Dave East lays a dud at Jupiter
I think about Outkast a lot. If not a lot, I assume I ponder the hip-hop legends more than the average person does during the course of his or her life. I think about the group’s dynamic, their cultural legacy and whether or not they’ll ever make another album. Right now, I’m thinking about a lyric from “Ms. Jackson,” the chart-topping single from 2000, and the Andre 3000 line, “You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.”
That line is on my mind right now because it’s an apt descriptor for the Dave East concert that took place at Jupiter Hall on Wednesday night. Local promoter Delirium Entertainment put together what should have been an intriguing show. The Harlem-based East was signed to Def Jam Records a couple of years ago and has released five critically acclaimed mixtapes and
an EP that’s earned him favorable comparisons to his mentor, the legendary Nas. With his debut album slated for release early next year, East’s blend of old school bars and sensibilities with more current beats and a dynamic flow has him buzzed about as the next great NYC rapper and street poet.
Along with East, Delirium booked three opening acts and the stage was set for what had the potential to be an entertaining showcase for one of hip-hop’s brightest newer talents. Instead, East delivered a brief, underwhelming set to a sluggish crowd and filled the three hours between the 7:30 start time
and his appearance with seven subpar openers that only provoked feelings of audience apathy.
East took to the stage a little after 10:30 and wrapped things up abruptly and with no encore by 11:10. He displayed none of the charisma he exuded during the episode of the Netflix documentary series “Rapture,” where he discussed his life trajectory from Division 1 basketball player to college dropout to jail and rap redemption. Performances of tracks “Found a Way” and “Perfect” from last year’s breakthrough “Paranoia” EP felt like runthroughs that would have been forgotten if I hadn’t written them down in my notepad. His closing song “Don Pablo” had potential, sounding like a cross between the classic style of the City and trap-influenced beats, and East even seemed mildly interested in the tune. But it was over pretty quickly and so was the show. No one seemed to feel any emotion about any of it, from beginning to end, and filed out as if Jupiter Hall was a classroom and the end-of-school bell rang.
The overabundance of unannounced opening acts elicited a similar response
to East’s hit-and-run performance. The majority of the openers, who I’m told were put on the bill by East personally upon his arrival at the venue, weren’t even formally introduced and none of them displayed any real talent. D Jones was the only act to actually rap audibly enough to be heard over his backing track. As for the rest, it wasn’t even clear if their mics were on the entire time. When they could be heard, the majority of the MCS were a half a beat or more behind the song. Not that it seemed like anyone on-stage really cared, as there was a lot of corny posturing and posing, as if flexing like you’re in Migos qualifies you for rap stardom.
It doesn’t. If anything, the fronting of the openers and East’s half-assed waste of everyone’s time who came to see him (or paid $130 for a VIP meet-andgreet) reminded me of yet another Outkast line, this one from “Roses.”
“I know you like to think your sh-- don’t stink, but lean a little closer, see that roses really smell like poo.”