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Aug 15, 2022You could dismiss Cheat Codes as dad rap, but this record is absolute joy from end to end.
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Aug 12, 2022While Cheat Codes sometimes walks the tight-rope of being another installment in the Streams of Thought series, it’s still a lesson in supreme lyricism and pristine production that should have any aspiring MC/producer combo aspiring to get on their level.
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Aug 23, 2022There are those who employ cheat codes just for the hell of it. Lyrically and musically, Black Thought and Danger Mouse used theirs here to get one up on their peers in their respective mediums.
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Aug 19, 2022Some stellar outside contributions notwithstanding, Cheat Codes stimulates most when Mouse and Thought are sequestered, allowing the latter to leave space only for the occasional instrumental break or rare prominent sampled vocal.
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Aug 11, 2022The chemistry shared between The Roots vocalist and Danger Mouse on Cheat Codes is so high caliber that it’s almost impossible to believe the two artists walk amongst the common man. The term “God Level” is thrown around a bit within the hip-hop community, and once people hear Cheat Codes, that saying is going to have a new definition.
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Aug 12, 2022‘Cheat Codes’ is Black Thought’s most complete project to date.
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Aug 12, 2022An ebullient record brimming with sheer love of the craft.
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MojoAug 10, 2022Danger Mouse's illustrious production CV is a big draw but it's his classy discretion in play here, giving plenty of space for Black Thought. [Sep 2022, p.86]
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Aug 10, 2022Cheat Codes finds Danger Mouse rolling with a new lyrical foil and this one feels like it could run and run. [Sep 2022, p.22]
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Aug 10, 2022Danger Mouse and Black Thought’s long-awaited album arrives as a tribute to a whole scene rather than just two artists.
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Aug 10, 2022Cheat Codes stands as Black Thought's most fully fleshed-out and accessible non-Roots project to date. Despite not veering too far outside his comfort zone or breaking any new ground, it holds the perfect blend of accessibility and complexity, supported by an energetic cast of guests.
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Aug 10, 2022Danger Mouse and Black Thought remain firmly in their comfort zones, and though the record constantly delights, it rarely surprises. It seems a little churlish, however, to criticise two greats for simply living up to their own high standards. ‘Cheat Codes’ is brilliant.
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Aug 12, 2022Cheat Codes captures the glory of rap’s classic era and brings it to the present through thick mesmerizing samples and the rapper’s incredible vernacular.
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Aug 10, 2022It’s evident that the producer-rapper duo complement each other’s work and by featuring other artists, elevate the rappers around them. Because of this, Cheat Codes isn’t just an album for old hip-hop heads – it’s a timeless record that celebrates all artists.
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Aug 11, 2022The album is so structurally and thematically similar to that series [Streams of Thought], it often becomes difficult to see the difference. ... But regardless of its scope, Danger Mouse and Black Thought bring good things out of each other. At Cheat Codes’ best, it’s electrifying to see the ways their respective obsessions with history and time inform the whole.
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Aug 12, 2022Cheat Codes is a balm to Gen X hip-hop fans who feel out of step with trap’s spare beats and mumble rap’s hazy flow, proof positive that hip-hop requires a senior circuit.
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The WireAug 17, 2022Danger Mouse constructs decorative, melodic beats that don’t really bang, resulting in a hazy, slightly funky and psychedelic quality reminiscent of late 1960s pop. ... It’s frustrating to see him [Black Thought] shut off that aspect of his creativity in favour of “bars as hard as Angola’s”. ... Cheat Codes is compelling enough, but one wonders where it’s all going. [Sep 2022, p.42]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 43 out of 47
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Mixed: 1 out of 47
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Negative: 3 out of 47
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Aug 12, 2022Possibly one of the greatest Hip-Hop Album I've ever heard. The production is obviously incredible and Black Thought's pen game is pretty wild.
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Aug 13, 2022Black thought and danger mouse finally release this album. It was worth the wait!
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Aug 16, 2022