Dave East

David Lawrence Brewster Jr., known professionally as Dave East, was born on June 3, 1992, in New York City. His early life involved moving between East Harlem and Queens, and he pursued basketball and football during his high school years at Springbrook in Silver Spring, Maryland. East played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) alongside future NBA players such as Ty Lawson and Greivis Vasquez, and formed a close friendship with Kevin Durant. After high school, he attended the University of Richmond and later transferred to Towson University to continue his basketball career. During his time at Towson, issues with coaching staff led him to leave the university, and he subsequently encountered legal challenges in Baltimore, Maryland.

East began his music career in 2010, releasing his first mixtape, “Change of Plans.” This and subsequent mixtapes like “Insomnia” and “American Greed” helped him gain local recognition. In 2013, he released his sixth mixtape, “Gemini.” His music caught the attention of New York rapper Nas in 2014, leading to a recording contract with Nas’s Mass Appeal Records. His seventh mixtape, “Black Rose,” released in July 2014, was well-received critically. The following year, he released “Hate Me Now,” which boosted his visibility and featured appearances from Nas, Pusha T, Jadakiss, and Styles P. In 2016, XXL magazine included him in their annual Freshman Class, and he subsequently signed a joint venture record deal with Def Jam Recordings, releasing his mixtape “Kairi Chanel,” which reached number 38 on the Billboard 200.

Dave East expanded his career into acting in 2017 with roles in BET’s “Being Mary Jane” and “The Breaks.” He also appeared in Puma’s Tsugi Shinsei commercial. His 2017 EP, “Paranoia: A True Story,” peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200. His breakthrough acting role came in 2019, portraying Method Man in the Hulu series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.” In music, he released his debut studio album, “Survival,” in November 2019, featuring artists such as Teyana Taylor, Rick Ross, Nas, and Lil Baby. He followed this with the mixtape “Karma 3” in 2020, which peaked at number 36. East has continued to release music and pursue acting, with plans for additional projects and business ventures in his hometown, including purchasing a storefront in 2021.