The New Year will find the release of Dave B’s The Doughnuts EP, the follow-up to one of 206UP’s favorite rookie albums from last year, The Coffee EP. We like coffee and doughnuts. Dave is playing his cards right.
“Cigarettes” was produced by Kuddie Fresh of Tha Bizness and draws parallels between beautiful vices.
Photo courtesy of the artist’s Facebook page.
[THE SIX is a regular interview feature on 206UP.COM with a simple format: One local hip-hop artist and six questions. For past editions click here.]
Dave B impressed at the 2013 edition of EMP’s Sound Off! competition enough to take home the top prize. Now the solo MC is on the heels of his well-rounded and polished The Coffee EP, one of this blog’s favorite 206 releases of the year. Dude has the gift-of-gab — a little bit Chance The Rapper and a little bit J Cole, able to switch between punchline-laced brag rap and edge-of-the-bed pillow talk. Four wisdom teeth lighter these days, the MC took time out during his recovery to answer THE SIX.
206UP: You won EMP’s annual Sound Off! competition this year. Their website says, “Dave B, the hip-hop group with the sweet beats and saucy swagger won out.” Whoever did this write-up should probably never win an award for music journalism. How would you personally — and more accurately — describe your style?
Dave B: Right, definitely not for hip hop at least. But I’d say it’s for sure nostalgic. I like to think it’s sorta jazzy, tight as fuck. All that.
What’s your earliest 206 rap-related memory?
Aww man, I remember when I was like 16 I ran into GMK and J Pinder in the keyboard rooms at Guitar Center, like right after White Van Music came out. Thought I was hella cool all week.
I think you sound a little like Chance the Rapper. Who do folks typically say you remind them of, and do you think it’s accurate?
I always get like Cole or somebody in that lane. But after Sound Off! this cat told me if Slick Rick and Phife had a baby who could rap it’d be me. I don’t know if I agree. It was entertaining as fuck to hear though.
What was the genesis for “Andy Warhol/Monroe”? Do you have a special love for those two pop culture icons?
Not really. I appreciate a lot of art [and] artists out of Warhol’s generation but those songs were more just a product of my thoughts that day prior to hitting the studio. And it was most likely just a regular day.
You just had your wisdom teeth pulled. Can we expect a Kanye, through-the-wire-type rap soon?
Never, haha. That shit hurt way too bad. It was all about applesauce and Tumblr. I wrote a haiku about a burger I wanted the second day, though I don’t think it’ll make any album.
Finally, tease your next upcoming project(s) for the readers.
The Doughnuts EP, July. Wake that ass.
“Illectric” is the third video from Dave B’s exceptional The Coffee EP.
Click album cover to download via Fresh Selects.
2013 EMP Sound Off! champion Dave B with a new drop. Dude has a common name but uncommon dexterity on the mic. The Coffee is a seven-track extended player that does much to highlight Dave’s versatile flow and clever lyricism. The EP left me with the feeling that this MC is capable of much more. Fully realized potential and more expansive projects are hopefully on the way from Dave.
New clip by Dave B from his upcoming The Coffee EP.
Click image to download.
Some new music from Dave B of the Le Fresh Perspective crew. “Foreign” is off Dave’s forthcoming The Coffee EP, due later this month.
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