Talking Tracks: Everything You by De’Brea Cavaiani

Photo by Danny Ngan

Twice a month onTalking Tracks*, we interview local artists about their latest drops — song by song. It’s a little bit like a curated Spotify playlist, except way more in depth, and it’s all the people who live right in our city. In each episode, you’ll get to listen to the full album or EP right alongside the artist’s inspiration behind the tracks. Now, we’re teamed up with LiveMo to bring you special, live set editions of the podcast.*

Seattle rapper De’Brea Cavaiani released his sophomore LP, Everything You, on May 31, 2021. In this special, live audience episode of Talking Tracks, Dan and Cavaiani break down the meaning behind and the making of each song on the project — 15 tracks about finding your flow, building confidence, and the Black experience.

This episode was recorded at the Fremont Abbey with sound by Sean Aragon.

Listen and subscribe to the full interview below, and then click through our photo story for all the best moments. Download the LiveMo app on Apple and Android to stay updated on future live episodes.

Track listing:

Infinite – 13:15.
L’s – 24:55.
On God – 34:15.
Safe – 38:30.
Already Know – 49:10.
You Should Try – 57:15.
Coat – 1:08:45.
Thug Cry — 1:24:35.
Choke — 1:28:20.
Wait — 1:30:40.
‘6 Nights — 1:35:20.
In a Min — 1:39:50.
By Any Means — 1:45:00.

This episode of Talking Tracks features the podcast’s first rapper, De’Brea Cavaiani, playing through his sophomore album, Everything You.

Every episode, host Dan Ray plays a game with the artists. Because Seattle hip-hop is all about repping the community and because Everything You’s album cover features Cavaiani driving, Ray chose to ask Cavaiani which local restaurant he’s driving to after each song.

Everything You features a host of local rappers but production from Ukrainian and Moroccan artists, who Cavaiani connected with on Instagram.

Guitarist Caleb Fenton.

Cavaiani said he only wears long sleeves because he’s self-conscious about his lack of tattoos. He plans on getting a sleeve that represents Seattle from sunrise to sunset.

Much of the content on Everything You centers around the Black experience with police officers. Cavaiani said he’s had experiences where a Black person has been the one to call the police, and the police still thought the Black person was at fault.

Drummer Phil Maxie.

Some of the featured artists on the album couldn’t make this live set, so some songs are cut short. Cavaiani said he couldn’t perform their parts because he didn’t want to speak to those musicians’s personal artistry.

Local rapper and Cavaiani’s older cousin B. Cole features on track three, “On God.”

Because Everything You is 15 tracks, Ray only interviews Cavaiani after a select number of songs instead of each song. Pictured here: DJ Cynotra Ali (background) and Ray.

Track four, “Safe,” plays on the notion that the more money you have “in the safe,” the safer you are as a person. Cavaiani said, especially in the Black community, money changes the opportunities available.

Local rapper and Cavaiani’s younger cousin, 4nti, features on “Safe.”

Cavaiani said track five, “Already Know,” reminds him of driving home from a show. He said he’d drive to Jack in the Box to fuel up after a night of going hard.

Push LoveGood features on track seven, “Coat,” a song about utilizing the second amendment right to carry firearms.

Cavaiani prefers to write over beats instead of writing and finding a beat to go with his flow. He said it pushes him to try new techniques.

The Fremont Abbey, where this podcast was recorded, has a noise ordinance in order at 10 p.m., so after intermission Ray skips the interviews so Cavaiani can finish playing through the rest of his album.