like that's lost. Like nobody do that no more. You might go to, get somebody's album and whatever singles they dropped off it, you go straight to them. Then you might check out other songs or know if you see somebody playing it on the Instagram story. What's that? That's on that out?

Oh yeah, me go check that out now. But nobody is pressing play on the intro sitting back, getting in the call, smoking up and doing whatever they're doing and letting it rock. And I mean, but I know there are a few people out here that still appreciate that. You know what I mean? So that's why I want to do my project. Something that was going to knock from intro to outro. Ultimately, like, that's the goal is to, like, make a project that's so cohesive

that even the fans who are used to just listening to shit on YouTube or whatever will come to it and be able to really appreciate that. That's a fact. Yeah. That's a Snapple fact. So, yeah, like, that's kind of the interesting thing about your album is I feel like it's very much like a coming-of-age type story in the beginning where it feels like you're, you know, you're on your way to school.

was one of the songs and you're really kind of like laying out your background and then towards the end of the tape though it gets more relaxed where it feels like you're just doing a lot of different collabs with different people and stuff

like you got fucking Gunna and baby and features with all them and stuff like where does that come from do you have a desire to try to like prove yourself next to like the top most talked about rappers in the world right now or is that just a personal connection?

Yeah it was more of that and it was just more of a more of a just the shift in the the production, the way I wanted it to go. I didn't want it to be just totally personal. You know what I mean? Like all the way just me, me, me, me.

I didn't want to do it like that. You know what I mean? So I wanted to have some fun on there a little bit as well because I feel like my album is my personality. You know what I mean? I'm very serious. You know what I mean? I joke all day long.

Like I'm, you know what I mean? I'm a bunch of different ways. So I wanted to show that. You know what I mean? That's why I got the record like for my daughter. record for my mom's, like, I just wanted to show like my inner, you know, just my inner core and not just what people see on the outside or what they see on Instagram. I wanted to talk more about me as a person.

So those records like the Gunnett record, that was, the Gunner record, that's my man, you know what, I mean, like me and Gunner got a few other joints, but we locked in and I just, I liked the bounce to that. I was like, you know what, this could fit with the other production on my album, you know what I mean? The little baby record is the first record I recorded for the album. I mean, like, shit, I did that. Went to last year, around this time last year. And that just came from me remembering trapping.

Like, you know what I'm saying? Like outside, late night, spooked out, not knowing who coming around the block in the building. Like, you know what I mean? So that's what I'm talking about on that. And I heard a little baby voice on it before I even sent it to him, I hear him on this joint. And, you know, I want to tap into their fans as well.

You know what I mean? A lot of times I want to already be tapped into their fans. A lot of their fans be tapped into me. So a lot of times I'll be like, all right, let me put this together. You know what I mean? Because I'll see that. Or I'll hear that. Like I'll be in Atlanta.

People like, you and little baby need to put something together. You know what I'm going to? I mean, so when I hear that, I'm like, all, let me see how that work. And then if it come out to something dope, you know, we run with it. No, yeah, that's dope. Because it's like, in this day and age, like doing collabs and shit is just massive. Like, that's just a huge thing that's, like, fueling people's plays and shit. huge way to get people to listen to you

shit like that. But do you feel like that ever like takes away from sort of like the cohesive project that you're building by just sort of like being like, like is there a big part of you that wants to like commit to like one style of production for a whole project or is, do you consider it a compromise to have those other sounds on there?

Um, in the back of my mind, I, I, I feel like I want to, but it's only going to uh, attract certain like certain people. You know what I mean? And that's going back to like that box I was talking about, you know what I mean? So I definitely is a few producers that I'll be wondering like, yo, let's just lock in, just me and you.

I mean, and let's do 10, 15 joints, whatever. But I like them different sounds. And I mean, I like the boom bat, and then the club shit, then the smooth shit, then the R&B. Like, I like to be able to, you know, I feel like albums should be a mood. You know what I mean? And you don't want to stay in one mood. You don't want to, I don't just want you like this. the whole out, you know what I want a few different, you know what you could vibe a little,

you could vibe different. So that's why I'll reach out to different producers or I work with DJ Premier than I'll go get with murder beats. You know what I mean? Like I'll do total, I'll have niz and I'll have gunner. Like you know what I mean? Like have total opposite people or sounds or waves or errors and try to, you know, balance it out. You know what I mean?

