Dave East’s "Karma 3" Teaser Flips Classic Jay-Z Beat

Dave East has been putting on for the New York sound for a minute now, a trend he appears dead-set on continuing with Karma 3. The project, which comes equipped with the subtitle Thoughts Of A Menace, follows the release of his official debut Survival, which featured Nas, Rick Ross, Fabolous, Gunna, Lil Baby, E-40 and more. Yet the Karma series follows more of a mixtape blueprint, a homage to East’s roots on a variety of levels. In other words, he did what he had to do. 

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Today, the rapper took to Twitter to flex a bit of New York lyricism, taking to Jay-Z’s Blueprint classic “Heart Of The City” and sounding right at home over the Kanye West-produced banger. Though some might call him an old soul, East wears the label well. “All the product we had to break up, now every day I wake up, somebody got a problem with Dave,” he spits, flipping Jay’s iconic bars. “Cause I’m living a little better or pull up sitting on leather with some bitches that’s from around ya’ll way.”

Given that the track features additional 808s, a different drum arrangement, and new East ad-libs, it’s clear that this unnamed track is no mere freestyle, instead set to be included on the upcoming Karma 3. For those seeking a return to that unprecedented golden-era swagger with a touch of contemporary flair, few are striking a balance like Dave East. Provided he’s got a few more nostalgic bangers in the cut, Karma 3 might even end up surpassing the incredible Karma 2 —only time will tell. Check out the preview below.