By Kyle Kiekintveld
GENRE: HIP-HOP/RAP
LABEL: HOLY SOLDIER RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
RATING: 2.5 OUT OF 5
Who Are We? isn’t the worst EP on the market but it doesn’t have a ton of bright spots to offer listeners. Da Messenger’s lyrics are either love them or hate them at times and the beats just do not fit with a religious message at all. In fact many of the beats feel pretty similar to other beats on the EP, which detracts from the listening experience
“Enemies of Satan” is a good track in the sense that it offers a glimpse of the overall style of the album. The beat feels obviously Southern which is not always a bad thing, though this beat is too simple to be captivating. The lyrics can occasionally be too simple it feels clichéd but at times they aren’t half bad. It is real hit or miss.
Overall this EP is a strong attempt but it fails at execution. Da Messenger does offer listeners a good a cappella rap/poem that is not bad at all. Yet that does not save this EP from overall being all too forgettable.
Who Are We? has a few things going right for it. It is a very well focused EP with songs that mesh very well together. The lyrics and subject matter while not revolutionary, are not the worst thing plaguing the EP. The major failing that holds the EP back is production. The beats feel miss matched with much of the lyrics leaving the impression that this is a club album first and foremost.
Authors Note: I can’t help but think this EP was rushed through production. The beats seem to be too similar to each other. The beats feel over all a bit too simple and it makes the entire EP feel way worse then it actually is. With some more time and energy this EP could have been great, but it simply isn’t.
