Cheat Codes (album)
2022 studio album by Danger Mouse and Black Thought
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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]
| 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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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]
Promotional campaign
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]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[12] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[13] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Beats Per Minute | 78%[15] |
| Clash | 8/10[16] |
| DIY |  [17] |
| The Guardian | [18] |
| HipHopDX | 4.6/5[19] |
| NME | [20] |
| The Observer | [21] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10[22] |
| Rolling Stone | [23] |
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.[13]
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."[14]
Former US President Barack Obama listed "Belize" as one of his favourite tracks of 2022.[24]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clash | Albums of the Year 2022 | 18 |
|
| Consequence | Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 32 |
|
| The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 46 |
|
| The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2022 | 7 |
|
| Loud and Quiet | Albums of the Year 2022 | 17 |
|
| Mojo | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 3 |
|
| NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 34 |
|
| PopMatters | The 80 Best Albums of 2022 | 63 |
|
| Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2022 | 82 |
Track listing
| 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 | ||
Samples
- "Sometimes" contains samples from Gwen McCrae's "Love Without Sex".[34]
- "The Darkest Part" contains samples from Kiki Dee's "Rest My Head".[35]
- "No Gold Teeth" contains samples from Hugh Masekela's "Stop".[36]
- "Because" contains samples from "You Don't Have to Worry" by Doris & Kelly.[37]
- "Belize" contains samples from Federal Duck's "Peace in My Mind".[34]
- "Identical Deaths" contains samples from "Future Recollections" by Raw Material.[38]
- "Strangers" contains samples from Philwit & Pegasus.[35]
- "Saltwater" contains samples from "L'Amico Suicida" by Biglietto Per L'Inferno.[38]
- "Violas & Lupitas" contains samples from the film Harlem Nights.[39]
Personnel
- Black Thought – vocals, engineering
- Danger Mouse – production, engineering
- Kennie Takahashi – mixing, engineering
- Bob Weston – mastering
- Jacob Escobedo – cover art
- Samantha Meadows – layout
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[40] | 14 |
| Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[40] | 1 |
| Australian Physical Albums (ARIA)[40] | 25 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[41] | 76 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[42] | 106 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[43] | 38 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[44] | 8 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[45] | 33 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] | 8 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] | 12 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[48] | 28 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[49] | 4 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[50] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200[51] | 43 |