Stanisland Magazine

New song from the UK rapper’s upcoming album is a bottom-line hip-hop track featuring 21 Savage.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more unoriginal, it does. Produced by Eight8, Central Cee (Oakley Neil Caesar‑Su) drops GBP, a boring mess from start to finish. The track is taken from his upcoming album Can’t Rush Greatness.

The British rapper returns to detail his wealth in another creative (read that in a sarcastic tone) single. This time, he enlists fellow bling-lover, 21 Savage.

What it Sounds Like

The song languishes in its own mediocrity, fueled once again by Cench’s lethargic flow, devoid of wordplay or any sense of strong rhyme schemes.

But that’s being too nice, as it’s a masterclass in mimicry of the commercial UK grime, drill, and trap genres masquerading as hip-hop. Cee’s vocal timbre doesn’t offer anything new and can be likened to Dave, Headie One’s flow, etc. It’s all a bit of a muchness. Throw in some lyrics that say, “we ain’t got generational wealth,” and it makes for a mind-numbing two minutes and 35 seconds.

The opening line, “If it weren’t the UK, would’ve had an AK, gang outside with a samurai sword,” is not only unimaginable, inconceivable, but lacking any sort of flair. This is enhanced by an equally low-brow Savage, who actually uses nursery rhymes in his verse to no effect: “watch ’em fall, Jack and Jill.”

Dull and partnered with a production that complements his flow, it only augments a sense of eye-rolling. Its simplistic beat does nothing more than work in tandem with basic rhyming, akin to what perhaps a novice can achieve.

Verdict 

Need I say more? The proof is in the pudding. While Central Cee garners applause, I feel that his audience may not be well-versed in the craft of writing. There is an immense disconnect between what we hear on GBP, and more prolific lyricists. 

He may be consistent, but it isn’t hard to be when your music sounds like every single one of your releases. It doesn’t matter who you feature on this record; you’re either getting outshined or enhancing the unremarkableness. In this case, it is the latter.

Where to Stream

GBP was released on Columbia Records and can be streamed on all major platforms including Spotify (see above), Apple Music, and Amazon.