Albums Dave East - Paranoia: A True Story (Discussion Thread)

[XII]

He shouldn't rap about the same thing on every track

Especially when he doesn't have enough charisma to keep it interesting

 

[UserNameless]

@hustlemania


A freestyle has historically and usually been defined as a written that few people have heard before and has been unreleased prior to it being spit.



there has always been a distinction between off-the-top and freestyling.

 

[ISO]

@hustlemania


An example of a freestyle from the 90's. AZ using lyrics off his albums.

1st verse | Uncut Raw
2nd verse | Rather Unique
3rd verse | We Can't Win

 

[GoldenGlove]

My NYC nikkas, Dave East ain't the guy to put all this energy into.

He's like a 40 degree day, nobody gets excited about a 40 degree day, it's not the worse that could happen either, but yeah... maybe he'll put it all together, but after listening to this guy's music over the years, ain't nothing moving me. Nothing really original, and he's riding with that laid back cool nikka persona like a Fabolous but his bars ain't nice enough to hold my attention.



ASAP Twelvyy and Ferg's albums go harder than this "project"... if we keeping it NYC scene related

 

[ISO]

@hustlemania


A freestyle has historically and usually been defined as a written that few people have heard before and has been unreleased prior to it being spit.



there has always been a distinction between off-the-top and freestyling.

And off the dome freestyling is overrated. It's usually rambling, some can do it well. I only find that cacs and hippity hop snobs are obsessed with them for some reason.

Honestly, I don't know how you grow up in the culture and not know this, to be honest it's common sense.

 

[Asicz]

Dave East is a category of not wack but not really good either.

He may be the most generic rapper in East cost history.

 

[UserNameless]

And off the dome freestyling is overrated. It's usually rambling, some can do it well. I only find that cacs and hippity hop snobs are obsessed with them for some reason.

Honestly, I don't know how you grow up in the culture and not know this, to be honest it's common sense.

Word.

And yeah...the definitions have been pretty clear for a loooooooooooooooong time... it was defined as part of the culture's origins as the emcee began to take precedence over the DJ.

A student of the culture should know that.

 

[Grizzly]

Appreciate that man...."My Dirty Little Secret" is like one twist, production is perfect, one good idea away from being a really dope record, I'm like maybe 3 years older than East, but some of his bars feel so much younger. I guess it says more about the culture and society in general than East, that these are songs that appeal to women, when they are such an insulting and shallow look at them. For sure no women I know will ever play this record, but I wish I did, and I know NY is a whole different demographic with female rap fans. I would have fukked with this track as a teenager, like aspiring to be like East, and envisioning all these trysts and affairs, but now, as someone who kinda lives it, or could, in a relative way, it feels a little thin, stale, and superficial.

A line about sex with the jewelry one? Check. Good head, check. Don't trust her enough to _____? The interesting part is when he kinda breaks into instagram culture and norms, but doesn't really follow through.

Make a song where you are vulnerable, or DON'T get the girl, or lose her to someone else, and leave all the cliches about great sex game, and good head in the past. With these kind of tracks, and East's rhyme schemes I can feel the next bar coming, like a line in a movie. Needs to add some edge or rawness to the bars. Some of this will come with time.

Generic lines like "I don't know if it's the jewelry or the cash... that made her respond to me so fast" when he could've easily flipped it to something way better is one of my pet peeves with Dave and rappers I know for a fact can do better. He takes the easy way out too much for a person at his skill level. He'll be on a good stream of consciousness with every bar being about the concept of the record then say something just for the sake of rhyming. On "The Hated," before he goes into his second verse about Corey and Ant, he says a random line "eviction notice in the kitchen... ya bytch'll stay the night" that adds nothing to the story. I was all the way tuned in and that shyt just threw me off. The record was so fire I couldn't stay stuck on that one little mistake but I took note of it.

Going back to "My Dirty Little Secret," I think the video makes up for what the song lacks, imo. They did the whole "Big Trouble In Little China"/"Showdown in Little Tokyo" concept and executed it well. 400K views in two days is a good sign. I know I watched it a few times since it dropped.

He was at MTV last week. He's done a number of interviews. I like East, but these numbers given his buzz aren't good. Call like it is.

He only does media runs the week before his album drops. That's not enough time to convert followers into consumers. This whole "I'm gonna do Eastmixes and preview tracks until the album drops, pull a bait and switch at the last minute and pray my followers still cop" shyt needs to stop though. He needs to go the singles route. And I won't engage in any flop talk with ya'll until his debut album drops. He has a few records on this one he can actually do something with. Let's see how he gon' act.

 

[ogc163]

So is 20K considered a success? Does it provide enthusiasm for the album? Is there a template/reference point that points to future star success?

 

[ISO]

@NerdBird you negged me by accident it's all good though

 

[NerdBird]

@NerdBird you negged me by accident it's all good though

My fault I was trying to neg that Spiderman avi having geek talking down on Dave East.

I feel like God with an iPhone

 

[Grizzly]

So is 20K considered a success? Does it provide enthusiasm for the album? Is there a template/reference point that points to future star success?

I wouldn't consider it a success but I wouldn't call it a flop since it's an EP. If his debut album does those same numbers, I'll be right here with ya'll calling it what it is.

Def Jam/Triangle Offense needs to take advantage of all the attention French has with "Unforgettable" and push "Maneuver."

 

[mozichrome]

Not a bad listen, I kept
Paranoia
Phone jumpin
Found a way
Maneuver
Wanna be me
Have you ever

 

[gluvnast]

So is 20K considered a success? Does it provide enthusiasm for the album? Is there a template/reference point that points to future star success?

For an EP? Hell yea... name an EP since BONE THUGS N HARMONY'S "CREEPIN' ON AH COME UP" back in 1994 that SOLD???? EP's are just a taster. It's not the official debut, especially for someone that is generally being INTRODUCED to the mainstream.

 

[gluvnast]

Not a bad listen, I kept
Paranoia
Phone jumpin
Found a way
Maneuver
Wanna be me
Have you ever

That's practically the WHOLE EP outside of two songs.