You're listening to the gangster album yet? Nah, you know, it's crazy, though. I actually have it on my phone. I'm a big fan of guru, big fan of Primo, you know what I mean? So definitely got to check that out. Yeah. I might knock that on my flight back. I feel guilty that I haven't heard of yet.

Right. Yeah. What was the relationship with Max B before he went in and how did that collab come about? Before he went in, I used to just be in Jim Studio. Like, before I was a rap, or I used to have mad butt on me, like, you know what I'm saying? And shout to my bro, big bully. Selling wheat in New York is scary shit. Maybe not anymore, but...

Oh, no, it's cool. It's cool, now. I know. I'm in... We were just in Williamsburg, and I'm just walking around, smoking Blunts, and I'm just like, this is insane.

Right. I'm talking about haze days. Like, the haze, when the haze was out. You had the Piff? Yeah, I was just being Jim Stoo. And that's how I would see Max, you know what I'm saying? And then that whole thing went the way it went.

But after he got locked up, me and his brother stayed in contact. I mean, Tye Black, through a few of my other homies from uptown, A5 and all that. But Max was just, you know, he would call and maybe six months going to touch doing that record, we just was in contact, you know what I mean, we were talking. He was just telling me like how I'm putting on for the time, telling me he about to get out soon, you know what I mean, you know, just talking this shit, Max a funny nigga. But he told me he had a record for me.

I'm like, yeah, I got you no doubt. And then I said, I got one for you, you know what I mean, send it to him. I just took away. I don't know how he records it. Yeah, how the fuck does he record it? I didn't know I didn't. I didn't even ask him. I'm like, you know what? You said you're gonna send it?

I'm listening to it and he's saying Dave and I'm like... He's talking about doo-say or kinda. I'm like, there wasn't no ducee when you were on the streets, bro. Free Max, man. Shouts to Mike Cuzz, my engineer, because he made that shit sound like he was writing in the booth with me. Right. You know what I mean? That's crazy because like X's mom played me like a fucking Vibbzukharthel verse that he did from prison.

This sounded amazing. And I was like, man, like American rappers. Never get that. How they doing? Yeah, Max is recorded. But Jamaica, I'm sure, you know, in Jamaica, you can bend the rules a little bit more. If you got some cash, I'm assuming. Right.

But apparently Max B is living the good life. Max is, he got joints. That's kind of crazy on that song, too, because you're sort of, you're doing like the Max B type hook. Because he didn't have the hook. You just got the verse. So you had to kind of fill his spot a little bit, right? I'm like, you know what? He ain't doing the hook.

Let me try to show they on a big. I just tried to, you know, a little. Because I was, like I said, I was a fan of that whole, that whole era, that whole, that whole wave. So you were right there. You saw him blowing up and then saw it just abruptly explode. I seen all that.

I mean, when he came, when he first got out and got hot and was running around with you, I remember all of that. You know what I mean? But I feel like, you know, Max is a, he just brought a dope wave of music. You know what I mean?

Coming from home, he brought a dope wave of music that it'd been living. You know what I mean? So I just wanted to, you know, recreate that. Most of the people that I work with, if not all of them,

I'm fans of them. You know what I mean? I'm not just doing the feature or just get in the morning because I feel like oh everybody going like this like you know I mean I got to be a fan of the music you didn't have to choose sides between max being jim Jones at any point no that that had nothing to do with me okay I wasn't you stayed out of that yeah I was way younger than them but I ain't I ain't I ain't nothing to do when max gets out is that all squash you think I don't you know I don't you know I feel like uh you know Jim doing his thing

gym all the way rocking and rolling I mean I was a cop a couple but I don't I don't think that No real, real problem. Like, you know what I mean? But I don't know. I don't have to pick no side. Like, you know what I mean? I'm cool with Max. I'm cool with you.

