In this third installment of his mixtape series, Harlem rapper Dave East delivers another reliably dense and lyrical set of hard-edged tracks on Karma 3. Summoning the spirits of golden age hip-hop, the album is very much substance over style, showcasing East's deft wordplay and storytelling talents without too many flashy distractions. On that end, Karma 3's production is robust and straightforward, evoking another time and place with old-school samples and head-nodding beats. In addition to a standout collaboration with Mary J. Blige ("Know How I Feel"), East is also joined by Popcaan, Trey Songz, Trouble, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Benny the Butcher, and many more. Upon release, Karma 3 debuted in the Top 40 on the Billboard 200.
© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo