From his steady rise through the mixtape underground, rapper
Dave East issued his official studio debut,
Survival, in 2019. Following his breakthrough 2018, which found the emcee sharing the stage with
Lauryn Hill and dropping a trio of full-lengths, he recruited an impressive roster of guests to match his thoughtful, often poetic lyrics, including
Nas,
Teyana Taylor,
Rick Ross,
Gunna,
Fabolous,
Mozzy,
E-40, and many more. Backed by old-school production -- provided by the likes of
Swizz Beatz,
AraabMuzik,
DJ Premier,
Timbaland,
Murda Beatz, BoogzDaBeast, and others --
East bucked the late-2010s contemporary trap trends in favor of classic, nostalgia-laden bars that focused on street life and struggle but also hope and determination. Upon release, the set debuted just outside the Top Ten on the Billboard 200. ~ Neil Z. Yeung