Back in November of 2022, Dave East unveiled his most recent album, Book of David, a 17-song body of work hosted by DJ Drama. Behind the boards for most of the tracks was production duo Buda & Grandz, and fans have also been able to enjoy visuals for offerings like “No Promo,” “Seen A Lot,” and “Through The Fire.”

Over the weekend, the Harlem rapper returned with his latest follow-up, a brand new track titled “Above Water.” The offering features an expertly layered beat by Westtopher that serves as the perfect bed for East’s introspective bars. On the song, he raps about his humble beginnings and how he found his motivation:

“I couldn’t picture me performin’ on them corner store mornings, the streets still excite you, honestly, the media got borin’ (Borin’)/ We be out tourin’, plenty trees keep me out soarin’, BB’s on foreigns, Harlem n**ga breeze through my morass (Huh)/ I speak with the homeless, I relate to people that’s lonely, I’m here without comma, I feel like Sensei in these moments (Nah)/ Who got you open mama? Tote a llama with no persona (No)”

Prior to Book of David, the “Said What I Said” rapper shared HDIGH (or How Did I Get Here?). That project boasted appearances from Method Man, Musiq Soulchild, Anthony Hamilton, Benny The Butcher, Steven Young, and plenty others across nine tracks. Months later, he would circle back to present its official deluxe upgrade, expanding the album to 13 total songs and adding on features from Peedi Crakk, Lyrivelli, and more.

Outside of his releases, East can be heard dropping guest verses on recent tracks like “Blood in the Sky” by Millyz, “Up It” by Sns and Jim Jones, “NY Is Killing Me” by Nems, and more.

Be sure to press play on Dave East’s brand new “Above Water” single down below.