You can’t rush greatness – so says Central Cee with the title of his long-awaited debut album. Yet his ascent to become one of the UK’s biggest rappers has felt remarkably swift: his 2021 mixtape Wild West debuted at No 2 on the album chart, while its follow-up, 23, made it to No 1. A US breakthrough seems inevitable, thanks to early collaborations with hip-hop giants Drake and J Cole. And on this record, he teams up with more stars, including Lil Baby and 21 Savage.
Can’t Rush Greatness is a testament to his laser focus. There’s a “something for everyone” approach here that brings to mind another Atlantic-hopping star, Ed Sheeran, as the artist born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su jumps from grime to Latin trap. Yet, even at 17 tracks, the record is taut and smartly produced, with a push-pull dynamic that reflects how he switches between macho posturing and surprising vulnerability.
Take “5 Star”, delivered over a dark and woozy beat as Cench reflects on his success while also acknowledging his humble origins. “I feel like I’m dreaming but I’m not asleep, I’m wide awake/ My chef is asking how I like my steak,” he spits. You get the sense that fame and fortune still feel foreign to him; the unease of his lyrics is compounded by jittery, paranoid instrumentation. Mercury Prize winner Dave is in typically thoughtful form as he joins him for “CRG”, echoing the sentiment: “Business class is free… so my mum takes every snack she can.”
On “Top Freestyle”, he’s jaded by the pressure his early success has brought: “I can’t worry about albums/ I’ve got serious s*** that I’m trying to get through.” He throws in a withering indictment of the music industry’s exploitative side: “Label don’t care if we’re murderers/ As long as we’re bringing in revenue.” On “Ten” with Skepta, though, they’re more contemptuous of their peers, calling them out for being complacent about their own legacies.
“Limitless”, meanwhile, sees Cench confessing his guilt over the friends and family left behind, while wondering if life was simpler before his rise: “Hood ambience/ I’m used to falling asleep to the sound of sirens… I don’t think I like this silence/ They say the grass is greener then step over here and try it.”
With previous singles, including the playful Eve-sampling “Doja”, Central Cee’s flow has bordered on one-note, despite his flirtations with different sounds. On Can’t Rush Greatness he proves once and for all that he’s capable of switching things up, whether on the soft delivery of breakup track “Now We’re Strangers” or on the gorgeous, Latin pop-leaning “Gata” with Puerto Rican rapper and singer Young Miko. He’s an excellent storyteller with an eye for detail – “She got makeup on my jacket,” from “Gata”, is a strangely poignant, evocative image. Can’t Rush Greatness is a bold statement, yes, but one that Central Cee does, by and large, live up to.
