Album Review: P2 by Dave East

Explicit Language

There are some albums I don't really feel like I can review properly. I can tell you that I like the sound of this album and that I find Dave East to be a good rapper, but I can also tell you that the content of his lyrics just doesn't connect with me. To me this album is aimed at a certain audience. It's the story of a life that I don't live, haven't lived, and don't understand. It's not a racial thing it's a life experience thing. It makes me think about Public Enemy and their song "Burn Hollywood Burn." I was 22 years old when that song came out and it's the first time I ever thought about the fact that almost every movie coming out of Hollywood was made to appeal to an audience of people like me. Hollywood portrayed the world from a perspective that someone living in say inner city Philadelphia just wouldn't connect with.

Here's an example I thought about the other night. I was watching Field of Dreams. It's been a long time since I've seen that movie which came out in 1989. Watching it now I'm stunned at the fact that they couldn't find room to include players like Satchel Paige or Josh Gibson. It would have added a much deeper layer to that movie than we got, especially for the James Earl Jones character. So in 1990 when Public Enemy is writing "Burn Hollywood Burn" that's exactly what they are writing about.

Today we have a lot of music, art, and literature that is made for a diverse array of audiences and that's a great thing. It's OK that I can listen to this Dave East album and think it's not for me. Because I can turn around an easily find something that is. But it's great that a kid maybe living in inner city Philadelphia can listen to this album and find a connection there that he couldn't find on an album from Taylor Swift.

As I said for me I don't connect with this album and so following the Rhapsody rating method I give the album 1 out of 5 stars for Just OK.