The only tracks that didn’t quite hit the mark for me were the ones that featured American or American-based artists , 21 Savage, Lil Durk, and Lil Baby. While these collaborations were undoubtedly high-profile, they seemed to lack the raw authenticity and personal storytelling that Central Cee brings to his solo tracks. That aside, the rest of Central Cee’s debut is excellent. Cench has been making waves for a while now. So much so that he is now in his mid-twenties, which is hard to believe. Of course, the lad from West London talks a lot about his journey from Shepherds Bush, living a stone’s throw away from Loftus Road, where Queens Park Rangers reside, to international fame.

Central Cee has been a Drill artist I have always respected because he doesn’t talk shit about killing people. He talks about the pitfalls of that lifestyle. Cench has always worked well with Suntan Dave, as shown with ‘Sprinter’, and the pair collaborate once again for ‘CRG’. This track certainly is chart-friendly and gives off an African vibe. It could be Afrobeat, but I tend not to listen to much of that due to the artists’ insistence on using autotune excessively. I especially love Cench’s delivery here as he goes slow, choppy, to rapid in an instant.

The album’s production, which is done by an army, needs a special mention. It is more relaxed and uses rimshots and hi-hats over the subs and kicks associated with Drill. Of course, the producers were wise to go with this option because it makes it more appealing to the mainstream.

What I particularly like about “Can’t Rush Greatness” is the stark contrast Cench presents between his past and present. Despite moving on and buying the luxuries he could only dream of growing up, he remains grounded. He has moved away from the grimy streets of West London but still doesn’t forget where he came from. Cench has achieved this by talking about the journey out of the ends, a journey that was not always easy, with very little about his life of luxury now. He confessed feeling apprehensive about talking about where he is from because things have changed a lot. He didn’t want to be perceived as a hypocrite.

‘Don’t Know Anymore’, which closes the records, chronicles his transformation from poverty to wealth. He reminisces about the days when he and his siblings depended on free school meals. His journey from cutting the mould off the loaf of bread to his current success is a source of pride. His lyricism and flow, with each listen, evoke a sense of admiration for his growth.

Cench, in his own words, admits he’s not the best songwriter, often choosing to freestyle over an instrumental. Yet, this approach, born out of his self-awareness, works effectively. Whether he constructs a song like that honestly, I can’t say. But if he does indeed write songs, he’s doing himself a disservice because his lyricism is nothing short of phenomenal. He’s not just self-aware, but also impressively savvy with pop culture, and wears his heart on his sleeve. As I mentioned, only three tracks fall short, but the rest of it is excellent. A marvellous debut.

Tracks to avoid: ‘GBP’, ‘Truth in the Lies’, ‘Band4Band’

8/10