Free flow: Sade Cinco brings no restraints to the rap game

Oren Sadeh took the stage in front of a crowd of 800 people over the summer. It was his first time performing for a crowd.

The senior exercise science major and SoundCloud rapper wasn’t nervous. He barely broke a sweat.

Sadeh embraces spontaneity. His carefree attitude is reflected in his infectious hooks and untroubled persona.

“I felt confident doing it,” Sadeh said. “I had the energy and I was not scared when I stepped on stage. I told myself I had to do it. You don’t have a choice and you’ve got to kill it.”

Sadeh has a untroubled flow and cadence on the mic. He delivers a multitude of laid-back, enjoyable tracks that often celebrate life’s pleasures. He has released over five tracks on SoundCloud while attending UB.

Sadeh enjoys improvisation. He often begins his recording sessions with a freestyle over the beat and fills in the gaps later on. He takes inspiration from a variety of producers, mainly those he finds on YouTube.

He initially started commenting on YouTube videos, rap battling other users through back and forths. He then began freestyling under the name EDWARD, his middle name.

EDWARD didn’t work out, but after one of his summer shows in New Jersey, Sadeh met a manager for one of the show’s artists.

Without a name set in stone, he had to think on his feet.

“I didn’t want to hit [the manager] up with a random name, so I made up my own name and began thinking of how Childish Gambino, Post Malone, Lil Uzi Vert came up with their names,” Sadeh said.

“They went on a rap generator and made their names. I wanted to make my own brand, so when people hear [my name], they’re going to have to think of me.”

Aside from his more fun tracks, Sadeh has tracks like “Her Pain” which shine with personal narratives of family and love. He penned the song for his mother and performed it in one of his first rap showcases at Harriman Hall during his freshman year.

“It’s talking about all the struggles of being a single mother, how much she sacrifices for everything and letting her know I was proud of her,” Sadeh said. “The people at the [showcase] liked the song because it was real.”

Artists like Frank Pierce, whose real name is Oluwafemi “Femi” Popoola, is a recent UB grad and met Sadeh during his freshman year in Wilkeson Hall. After Popoola heard “Her Pain,” Sadeh’s vocals left a mark on the musician.

“A lot of time, technique is there and so is lyricism but if someone doesn’t sound good then it’s a waste, Popoola said. “One of my favorite qualities [of his] is his tone.”

Popoola believes Sadeh’s catchiness and comfortability is apparent and hopes Sadeh stays honest with his craft. Popoola and Sadeh look to release an upcoming track together, “Love Hate,” featuring UB psychology student Alexa “Lex” Feiner, before the summer.

In addition to his collaborative work with Frank Pierce, Sadeh landed a feature with Atlanta-based rapper Sammy K on his song “Markelle Fultz.” The song, produced by Fishman! and named after the Philadelphia 76ers’ #1 NBA draft pick, is a flex-centric tune which boasts swagger and fine living.

Sadeh, alongside his friend and rapper BNLVY, assist Sammy by providing catchy hooks and bars. The song, similar to his performance in New Jersey, came up on a whim after he met Sammy at BNLVY’s house.

“We’re all together like ‘we should make a song, like right now,’” Sadeh said. “We had the beat and we just started cooking right then and there. We didn’t have any plan to do the track, we just knocked it out in like three or four hours, we were bouncing off 8-bars and 8-bars so it was mad fun.”

Sam Kalnitz, better known as “Sammy K,” said his new song is all about having a good time, to get listeners hyped and in the zone – attempting to get Fultz himself to hear the song. Upon hearing Sadeh, Kalnitz took away the distinct sound he provides and overall is impressed by his music.

“His writing skills are great, his delivery is, too. He’s got what it takes,” Kalnitz said. “He meshes really well with my style and in the track, we go back and forth with our verses. It doesn’t really seem like anything can really discourage him. I can’t tell him not to give up because I know he’s not going to give up.”

Benjamin Blanchet is the senior arts editor and can be reached at benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com.

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