Cheat Codes

One of the best 'disappointing' albums ever.

I’m in a weird position with this album. I’m both really impressed with the insanely natural and consistent high level of rapping shown, but also disappointed in the direction it went in as it progressed. It started out on a tremendous note with one of the best produced songs of the year as the opener. Then progressed into Black Thought and the features discussing some very deep topics concerning the struggles African-Americans face in todays society (highlighted by Black Thought’s incredible analogy of likening the life of an African-American to a video game in which to ‘break the cycle/beat the game’ cheat codes are almost necessary). That’s cool, it made for some amazing moments and even had me thinking that if this keeps up we might have a very strong album of the year candidate on our hands; but it’s what follows deeper into the album that has me torn and sadly makes that album of the year bid invalid (to me).

I don’t really venture into this Griselda/Run the Jewels/more lyrically based side of rap often, if at all tbh (even though I still think Tana Talk 4 is a top 10 album of the year so far) so I don’t know if this is true on other records similar to this, but I really couldn’t connect with ‘I’m way better than these other rappers’ approach that was heavily leaned into for the last section of tracks. And with how amazing and mature the first half of the album was, I was really hoping for much of the same on the second half; but instead I got track after track of Black Thought and the features telling me how great they are and how these other ‘fake tough guy’ rappers can’t hold a candle to them. And yeah some of it’s probably true, but I don’t need to hear it for 4 tracks in a row to close the album. And don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, sometimes even great music with beyond amazing production, but after what the first half showed me topic wise, I was just disappointed that the second half couldn’t replicates its magic. But shoutout Danger Mouse though wow, one of the best produced albums I’ve heard the past few years at least.