Central Cee, the UK rap powerhouse, has revealed his debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness, slated for release on January 24, 2025. Following the global success of his mixtapes Wild West and 23, and hit singles like “Doja” and “Obsessed With You,” this album marks a major milestone in Cench’s rise to stardom. The project, recorded across multiple international locations, features production from top talents, including his frequent collaborator, Dave.
In tandem with the album announcement, Central Cee debuted on COLORS, performing his latest single, “One by One.” Although this track won’t appear on Can’t Rush Greatness, it encapsulates the album’s core theme of persistence. Performing against a rose-gold backdrop—a symbol used throughout his work this year—Central Cee reflects on the dedication behind his success with lines like, “Can’t rush greatness, you gotta take your time, maintain it slowly.”
With Can’t Rush Greatness, Central Cee is set to showcase his growth as an artist, blending introspective lyricism with boundary-pushing beats to redefine the landscape of UK rap.
With the fast-paced rush of new music releases these days, it’s no wonder fans so often get impatient to hear from their faves, pushing them online to “drop the album.” However, as the saying goes, you can’t rush greatness — and rising UK rapper Central Cee clearly fully believes that old adage, slowly building his groundswell of support stateside over the past few years.
Now, he’s finally ready to drop his debut album, and as a testament to his commitment to the profits of patience, he’s dubbed the premiere project Can’t Rush Greatness. Set for release on January 24th via Columbia Records. The announcement was preceded by the release of the single “Moi” featuring Raye, the Lil Baby collaboration “Band4Band,” and “I Will.”
He also debuted his new single, “One By One,” on COLORS, the popular YouTube performance show that has been instrumental in the rises of superstars such as Billie Eilish, Jorja Smith, and Doja Cat. According to the press release, the song won’t appear on “One By One,” but acknowledges its ethos, even quoting the title in the lyrics: “Can’t rush greatness, you gotta take your time, maintain it slowly.”
Can’t Rush Greatness is due on 1/24 via Columbia Records. You can find more information here.
Central Cee may have just come by with one of his best performances on his latest single, “One By One.” The record is also a collaboration with the popular music platform A Colors Show, or simply COLORS. It’s his first-ever appearance on the aesthetically pleasing studio and he takes full advantage of this opportunity by going ballistic on the mic. He changes up the tone this time around, getting more personal and vulnerable. He raps about losing close friends, relationships, his struggles, and being a mentally tough.
He delivers these bars with great proficiency and passion, while displaying great breath control and technical ability. Also making “One By One” another hit for Central Cee is the Cash Cobain production. At times, his style can grow stale, and he tends to lean too heavily on samples. But the New Yorker cooked with this one, as the flipped Bryson Tiller vocals have that timeless chipmunk soul treatment. Those effects mixed with the speedy drill drums and knocking 808s come together to work in perfect harmony. In terms of what value this song will hold, it could be another single for Cench’s upcoming album, CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS.
I lost some bredrins that I put trust in, I won’t say details But grown man get in their feelings, get too needy and move like females Jason Derulo, I’m ridin’ solo, I like me a two-door I feel like Tyga, I had young money, the yay’ that I had was too raw Gave Jackson five, the light so high, made my man moonwalk Plain Jane Rollie, I need me a new watch, diamond district, I might go New York
Chicago-based visionary Cole Bennett started out shooting for up-and-coming teens and twenty-something blog favorites, but in the past five years, he has become one of rap’s foremost music video directors, working with top names like Eminem, J. Cole, Lil Durk, and more. He’s even shot for actor Jack Black, delivering a colorful video for Black’s Super Mario Bros. Movie crowd-pleaser, “Peaches.”
“I was a very visual person, but I never knew that I loved music videos,” Bennett said in a 2021 XXL interview. “I always had this idea since I was super young of what it would look like if I made a music video.” For nearly a decade, Bennett has been bringing these ideas to life to the praise of the artists he works with and his growing fan base.
With that being said, we decided to scour Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade page for his best work. Here are the 10 best Cole Bennett-directed music videos.
Honorable Mention: JID & J. Cole — “Off Deez”
Okay, it’s a pretty basic concept with workmanlike execution, but it might be the best song Bennett’s ever done a video for. JID and J. Cole are left turns for Cole Bennett, if you take in the entirety of his filmography, so it was pretty meaningful that the Dreamville cohorts teamed up with him on this standout from JID’s DiCaprio 2. It’d be nice to see them do it again.
