It’s always difficult for us to write about religiously-themed music; but sometimes people need a little inspiration in their lives and you just have to give them the space to find it.
Keasha Beard is a rapper that has felt the hand of The Lord in life and seems to be better for it. On her new freelease, Transform, she exalts her new life and what has brought her to a better place. Her flow is, for the most part, pretty good (there are a few places where we this is no distinct rhyme pattern). It’s a little old-school, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The biggest thing is that this seems to be a modern woman’s take on what it means to be a person of faith in this day and age. She is very much about talking about social ills and wanting to find a way through but, while relying on her faith to provide the blueprint and the backbone of her decision-making, there is also a lot of empowering of the self and taking the step that are required for God the lend a helping hand.
Production-wise, there isn’t any knock in these beats, but you really don’t expect there to be. The focus is clearly meant to be the words she is saying and, unfortunately, the production suffers a bit from that. It’s not a deal-break for those who are look for more than just something to dance to though, and it is definitely not something that you can tune out thanks to the messages.
Our favorite track in this set is Husband Material; a message, however it’s framed, that tells women (and men) out there not to settle for less and to hold out for someone who loves and respects them is always a message we can get behind. We also like Better Than That which seeks to encourage Black people by affirming their existence and value.
Side commentary: Our biggest concern is that there seems to be the suggestion that the artist has had a transformation from one romantic lifestyle to another. This is made most clear in the passages in the first few tracks that speak of her chasing women and how it compares to the track Husband Material. In isolation, those tracks are perfectly fine; it’s the combination that has us a little worried about the content we are asking people to listen to. So, to make our stance perfectly clear, this site does not endorse conversion therapy nor do we have any desire for people to be ashamed of who they are and who they love. Everyone has their own bright path to the light and we encourage them to follow it. As long as you are not hurting anyone, we make no judgements about your life and how you chose to live it.
You can download the tracks individually through the player or you can download them in one package by clicking one of the buttons below it.
Kel & Mel Reviews 