Danger Mouse and Black Thought – Cheat Codes

Genres: Conscious Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop

Recommended for: Fans of The Roots, MF DOOM, Raekwon, GZA

Danger Mouse has been working with a variety of artists and bands for decades, but this is probably his best collaborative album yet. Black Thought sounds strong as ever and is not only able to incorporate the great storytelling of the classic The Roots albums, but works surprisingly well with newer artists, beats, and lyrical themes. Danger Mouse’s beats are clean and catchy throughout, perfectly suiting the rappers’ styles and making the album flow smoothly. While drawing on classic conscious hip hop, heavy synths and electronic transitions provide for memorable transitions and hooks. Soul and funk inspirations abound, exemplified best by the samples leading into and out of the opener, “Sometimes.”

Partially because of these strengths, which bear similarities to 90s East Coast Hip Hop, Cheat Codes immediately feels like a classic album. At a time when many old artists are having late-career resurgences, Black Thought feels like he hasn’t lost his energy through his thirty-year career. The guestlist is insane, with MF DOOM bringing an incredible posthumous verse on “Belize,” Michael Kiwanuka creating an earworm hook on “Aquamarine,” and Conway the Machine working on Tarik’s level in the cool, expressive “Saltwater.” When the closer “Violas and Lupitas” plays, the album feels like a complete vision, rich with detail and lyrical force. 

Still, Cheat Codes isn’t perfect. While the album is very memorable, few of the songs feel like they welcome the listener in. Some of the features don’t rise up to Black Thought’s best, and have disappointing verses and lyricism. But the album is strong throughout, and I expect it to have a great influence on the oncoming resurgence and reconsideration of 90s hip-hop in the coming years.

Favorite Songs: Belize, Aquamarine, Saltwater

Least Favorite Song: Sometimes

Rating: 9/10