Cheat Codes | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 12, 2022 | |||
Genre | Hip hop [1] | |||
Length | 38:19 | |||
Label | BMG | |||
Producer | Danger Mouse | |||
Black Thought chronology | ||||
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Danger Mouse chronology | ||||
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Singles from Cheat Codes | ||||
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Cheat Codes is a collaborative studio album by American songwriter/producer Danger Mouse and American rapper Black Thought,released on August 12,2022,by BMG. It followed three albums of solo work for Black Thought,but was Danger Mouse's first hip-hop album since The Mouse and the Mask in 2005. [1]
Dates for the start of the album's production differ,including 2005 when the pair worked on their first tracks together, [2] 2017 when they first had the idea for an album,and 2018 when the bulk of the work was started. [3] After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tracklist changes,it was first announced in a 2020 radio interview with Black Thought where he mentioned its draft title Dangerous Thoughts. [4]
The first single from the album,"No Gold Teeth",was issued on May 11,2022. [5] It was accompanied by a promotional video in which Black Thought raps while his head is permanently obscured by changing images.
The second single to be released was "Because" on June 8. [6] This was promoted by another UNCANNY directed video,released nearly a month later on July 7. [7]
A third single and accompanying video,"Aquamarine",followed on July 13. [8] The final pre-LP single,"Strangers",emerged on August 9,three days before the album's release. [9] A promotional video for the song followed on August 12 to coincide with the release of the album. [10]
After the album's release,a video for the MF DOOM collaboration,"Belize",was released on October 18. [11]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 83/100 [12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
Beats Per Minute | 78% [14] |
Clash | 8/10 [15] |
The Guardian | [16] |
HipHopDX | 4.6/5 [17] |
NME | [18] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
Upon release,Cheat Codes was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications,the album received an average score of 83,based on 17 reviews. [12]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic,Andy Kellman described it as a combination of "'60s and '70s psych,prog,and soul recordings that are moody,trippy,and sometimes eerie. The crisp if soot-coated drums,smeared strings,moaning organs,and gnarled guitars are all very compatible with Thought,who scythes through it all with unparalleled wordplay delivered with surgical precision." [13]
Former US President Barack Obama listed "Belize" as one of his favourite tracks of 2022. [21]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sometimes" |
| 2:10 |
2. | "Cheat Codes" |
| 2:14 |
3. | "The Darkest Part" (featuring Raekwon and Kid Sister) |
| 3:44 |
4. | "No Gold Teeth" |
| 2:33 |
5. | "Because" (featuring Joey Bada$$, Russ, and Dylan Cartlidge) |
| 4:41 |
6. | "Belize" (featuring MF Doom) |
| 3:54 |
7. | "Aquamarine" (featuring Michael Kiwanuka) |
| 3:58 |
8. | "Identical Deaths" |
| 2:41 |
9. | "Strangers" (featuring A$AP Rocky and Run the Jewels) |
| 4:08 |
10. | "Close to Famous" |
| 2:28 |
11. | "Saltwater" (featuring Conway the Machine) |
| 3:22 |
12. | "Violas and Lupitas" |
| 2:21 |
Total length: | 38:19 |
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA) [28] | 14 |
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA) [28] | 1 |
Australian Physical Albums (ARIA) [28] | 25 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [29] | 76 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [30] | 106 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [31] | 38 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [32] | 8 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [33] | 33 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] | 8 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [35] | 12 |
UK Albums (OCC) [36] | 28 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [37] | 4 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [38] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [39] | 43 |
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