It’s the end of third quarter and it’s been a little light on music releases. It’s at a time like this that an up and coming artist can really make a name for themselves, if they make a good impression with their music. California based artist, Daeshawn Forrest, does just that with his latest EP ‘Keep It going.’ Let’s dive into what the West Coast artist had to say.
The first song off of the project is “That’s Enough.” Right off the bat we are hit with some laid back lofi vibes. Daeshawn Forrest comes in with a voice deeper than I expected from this 21 year old. This is a great introductory track from Daeshawn. One of the standout lines to me is, “Feel God workin’ while I’m sleepin.'” While it feels like he kept the same rhyme scheme(seeking, sleeping, streaming) and the same flow pattern a lot longer than I liked, this is still a good song and a very strong way to start off the album. Next on the project is “Whole Notha,” a dope song that that talks about the stereotypical things young adults Forrest’s age are into. The thing is he’s on a “Whole Notha” wave and that’s living for God. He’s all about making an impact because, “we ain’t got a lot of time to kill.” Daeshawn is really looking at things from an eternal perspective which is shocking as he’s so young. But it all makes sense as he mentions an accident where things could have been all bad, but instead he survived and he sees life in a different light.
The third track and easily the best song on the project, is the song “Don’t Mind Me.” As soon as the song comes on that guitar is bound to make you feel a way. Seven seconds in this song will have you nodding because it just feels good. I like the way Daeshawn flows on this beat at a very steady pace and how he approaches the topic. In our space, it comes off harshly if we believe the listener isn’t following God. Daeshawn doesn’t shame the listener but instead that if they have a problem then “Don’t Mind Me.” However, if they do want to get involved in the lifestyle Forrest is pursuing, they are invited to, “Come find me.” I thought that was a very mature way to approach a topic like that. The second verse finds Forrest opening up about how social media gets him in his feels and it can be tempting to want to switch up how he does things. Easily the best song on the project. The next to last track is “M.I.A.” I like the humming in the background and while the lofi vibes are still here, this has the feeling of church behind it. This song finds Daeshawn tackling the often asked question of “where is God?” To which Forrest responds, “Not M.I.A.” on the chorus. God is very real and present, you just have to search for Him. On the second verse, Forrest talks about how people only want a small portion or bite sized version of God. One of the problems we have in the world isn’t necessarily a lack of a belief in God, but the fact is that we want to create a god the way we want to. While Forrest is waiting to hear from God, all he knows is that God is not M.I.A. Lastly, we have the title track “Keep It Going,” where Daeshawn closes out the project by letting folks know he’s going to keep living for God. I appreciate how he rhymed “invite Him in” with “vitamin.” Forrest is very anti of whatever the crowd is doing and doesn’t mind being the only one doing what is right. This is a great way to finish the EP, you could ride off into the night after this song is played.
In conclusion, this was a breath of fresh air,I loved the production so much on this project. Lofi is getting really popular and it’s great to hear a Christian spit dope bars over such chill and relaxing production. I felt as if the project was a little too short as it was five songs for a total of 15 minutes. I would love to see more third verses from Forrest as well as switch ups in his cadences and flow patterns. His voice is so unique, that I’d like to see him use it in a unique way. I enjoyed the production so much that I believe he should throw the instrumentals on the end of the project, doubling the length of his project. If you want something unique that’s not the typical “turn up for Jesus” music, then Daeshawn Forrest’s ‘Keep It Going’ is just the project for you.
