Dave East

Dave East has three daughters with Milagrito "Millie" Colon: Kairi Chanel Brewster, born in 2016, Kobi Chanai Brewster, born in 2020, and Kasey Celine Brewster, whose first birthday he marked in 2025. He has also been described as being in a long-term relationship with Colon.

During a prison sentence in Maryland, East converted to Islam. He has said that Islam brought discipline to his life and helped him change his outlook.

East played basketball at the University of Richmond before transferring to Towson University. He also played Amateur Athletic Union basketball with future NBA players Ty Lawson, Greivis Vasquez and Kevin Durant, with whom he developed a close friendship.

After leaving college, East began focusing on music. He released his first mixtape, Change of Plans, in 2010, followed by projects including Insomnia, American Greed, Don't Sleep, No Regrets and Gemini. His early music established the gritty street narratives and New York-centered perspective that became central to his style.

East gained wider attention with his 2014 mixtape Black Rose, which led New York rapper Nas to sign him to Mass Appeal Records. Nas learned about East through his younger brother, the rapper Jungle, and subsequently became an important mentor in East's career.

East followed Black Rose with Hate Me Now in 2015, featuring Nas, Pusha T, Jadakiss and Styles P. In 2016, he was selected for the XXL Freshman Class and released Kairi Chanel, named after his first daughter. The mixtape reached number 38 on the Billboard 200.

East signed a joint venture deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2016. His Paranoia: A True Story project reached number nine on the Billboard 200, while Paranoia 2 and Karma 2 followed in 2018. He also released Beloved, a collaborative project with Styles P, that year.

His debut studio album, Survival, was released in 2019 through Def Jam, Mass Appeal and his own From the Dirt label. The album featured Nas, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hussle, Snoop Dogg, Teyana Taylor, Lil Baby and other guests, and reached number 11 on the Billboard 200. East released Karma 3 in 2020 and left Def Jam in 2023, returning to independent releases.

East began acting in 2017 with appearances as himself in Being Mary Jane and The Breaks. He made his film debut in the Netflix movie Beats in 2019, playing Mister Ford.

His most prominent acting role came in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, in which he played Method Man as a series regular. He also appeared as himself in episodes of Ridiculousness and Dave.

East's music is characterized by raw lyricism, dark storytelling and gritty accounts of street life. His sound draws on the tradition of 1990s New York hardcore rap while incorporating contemporary production.

His named influences include Styles P, Jadakiss, Eminem, Cam'ron, Big Pun, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Raekwon, DMX, Tupac, Snoop Dogg and The Diplomats.