I knew Jim longer, you know what I mean? But I don't have no problem with even one of them. But it's gonna be crazy when Max gets out because it's like will the audience embrace him because it has been like fucking damn near 10 years. I've been a while, right? But you know what I learned? Man, real shit don't go away. You know what I mean?

So like Bobby and them about to come out. That's crazy. And I mean, Bobby and Roddy, they're about to get out and they're gonna be rocking. I mean, like, if it's all about the effect you cause or you create during your time in that light, you know what I mean? While you're in that light, you did your thing, you can always come back. You know what I mean? I feel like you can't come back. The Bobby shit's going to crazy, but you could come back.

I don't know why the Bobby shit feels so much fresher than the Mack shit. I guess because he was just super young when he got locked up. Yeah. But that's going to be a wild thing, too. Yeah, they're going to go up. I speak to Rowdy. Me and Roddy in contact. Right.

Yeah, they're gonna go up. That's gonna be huge from New York. They're both coming back. And there's so many other artists right now rocking from Brooklyn. Since they went away, a lot of, I feel like they brought a lot of attention to Brooklyn. You know what I mean? And there's a lot of artists going crazy right now from Brooklyn. I'm worried about these Brooklyn rappers, though, because I'm not even going to say the names,

but I've seen a rapper who's popping out in New York get the dog shit beat out of him by some other rappers from Brooklyn. And then they put it as the intro for their fucking music video. Well, I ain't see that. And I'm like, bro, what do you think is going to happen? Like, the cops, like, Brooklyn cops clearly don't have a problem with putting anybody claiming to be in a gang behind bars right now. Yeah, I ain't see that. You got to watch the gang talk in New York.

Yeah, you worry about, like, the youth when you look at all the gangs and the crazy-ass shit happened with the young kids in New York? Like, do you think that in any way has gotten worse than when you were young? No. It's, it recycles. You know what I mean? It's just different drugs. different clothes, different lingo.

But it was, you know, when I was a kid, I was coming right after crack. You know what I mean? That was insane, you know what I mean? So now it's like it's more about, the clout, the fame, the being lit. You know what I mean? That's the word for it.

Everybody won't be lit, you know what I mean? So people do whatever to be lit, you know what I mean? Or for the people to think that they lit, you know what I mean? So I feel like, that's something that's been going down forever. Like, that ain't nothing new. But I feel like that's the biggest disease right now being lit. You know what I mean?

Yeah, because, I mean, in a different world, people would be getting jumped over gang shit, and we just wouldn't even know about it, or we definitely wouldn't have videos of it going around online. Anybody got a phone now. If you're a criminal and you want to jump somebody and whatever, not getting in trouble for it, you can just not put it online,

but that's not even like an option of these kids. Nah, because they got, you know, we live in a society, man, where people want to embarrass you. You know what I mean? Like, back in the day, you call somebody to park, y'all get it on, and that was between y'all. Whoever was there seen it, it wasn't about. That's just a story around the neighborhood. Yeah, it's about, oh, yeah, they got, you know what, such and such beat, you know what I mean? But now, nah, anybody got to get footage of it, you know what I mean?

And it's like, to me, that's corny, you know what I mean? because at the end of the day, as soon as it get real, anybody going to jail? Even if you recorded it, you're going to, you're an accessory to the shit. So I feel like the old school was a lot more private. And I talk to my pops about this all the time. Like, here's see me, I be in the crib. Me and might just be talking.

And I'd be like, look, pop, and I'll be recording. He might, man, get that camera on my face, man. He just don't like it. You know what I mean? Because they come from a pro. That era was real. You know what I mean? They wasn't about

everybody being in any business or, you know, just talking. You know what I mean? Now the world is just, you know what I mean? It's headlines everywhere. There's all these blog sites. None of that shit existed. TMZ or none of that shit existed.

