Harlem, New York emcee Dave East reuniting with Harry Fraud for his 6th solo LP. Breaking out in 2014 off his 8th mixtape Black Rose, this resulted in the man signing a joint deal with Def Jam Recordings & even Nas’ independently owned Mass Appeal Records as well as a spot in the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class. However, his full-length debut Survival wouldn’t come out until 3 years later & was very disappointing in the sense that he tried appealing to a more mainstream audience that just didn’t exist. The sophomore effort Hoffa proved to be better as did his final Def Jam offering Fortune Favors the Bold & APT 6E produced by Mike & Keys marked a return to his independent roots, coming off the araabMUZIK-produced Living Proof so he can break down the Price of Pain.
“Papaya Juice” opens up with this soulful intro talking about not wanting to hit a studio unless it’s fireproof whereas “Everything’s Up” featuring Benny the Butcher hops over a sample-driven boom bap beat explaining how they don’t do anything basic. The crooning “Hot Peas & Butter” featuring AZ celebrates the revelation of their lives since making music while “Minding My Business” talks about lasting longer if people follow through with that simple advice.
WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg appears on “Follow My Lead” gives off an opulent boom bap vibe instrumentally cautioning to stay alert just before “Rasta Pasta” talks about having no time to waste at all. “Alley Oop” featuring Styles P wraps up the 1st act discussing that all you have is yourself when your back’s against the wall over a cloudy yet dusty beat while “Clyde Frazier” talks about staying far away from the kind of people who feel like they’re entitled.
“No One Like You” & “Thirsty” are easily the most romantic cuts here even if I prefer the latter’s grooviness while the drumless “Life Cycle” introspectively reflects on his younger days. “Hu$$le in My Nature” featuring Cruch Calhoun finds the 30 for 30 pair standing 10 toes down & after “Stay with Me” soulfully talks about not letting his conscious down ever, the closing track “Fill a Casket” asks himself various questions like taking all the homeless people off the street & feeding them lobster.
People would generally say Dave East’s output since the last time he got with Harry Fraud almost 5 years ago has been average at best, but all 3 of Price of Pain’s singles made me confident of it becoming Dave’s strongest material since leaving Def Jam & I can confirm that’s very much the case. The production takes more influence from boom bap, drumless & chipmunk soul rather than maintaining Hoffa’s jazzy trap sound bringing a tighter guest list on board to describe cost of suffering.
Score: 8/10