Dave East says he was working on a joint project with Nipsey Hussle before Nipsey was shot and killed this past March.

In a new interview Revolt TV published on Wednesday (Oct. 16), East was asked about the Nipsey Hussle tribute song that will appear on his forthcoming debut album, Survival. On the track, the Harlem rapper says they were working on a project together. Speaking on it, he confirmed they were pretty deep into its creation.

"We were six songs in," East revealed. "We were planning a tour and all of that. Fuck rap. I’m going to keep it 100. That was my nigga. Anything we did together or anytime I had to be around that nigga, I cherish it. It’s wack he went out like that. That nigga’s a king. Kings ain’t supposed to go out like that. But, that’s the world we’re living in. It’s wack he went out like that, but it sharpened me and a million other niggas up. He went out like a G."

As for the tribute song to Nipsey on Survival, East says it was the final piece of the puzzle.

"I didn’t know [I was finished with the album] until I did a tribute for Nip," East told Revolt. "I didn’t want to talk about anything else. I talked about everything. I got shit about my moms. I got shit about me playing ball. I got shit about me being locked up. I went mad personal and I wrapped it up with a tribute to my boy. Once I said what I said to Nip, I was like, ‘We’re good.’"

East and Nip were close before Nipsey's passing, having collaborated multiple times including on the 2016 Nipsey cut, "Clarity." Days after the L.A. rapper was killed, East held a candlelit vigil in New York City in his honor.

Survival is slated to drop Nov. 8.

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