And now you're super wrapped up in it because you couldn't fucking fart in the hallway without a post on a blog about it. Davey's just farted. That shit gonna go viral. I mean, how does that affect you from like a mental state, especially you as being like a real person

who's really just like out in the street? and really around people and shit, and you gotta just feel like you're constantly at risk of just having somebody say something crazy about you? It's corny, you know what I mean? I gotta, you know, watch my every move. My dudes gotta be on point. Because you don't know about the intentions,

you know what I mean, and that. I guess that just come with, you know, the popularity or the fame or whatever you want to call it. But you don't know people intentions, you know what I mean, females, dudes, like, if you don't know them, I always say, if I met you now, it's hard to trust you. You know what I mean? Unless you like a count on or something. You know what I mean?

But if you, I'm just meeting you right now and you're telling me you love me or I can't trust it. If you meet somebody right now and you're doing business together, there's a reason for you to be working together and then you develop a friendship over that. That makes sense. That's different. That's different. But if you meet somebody and they're on zero, it's kind of hard for you to think that they don't have some kind of alternative motivation because it's like, I'm a lick to you. Exactly. Like, I could change your whole life by just giving you a job or helping you out or whatever.

And you can't. Just by you running around with me, right? Yeah. And you feel kind of shocked when you meet somebody that you don't get that vibe with. Right. You know? Right. It throw you off when you meet somebody that is genuine, somebody that don't care about what you have.

You know what I mean? So that, um... You start checking yourself, like, am I bugging by just kicking with this random person? Right. Yeah. That's real. But I feel like you know what it is. Like I tell people all the time, I don't need no, I don't need no hitters.

I don't need no goon. I don't need that shit around. like you know what I mean like because all that is is gonna create a problem like if somebody telling you that's what they coming around for you know I'm gonna be your goon like anybody front here it's on me I'm gonna do it like I don't need you I'm trying to get the I want the girls around me I want the dudes that's making apps and shit that's producers the people that's trying to make money you know I mean like I don't need the goonery you know because at the end of the day you you coming with a

problem before a problem is even created you come you're looking for for it. That's what you're coming around for. But does it feel fundamentally different rolling around in New York versus running around in LA, where when you're in LA, it's like you can have a guy with a legal gun on him and it's just whatever. It's like that's just normal precaution for most rappers. And in New York is very much, it's a different vibe. Because you don't feel like everybody's got guns, but you also can't just have somebody with it on them like it's nothing. That's the thing about New York. They, they, people, I feel like that's the biggest

misconception with New York because of the gun laws. Right. There's still a whole lot of guns. Yeah, they think ain't nobody got no guns in New York. Like, you know what I mean? Just because, oh, no, if you get caught with the, a lot of people don't care, you know what I mean? Like, a lot of people know how to move with it.

You know, somebody like you is smart, like, for the most part, that you know, that's a big risk, like having somebody in the SUV of the gun when you're in New York. You know, I get, you know, they know me in New York City, the police, you know what I mean? So I definitely can't ever be that dumb, you know what I mean? to be with ways on me. You know what I don't move like that. But at the end of the day, it's definitely a difference

in being in the town and being anywhere else. Anywhere else, I feel like you're just free to roam, you know what I mean? But gotta be a lot smaller in New York. And like I said, that's where I'm from, so the police know how we kind of move as far as the clubs, where we be at. Oh, you gotta post everything you're doing online.

So they're there, you know what I mean? They follow you, they, you know what I mean? They're gonna meet you at the club. Do you feel like you have a good relationship with the cops? You think they're out to get you? Nah, we, I don't have no problems with them. I don't feel like I incite no riots.

You know what I mean? I don't, I don't, uh, nah, we ain't got no problems. But I, I had problems back in the day, but I, if we could. I feel like the police that, that personally do know me, salute what I'm doing. You know what I'm saying? There's a lot younger people, they could see a guy who's clearly trying to live a good life. You know, a lot of the dudes who get in trouble with the cops, it's like to act on crazy, doing all kinds of shit in the videos.

