We had some pretty dope Hip Hop Album/EP releases last week, but the one Project I was anticipating the most was this New Album by Producer “Danger Mouse” and Top Notch Emcee “Black Thought” entitled “Cheat Codes”. And when the release day came, boy did they deliver! The album in my opinion is the best produced Solo Album/EP I’ve heard from Black Thought so far! (The production beats any of his previous “Stream Of Thoughts” Projects). The beats on Cheat Codes have a soulful, raw and gritty feel but stil rich in sound. Danger Mouse really went deep into his production bag to lace Thought with this project! Lyrically, BT is as sharp as ever with some of his best lines showcasing why he is a top tier Emcee not to be challenged. With lines like “in the first place, I got no business coming in last place” or “the God of the Microphone praise the Lord, anybody disagree with me, then raise your sword” or the lines from the track “Saltwater” where he says “save the revelry if you trying to lower level me, I’ll be over seventy, flippin’ the script regularly” and so many other dope Quotables from the skilled Philly Emcee on this album. My favorite tracks include the song “Belize” featuring the late, Great “MF DOOM” which by the way includes an amazing guest verse by him. Also the track entitled “The Darkest Part” feat. Raekwon, and Kid Sister, is a fresh one as well! I really like Kid Sister’s singing contribution on the hook, it really accentuates the melody of the song. Raekwon’s presence is also dope and sequenced well as he enters in the right time, closing out the track with a dope verse. The track “Identical Deaths” is the special surprise on the album, it has a gritty instrumental backdrop that’s perfect for a top tier Emcee like BT and it’s the perfect “non single” track that you typically discover when listening to an album in its entirety. I also like the track “Salt Water” feat Conway, its gritty production sounds just right for Conway to be featured on, and the beat intro / bridge lends an intriguing diversity to the track. The final track on the album “Violas and Lupitas” is fitting to close out the album. It’s very soulful, like the first track “Sometimes” but has an emotional self reflecting undertone, reminiscent of Ghostface Killah’s “All That I Got Is You”. The track is under 3 mins so it’s on the shorter side but long enough to make a strong impact to close out the album. This album is a refreshing listen and there’s enough intricacies lyrically and production wise to keep you entertained with repeated listens. I emphasize the word entertained, because the album is far from boring even with repeated listens, I think the intriguing but soulful production is a major contributor to the entertaining factor on this album. Really awesome job by both Danger Mouse and Black Thought! Enjoy “Cheat Codes” Album now available on digital streaming platforms