Kadesh Flow came out with a new EP called We Are The Faithful, which was helped produced by Geek-E Inc Production. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I was asked to review this EP considering I never really critiqued music in a journalistic way. So not really knowing much about the production and story behind what made this EP happen, I jumped right in with every song released. While, I doubt this would be played over a radio station (there’s always hope), I was plesantly surprised with what I was listening too. Did I like everything about the EP? No, nothing is perfect. But I have a feeling that hip-hop fans and anime fans alike will enjoy listening to these tracks.
Overall the EP dishes out six tracks that for a total of $5.94. Plus if you purchase the album at geekeincproductions.bandcamp.com you can get two bonus tracks. Not a bad offer for fans of Kadesh Flow. It’s also pretty cheap and shouldn’t cause anyone’s wallet concern if they want to buy his work. How much an EP cost will always factor when reviewing anything, and I give my stamp of approval when I found that out. Plus it’s accessible in all major retailers you’d expect to buy music (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, etc.)
One of the biggest positives I have about this EP is how the artist’s flow in every song felt fluid. To me that gives the entire project a more professional vibe. Of course that should be the goal whenever someone puts out music, and fans should hear it loud and clear. When Kadesh Flow speeds up and slows down in his verses, it’s as if you are listening to a rapper who has produced a top-40 hit. It’s comforting to listening to a new artist and not have “a nervous feel” when listening to it. I would feel confident playing this EP in my car, on a CD player (anyone still have those), or party music.
What was nice was how the anime references didn’t feel forced. Before I started listening to We Are The Faithful, I assumed that this EP would be filled with anime references that would be too cheesy. That’s not the case, in fact the subtlety of the references were quite refreshing. There were a few One Piece references that I enjoyed (especially when hearing about the “East Blue” and Straw Hats mentioned). One Piece seems like a huge influence considering there is even a song with the title King Blue. Just goes to show how popular the show has become coming overseas. I’m sure there were more references that were thrown at me, but I didn’t think Kadesh Flow tried too hard with that. So if you aren’t a fan of anime, don’t worry, you won’t lose any interest when listening to any of the songs. If you’re not a fan of the show One Piece, then be ready to hear a references that might make you scream (haters going to hate).
My favorite song out of this EP was definitely Wrath of the Young, even though I thought the speed of it could have been a little bit slower to sound better to me. “Let it breathe”, as the song starts out with, but it still came out great. It was the beats and music in this song that felt the strongest, in my opinion. Plus I was able to hear Kadesh Flow’s verses better than in any other songs. The hook was also enjoyable to listen to, considering it seems to be influenced by Drake’s known style. Drake popularized signing hooks when rapping verses, which I enjoy listening too. Hearing Kadesh Flow switching to singing and rapping was a pleasant change of pace to the entire EP, and it worked well.
Another aspect I enjoyed was how I can easily see any of these beats used in an anime music video (AMV). Not so much with the lyrics being played, but again I go back to beats used in the EP. Specifically the two songs Devastation and Wrath of the Young would look really good in an AMV. That’s a compliment coming from me. When I listen to music, especially rap, I pay a closer attention to the sound of the instruments used over the lyrics. I would love to see anyone mix an AMV with either of the two songs I mentioned earlier (to One Piece possibly). It’s almost like the music was made with that as one of the purposes producing the EP.
This EP isn’t perfect and there were some negatives I had with it. I’ll  start with the audio as a whole. It alone could have used a bit more work when Kadesh Flow rapped his verses in many of his songs. He sounded quieter compared to the beats of songs and could have make people question the quality. I usually would rather hear his lines, to see if they were fire (which they were). However, the music can be distracting for those who want to hear how lyrically gifted the artist is. Also some of the beats seemed over-synthesized for my liking, almost as if it was something people would create on Garage Band. I’m not sure if that’s the best program to use to help create beats, but I doubt it considering it’s a program that came free with Macs before now. I didn’t think it worked out as well as the artist wanted it to when listening to the song No Stressin for example. I felt that the music was drowning out his bars which can definitely hurt the overall message that he was trying to put out.
Also, I’ll be short and sweet when it comes to the song If He Tried. I did not like that song at all. The music felt awkward, sounds overpowered Kadesh Flow during hooks and verses, and thought his flow was weakest here. I’m not a fan of style of beats that were used in this song, and yes that’s a personal preference. Don’t let this discourage anyone who purchase the EP, but it was the weakest part of the EP.
For me overall, I was really surprised and liked what I heard from Geek-E Inc. Productions. I can definitely see an influence with Drake, Logic, and Joey Bada$$ when dealing with style and what each artist likes. Not to mention Kadesh Flow seems to clearly be a One Piece fan, which I can dig (One Piece is primetime viewing where I live). He doesn’t force anime references which is a big plus, and won’t discourage listeners. Who knows, maybe it will invite some people to check out One Piece if they haven’t already. I hope to hear more music from Kadesh Flow, and can’t wait to see what the next EP will sound like (or maybe an entire album).
My Score:
7/10
Strengths: Flows well for a first time artist, solid beats in some songs, cool One Piece references, cost, references aren’t forced, bonus tracks included on a specific website
Weaknesses: Audio overpowered artist a lot, one song that was difficult to listen to, if you don’t like One Piece you might get frustrated hearing references from it
C.J Maffris is an editorial contributor to Toonamifaithful.com. Feel free to discuss We Are The Faithful on Twitter @SeaJayMaffris