It's kind of like you, you can see how they become a target. Yeah, yeah. I feel like you, you know, they bother you if you bothering them. You know what I mean? If you're doing you and you stand out the way and you, and you, you know, you got to move cautious because they watch in anyway, you know what I mean? Like, especially if you're coming from a certain lifestyle, they already are to target on you. I see. It's like they're waiting for you to slip, you know what I mean?

So if you already know that, don't wave. It's like waving meat in front of a dog. Like, you don't, I mean, don't do that. They're going to come get you. They're going to come be at your shows. They're going to, you know. I mean, they're gonna be on your block. You're gonna be trying to do videos.

They're gonna pull up. Like, I try to do all type of things to avoid that, you know what I mean? Where they ain't even coming around. I don't even see them unless I got to be out and about where they're at, you know what I mean? Yeah, the thing with being a cop is that everybody's breaking the law all the time, at least a little bit. Everybody's speeding. Everybody's got some weed on them. Everybody's, you know, something.

And it's like they could put as much light on you as they want. They could press you as much as they want. It's like a very underrated thing is to just try to fucking keep that relationship good and don't. trying to make yourself hot. It also, what people don't understand is, you know, they want to get famous too, a lot of them. So when they don't want to book the rapper, you know what I mean?

When they're the one that catches that rapper that did bad, their name go up. You know what I mean? So you got to watch for that too. Definitely. You know what I mean? And it's crazy too because it's like we've seen the impact of, well, we almost want the whole interview about talking about 6'9,

but we've seen what is like when a rapper wants to make themselves such a topic of controversy and shit. that the cops can't, like the cops would have been so negligent if they weren't all over that shit. You know what I'm saying? They basically saying, come, you know. But you got to watch that two ways. You know what I mean?

Sometimes people want that much attention and they might really want the police around. You don't know. You don't never know. That's true, ain't it? How'd you end up getting Snoop on the outro, the nipsy song at the end of the album? Oh, that's all, man.

You know, me and Snoop got a real good relationship. Snoop show me mad love. Whenever you come to New York, cocaine in my hood and all that. But I did the record and I told him, he was actually in New York film or something, told me pull up, who was vibed smoking. I was like, y'all got a joint I did for Nip, you know what I mean? I'm just like basically like a letter to Nip.

I don't even want you to rap on it, you know what I mean, just vibe to it and tell me, tell me what you think, and if you want to get on it, just, you know, talk some shit to like, you know what I mean? He bodied it for me, you know what I mean? So that just, I feel like that closed the album. You know what I wanted, that's how I wanted to end it. You know what I mean? I mean, being able to just hit Snoop up to talk some shit on your record

and to have him just do it like nothing. Isn't that feel crazy when you sort of take yourself out of the position of where you're actually at? That's insane. That's crazy. You keep just repeating it. If I could ask God for something, just give me back my homies or whatever. Is that just like something that you think about constantly,

about how everything you accomplish maybe doesn't mean as much because you don't get to share it with all those people you lost? Yeah, that's the, That's the only thing I would ask for. Because I've lost people that's alive, you know what I mean? And he's not in jail and none of that. I don't, I can care less. You know what I mean?

Soft drugs and shit? No, just people that you fell out with. Yeah, you know what I mean? But the people that died that actually lost their life, you know what I mean? And the list is not that long. You know what I mean? It's a few people that actually died in the process of me getting to where I'm at. And, yeah, to me, that's been my biggest loss because they was doing.

ones that like you know the more let I get the more people invest in me you know I mean the more people cheer me on and you know they was invested when and nobody knew me like you know what I mean so like nobody knew me so uh to me it's just whack that they didn't get to see none of it none of it you know I mean that not one piece of it so that that's something I walk around with all the time you know I mean sort of weighs on you like that you just didn't get to share it every time something goes up like you know i mean anything like i did the acting i'm like damn you know i mean and the album come on like damn like these are all moments you know what i mean so i had my daughter i mean they miss that like you know i mean so i know i personally find it kind of overwhelming when i

think about all the relationships like real friendships i have with people that i sort of just neglect because i'm constantly doing shit and you're constantly meeting new people and you end up being more likely to you know hit up somebody that you just met that you're a fan of or whatever rather than talking to some guy from your area that you grew up around. And that's sort of like its own pressure is that I'm sort of, you're in a position where it's impossible for you to maintain relationships

with all of the different people that you respect and like a lot that you've met over the years, but it's impossible. You can't be on the phone 100 hours. It's impossible. And the sad part about it is they don't understand that. The majority of them, they don't get that.

