Cheat Codes by Black Thought and Danger Mouse
Best Tracks: No Gold Teeth, Identical Deaths
Genre: Hip Hop
Year: 2022
Cheat Codes is a turning point for Black Thought, frontman of The Roots, and one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time. Next to the crackling samples and sloppy gang vocals of other ’90s groups, The Roots were one of the cleanest hip-hop acts of their time. Their use of live instrumentation was a big factor in their sound. The Roots are still respected in hip hop and the greater music community to this day, but they’ve failed to stay on the cutting edge of new releases. By the 2010s, The Roots were no longer achieving the same critical appeal. While still recording ambitious projects, their sound became cleaner and more palletable for a general audience. At the same time, they now serve as the live band on the Tonight Show, which may bring into question their ‘authenticity’. While authenticity doesn’t really matter, this is a trajectory many artists will follow. When a carreer goes this direction, I naturally start looking elsewhere for inspiring new music.
