New album Can’t Rush Greatness finally lands

After greater than a decade within the recreation and eight high 10 singles, Central Cee has determined it is lastly time to drop an album.

He is not been in a rush.

The clue’s within the title – You Cannot Rush Greatness.

However some folks, like Radio 1 & 1Xtra DJ Kenny Allstar, would say it has been there all alongside.

He is been a champion of the West London rapper, also referred to as Cench, for years and has watched him grow to be one of many UK’s largest abilities.

He says that is right down to the rapper, who understands that music, the business round it, and the way we hear has modified dramatically.

“He studied the sport earlier than he entered it,” Kenny tells BBC Newsbeat.

“And now we discover ourselves with him producing undoubtedly one of the eagerly anticipated UK rap tasks of all time.”

In addition to a string of hits, together with 2023’s track of the summer season Sprinter, to his identify, Cee’s picked up a number of Mobo awards and been nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello prize.

He is additionally teamed up with artists together with Brit Award winner Raye, 21 Savage and US star Gunna.

However he is stored followers ready for an album, limiting himself to singles and two high 10 mixtapes.

Kenny says holding off till now’s a “actually sensible” transfer.

“He understood we’re in a singles market,” says Kenny.

“Let’s name it ‘quick meals music’.

“The youthful technology, they don’t seem to be all the time prepared to sit down down and hearken to a complete in-depth venture as a result of we’re getting a lot music at such a speedy charge.”

Cee’s singles are fast to get to the hook, says Kenny, and he is stored his mixtapes brief to maintain followers engaged.

“Why would you set out a venture if the viewers is not able to take it in?”

As an alternative, Kenny says, Cee’s been biding his time, “constructing a buzz” off the again of his hits till followers are “prepared and gagging for the venture, the album”.

It is labored on tremendous fan Jessica Mosses, 21, who says: “I am so excited to have so many model new songs that we have not had earlier than.

“I am gonna make sure that I am doing completely nothing so I can sit all day and hear.”

Jessica admits she’s excited to lastly have an album to hearken to, however thinks how an artist releases music is changing into much less related.

“He is obtained thus far simply releasing singles and mixtapes,” she says.

“I do assume that folks do not actually care what they’re releasing so long as it is new.”

Though he is discovered success with out one, others assume an album was all the time going to be on the playing cards for an artist with Central Cee’s ambitions.

Music journalist Daisy Carter says: “The truth that he is doing it now reveals that it is nonetheless one thing that is vital for artists.

“I feel it creates a stronger bond between the listener and the artists to have an extended physique of labor that you simply’re in a position to get your enamel into,” she says.

“It signifies that you’re feeling extra related to an artist.”

Kenny agrees, saying: “It isn’t nearly hit information, it is about, ‘what can we find out about you as an individual by way of listening to this physique of labor?’.”

In 2024, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish gave the impression to be main a concentrate on albums with neither releasing singles to advertise their albums upfront.

“With the rise of streaming folks can flick between particular person songs in a method that they by no means used to have the ability to once they have been simply shopping for information,” says Daisy.

“However the album format is a method for artists to essentially execute a creative imaginative and prescient and inform a narrative.”

However Kenny factors out that Central Cee has been working time beyond regulation to attach together with his followers in several methods, significantly by way of social media, his work within the style business and going large on the manufacturing worth of every part else he is launched.

“You need not drop an album if every part you do is large,” he says.

“Advertising is so vital at the moment the place everybody’s on TikTok, everybody’s on Insta.

“The music is wonderful however how do you affect different subcultures?”

As for the album title, Kenny says it does not simply characterize the time Central Cee’s taken to get to this stage in his profession but additionally has one other, extra private, which means.

“I do not imply to toot my very own horn,” he says, earlier than sharing how the pair launched a freestyle collectively on Kenny’s channel in 2020.

“There is a line the place he says, ‘this took ages, it is best to have identified you may’t rush greatness, you are too impatient, a million views ain’t well-known‘.

“5 years in the past that lyric was birthed. I am not asking for a writing credit score, but it surely’s only a blessing it occurred on my platform.”

And in return for the DJ’s assist over his profession, Central Cee even requested Kenny to function in a monitor on the album – one thing he says he thought was a prank at first.

“I am gassed,” he says.

“I converse passionately about UK rap music as a result of it is every part, I breathe it, I stay it.

“So these moments after years of championing artists, it is a payoff.”

You’ll be able to hearken to the Radio 1 Rap Present on Saturday at 21:00 and the 1Xtra Rap Present with Kenny Allstar on Friday at 23:00

Take heed to Newsbeat stay at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or hear again right here.