You know what I mean? Because they don't, like I tell people all the time, my contact list is way different then your contact list, like, to people back in the hug. I mean, like, I'm talking to a million people. I got a million people reaching out, talking to me, hitting me up, needing this, wanting me here. You know what I mean?

Like, you're waiting on my call. You know what I'm saying? Like, or you're waiting for us to talk. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know when that's going to happen. And the longer that don't happen, you start to fill away. You know what I mean? I ain't feeling no way because I'm talking to this one, that one.

I'm over here, I'm over there. I mean, like, I'm like, I'm thinking, oh, I'm going to get with them. You know what I mean? but people don't understand that man like it's it's about the life you create and i wanted to be busy you know i mean i much rather be busy to me than be sitting back watching busy people you know what i mean like that to me that's the biggest that that would kill me to have to sit back and watch people do their thing and i and i'm just uh that's what motivates me is the realization and it's like i got a lot opportunities right now but realistically it might be a couple years from now and

i might be like wanting opportunities i might be feeling like god damn like fucking i wish i had this opportunity to make some money that I had a couple years ago. And a lot of that shit you don't control. Don't control it. All you control is what you do and you could work hard. You could go hard. You could focus up. All that's in your control.

You know what I mean? I feel like the people that have done that no matter how long they did it or, you know I mean, they found some type of success from it. You couldn't have had this if you didn't focus up. You know what I mean? You wouldn't be doing interviews. You had to focus up. So it's the same with any craft.

I feel like if you put that time to it or you dedicate, you sacrifice, you know, you sacrifice that low, you know what I mean, all them distractions, you'll see some type of success and people don't understand that. They'd rather watch, they'd rather see you get successful and then be mad at it or be wondering, well, why that's him and not me, you ain't did nothing. You ain't did nothing to become successful, you know what I mean? So that's my outlook on that. Yeah, and you end up really appreciating the people that get it, that understand that it's like, you know, I just need you to be my friend and not try to get something out of me, you know? But that is like the ultimate way to like respect this relationship.

You don't, you don't, you don't understand. I didn't understand friendships until I became famous. And like what a friend means, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, as a kid, everybody's your friend, you know. Because there's nothing that they could really gain from you. At all. That's just, you know, you move, you do, you got friends on this block, friends over there. Like, you know, once I, once I touched some, and it was before I even touched money,

it was just when my name was, was out there. Like, oh, that's Davey, that's nice, no. Lord was like, I got to see what friends were. You know what I mean? And since then, I've really got to see, you know, who's a friend and who's not. Right. You know what I mean?

Especially because, you know, have you gone through that problem where it feels like the people that you really want to have around you end up being motivated enough that there's no reason for them to really be around you because they got their own opportunities, they got their own money to be made, and then you sort of end up in a position where the people around you either work for you or they just stop coming around.

Or the people that want to come around are the people that are just straight up clout, eating, whatever. Right. And, you know, it's crazy with me. I've watched that in different ways. You know what I mean? Like, shout to my Bro King shooter. Like, he got his own deal now.

He got his own shows. You know what I mean? He got his own wave of things going on. Like, and we used to be, you know what I mean? Like, together at any, he'd be sitting right here, you know what I mean? But he got a deal. And it came from him watching exactly what I did. And he was like, I ain't just.

just gonna be around bro you know what i mean and you're soaking up game watching he said i'm gonna apply this shit to my own life and you know i mean he you're moving right now you know i mean but i like them friends that come around because they they got their own money to come around and they just want to come you know they they they're your friend and then then you sort of start to become more mostly friends with people that got money or that are successful or that are kind of at your level you know that can do for themselves you know i mean because after a while it's like okay you might not have you might can't move like a rapper But that still doesn't make, that still doesn't entitle me to doing stuff for you. Like, you know what I mean?