10. Ski Mask The Slump God — “Catch Me Outside”
An early standout from both Bennett and Ski Mask The Slump God, “Catch Me Outside” perfectly illustrates the possibilities of a limited budget when you’ve got unlimited imagination. Awash with eye-popping visual effects, “Catch Me Outside” offers a prime example of Cole’s early style; it’s raw, but flashes of his future brilliance shine throughout. Many of the techniques Bennett used here eventually became hallmarks of his style, and with polish, set off the concepts of his future videos with Cordae and Eminem.
9. Central Cee — “Doja”
As “Doja” is one of Bennett’s more recent videos, its simplicity might seem out of place in a list featuring so many brain-bending, colorful visuals. But it also marks Bennett’s transition from colorful collaborator to kingmaker; Central Cee is a star stateside after working with Bennett, making the most of essentially an indie budget to secure the coveted director’s services and show he belongs on the biggest stage.
8. Jack Harlow — “What’s Poppin”
While the visuals are pretty tame for a Cole Bennett production, Harlow’s “What’s Poppin” video is still representative of the elements that have made Bennett’s videos so eye-catching and amusing. Even the low-key imagery mirrors Jack’s tongue-in-cheek humor, highlighting and elevating it with some juxtaposed elements as bottle service and satin sheets at a late-night diner and a woman “smoking” a french fry like a cigarette. It’s also impossible to discount what the video did for Harlow’s career, taking him from an indie unknown to a potential chart-topper with 170 million views.
7. Drake — “Another Late Night” Feat. Lil Yachty
Say what you want about Drake, but “Another Late Night,” at least visually, has been the height of his last couple of rough years. Drake and Yachty have great chemistry, and despite the relatively straightforward treatment, the video manages to be eye-catching and stand out from the rest of Drake’s admittedly wonky catalog.
6. Lil Durk — “Kanye Krazy”
Bennett’s referential style comes to a head in Durk’s “Kanye Krazy” video. Pulling from infamous clips from the titular auteur’s oeuvre and public outbursts, Durk reimagines the videos for “Runaway,” “Bound 2,” and “I Love It” — specifically, the moments in which Kanye’s mental illness seems to have gotten the better of him, for better or worse. This was just after Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” had put Durk back on the national map, so to speak, so the cheeky visuals helped aid in lending mainstream audiences a better sense of Durk’s personality outside his harrowing drill stories.
5. BabyTron — “100 Bars”
BabyTron, like Central Cee’s “Doja,” is a more recent addition to Bennett’s filmography, albeit one with a much higher concept. It’s executed deliriously well, with a new BabyTron outfit/persona for each of the titular “100 Bars” and seamless transitions between each. It’s a format that Bennett would return to with Eminem’s “Tobey,” but it’s impressive that the Detroit and Chicago natives were able to make this work without the benefit of a huge star (and the accompanying budget). BabyTron, for all the lethargy of his flow on the song, also appears to be having a ball, as does comedian Andy Milonakis in his cameo role.
4. Eminem — “Godzilla”
“Godzilla” is the moment Cole Bennett “made it,” in the sense that he began working with established megastars like Eminem in addition to the SoundCloud standouts in his own DIY cohort. Fittingly, the increased budget came along with some stunning visual effects to spice up the flow of the video’s narrative while enhancing Bennett’s trademark surrealism. Em gets punched in the face by Mike Tyson, breathes fire, vomits Legos, and performs surgery alongside longtime collaborator Dr. Dre. And speaking of collaborators, “Godzilla” is a hallmark moment for Marshall too; it’s the first time he really embraced the SoundCloud rappers he’d formerly spent huge segments of his albums belittling.
3. Polo G — “My All”
Of all Cole Bennett’s most frequent collaborators, he most frequently turns in his best work with hometown artists like Juice WRLD and Polo G. In the video for “My All,” the Chi-Town natives tone down the usual comedic elements of Cole’s catalog in favor of something more emotionally resonant. It looks simple, but it’s not; a seated Polo performs the lyrics as a montage of memories both celebratory and traumatic, scroll behind him. The fourth wall break at the end is a fun surprise.
2. