Danger Mouse & Black Thought: Cheat Codes album review — a sublime, startling mix

Hip hop’s pulse and creative palettes have always had a presence in the work of US musician/songwriter/producer Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), though his varied projects — and bands including Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells — have never conformed to rigid genres. Danger Mouse’s mainstream breakthrough came in 2004 via the artful mash-up of The Grey Album, where he spliced Jay Z rap a capellas with The Beatles samples. The following two years saw him in a lively union with alt-hip-hop masked marvel MF DOOM with their DANGERDOOM project.

The inception of latest album Cheat Codes, in which Danger Mouse teams up with Philly hip-hop outfit The Roots’ co-founder and MC Black Thought (aka Tariq Trotter), dates back to that same era. The duo first recorded demos in 2006, then resumed their collaboration after more than a decade apart on their respective acts. Cheat Codes feels intently crafted and assuredly heavyweight, yet it never sounds overbearing, thanks to the agility, imagination and reciprocal respect of its creators.

Black Thought’s famously slick wordplay is in full flow throughout. “I am my own supplier, selling goods to the buyer/ The torch to the eye of the storm that’s on fire,” he declares on the twanging groove of “No Gold Teeth”. Danger Mouse’s production is characteristically panoramic. He weaves together atmospheric blues, soul elements and crate-digging samples ranging from Gwen McCrae on the lush opener “Sometimes” to Italian prog rockers Biglietto Per L’Inferno on the eerie “Saltwater”. Rich depth is evoked within the snappy run-time; each track is around the length of a pop tune.

The album also embraces an impressive variety of guest talents. Raekwon and Chicago vocalist Kid Sister are a captivating combo on “The Darkest Part”, and it’s thrilling to hear a vocal from the late DOOM (who died in 2020) on the trippy melody of “Belize”. What’s less appealing is that the lyrics seem to contain an ableist slur in DOOM’s verse, even if they are performed in cartoonish character. Elsewhere, British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka (whose own last album was co-produced by Danger Mouse) adds a haunting soul tone to “Aquamarine”, and A$AP Rocky and Run the Jewels confidently deal show-stopping patter on “Strangers”. Ultimately, Cheat Codes is a sublime and startling mix, a meeting of quick-fire minds and rhymes.

★★★★☆

‘Cheat Codes’ is released by BMG