The pressure was seemingly on for Dave East.
Coming off the tired KARMA mixtape, the Nas protégé had to bounce back to do his Def Jam ranking proud. Paranoia 2, the sequel to 2017’s Paranoia: A True Story, won’t win East any risk-taking points but is enriched by heartfelt reflections and vivid storytelling.
P2 threatens early to be ensnared in the same trap that caught up KARMA on tracks like “Woke Up” and “Powder,” which are sonically pleasing but feature more of the same posturing and paper-chasing.
Just in time, however, East switches things up with “Corey,” which dives headfirst into a tale of brotherhood lost. This particular record truly showcases East’s worth as an MC. Many a rapper has lamented over friendships turned sour post-fame, but East details every facet of friendship’s downfall, his voice tinged with a mix of sadness and resentment over DJ Khalil and Cardiak’s plucky, reflective piano keys. More engaging tales abound, with features strategically placed throughout to advance the narrative as if P2 were a Dennis Lehane novel. T.I. is simultaneously cool and sharp on “Annoying,” while Lloyd Banks doubles down on his raspy delivery to match the grit and gutter of “Violent.” And “Prosper,” with its dark, methodical basslines that weave in rhymes like “Tryna prosper by any means/I’m Malcolm in a Detroit fitted,” display Young David’s 20/20 focus for winning at all costs.
Aside from the pointless skit, “Regular Harlem Shit,” and the unsuitable “Maintain,” which features a vocoder-soaked hook by Bino Rideaux, P2 doesn’t have any real weak links. The production is appropriately East Coast, with downbeat horns and deliberate drums gracing multiple songs. And yet, the album doesn’t have any songs that attain the wistfulness of Nas, the menace of Mobb Deep, or the desperation of DMX. A shining example of this is “I Found Keisha,” a dark tale of robbery and murder that echoes Big L’s “The Heist” to a lesser degree and picks up where the Kairi Chanel cut left off. When a rapper decides to make music that emulates his heroes, the finished product shouldn’t feel like a lighter version of the originals. P2’s lack of classic material isn’t that much of a hindrance to its overall strong standing, but it keeps the album from being a transcendent affair that is essential to the masses.
Thankfully, East steps off the block to count his blessings on the last two tracks, giving his rap persona a bit more depth in the process. “Never Been” and “Grateful” feature production more elegant than greasy, and East is at his most authentic when recalling his childhood days and saying “thank you” for his success. These closing cuts not only provide a breath of fresh air to the project but also help save it from being just another solid entry by a Rotten Apple lyricist.
It’s the stellar storytelling that elevates East’s themes above standard thuggery and stamps P2 a memorable affair.
Its better than the first Paranoia…some solid tracks…4/5
If we are honest with ourselves, we would say Dave East’s music is below average and sometimes flat out corny. This isn’t hate…just a fair and honest assessment of his musical output. He hasn’t released a hit since the Forbes List single several years ago. Damn shame because dude “had” real hip hop talent.
Agreed. He hasn’t impressed me remotely close to when he dropped Forbez List, Momma Workin or even Everything Lit. Shit he even had gems on Kairi Chanel like Type of Time and Dont Shoot. His shit now is corny and it feels like he’s reaching too much for attention and he had his own lane to do that 3-4 years ago.
Good body of Work from East. The only weak song on the whole joint is “I Found Keisha”, the rest of da album is Strong. PEACE&LOVE East…….
Great work
Good project. Best work since “Kairi Chanel” imo. The track with Tory Lanez is the standout.
This gets a 3.9….Drake’s 2 song effort gets a higher rating? FOH. Dave East is putting together a quality catalog, one project at a time.
Album is hard! Good features and beats are gritty! East and banks on violent is hard
Average – at best. He can flow, but he’s boring. I used to like the guy, but he has to show some growth.
Its basically the best project of 2018 so far
Naw, bro, this is some real NYC hip hop right here, the best East has done by a long shot (excluding a few songs with Nas, etc.). All but three of the songs on here are real bangers, and East is spitting some real lyrical storytelling-type shit here. What the fuck is not to like? Everyone’s always talking that’ bring the real hip hop back’ shit and this is as close as we’ve gotten among the current crop of rappers…and it’s very good! I hope Dave East stays on this tip and avoids the trappier sounds he’s fucked with in the past. Most of the beats on here are straight NY-style flames, and his lyrics are fucking top notch 95% of the time here. He’s never done better, and this is the best hip hop record of the year so far bar none, fuck a Nipsy Hussle or whatever the fuck.
i was with you until you said fk Nipsey.. how u gonna big up an NY MC and they diss nipsey for no reason? Plus they rock together, FOH dummy. Great project tho 5/5
He’s better than a lot of the trash out there now, but his flow is lacking something. Real NYC Noir is Roc Marciano, Ka, etc… Since 2011, there is nobody better on the east coast than Roc Marc, and that includes Jay Z, Nas, Action Bronson, ASAP, and anybody else
as good and even abit better than paranoia 1. spits some real, meaningful lyrics. loved the album. corey got me deep in the feels