Like, you're not my child. You know what I mean? I feel entitled to two people on earth, my mother and my daughter. You know what I mean? Other than that, we all grown in. I didn't, this didn't fall out the sky and I just caught a bag of money and now I could do these things. Like, that didn't, that's not how it happened. I had to lock in for years to be able to move during I move, you know what I mean?

So people got to understand that. You know what I mean? If you can't understand it, it's all good, no love loss. I'm gonna keep it moving. Yeah. What do you ride around listening to? Because the SUV's pulled up and back, and I heard your album blasts in. So I'm like, okay.

We're knocking that survival right. Yeah, we're knocking that revival right now. That thing is on repeat. You know, it's dope. I finally made a body of work that I can knock all day long. You know what I mean? Like all my projects, I like it and I get over it quick. You know what I mean?

It was like, I let me make something new. I've been playing survival since June. You know what I mean? like and I've been in love with it now I sound even better to me because I know it's out you know what I mean when when Nas says on the project like basically that he was over picking up new artists until he met you right that's got to feel like an extra special honor that's associated with that right yeah that was real and it just let me know you know the the the the weight I got to carry to you know the the tradition that I got to keep keep

pushing you know I mean the I got to keep that moving for him to say that I mean I mean he's seen something in me you know what I mean that I might have didn't even see him myself so it just make me like why nah I got broke full support you know I mean like I got a is is as is as corny as it's Sam but you know I want him to I want him to be proud at the end of the day when he sit back I know my mom's in him is proud but my mom and I'm doing the understand no rap you know I mean one thing with Nas that I really respect is the fact that he's made it to like much older in life there's Snoop too that they

still smoke blunts and it's like I Sometimes I feel like dudes end up tapping out in their 30s with blunts because they just, the throat can't handle it or whatever. When I see Nas, that's like one thing I heard about him is just like, man, Nas is blunted. Yeah, Nas loves weed. Nogh loves you. Snoop definitely going to smoke with you.

Yeah. But, I mean, Nas, like, you know, he just sort of, yeah, very much you can see it in his eyes like, damn, I want to be on that level. I want to be that high. Yeah, he's cool, man. Nyes are cool, dude. Super, super cool, man. Definitely.

What else you got going on besides the album, the show? Anything else we need to tell people about? Tour, man. Tour for survival, end of the month. This is my first time going to Europe, like on a run. You know what I mean? So that would be dope all of December. I'm Amsterdam, Parish.

We all over there, London, all of that. And, you know, Wutang, go check that out. You know what I mean? If you ain't got a Hulu account, go get you a Hulu account. I got me a Hulu account. I only watched two episodes. I got to get back into it. Why?

You have to watch that, man. It was slagging. So as that come after the device, all that, then play the album, man. You had your Davey's fix for the day. You know I got a fucking Wu-Tang Metro card? What? We were going to meet up with Ghostface because we did this little party in Brooklyn with him, and we're going to get on the train, and there's a fucking Wu-Tang Metro card.

This is recent? Yeah, this was like a month ago. Yeah, because of the Hulu. Yeah. And I walked in, I showed as it goes. You seen this yet? He's like, no. I'm like, that's fucked up, like a Wu-Tang fucking logo on a Metro card.

Because 20, 30 years ago, these dudes are supposed to be like, 20 years ago, they're supposed to be like the fucking enemies of the cops and the establishment in New York. And like enough time has gone by that the city can actually look at Wu-Tang and be like, oh, no, this is a very, very important part of our history. They gave him a street. Yeah. They got a street and stand out.

It's crazy. Crazy. No jumper. Dave East. Appreciate you coming in, man. Anytime, my boy. Thank you, for real. No jumper.

Coolest podcast the world. Check us on YouTube. SoundCloud. iTunes, like, comment, subscribe, no jumper, cushion, stores. Go ask your local dispensary. My man, got his own water. I ain't, you know. We got our own stickers.

We got to get our money up. We got his own water in here, man. Appreciate you, man. Yep.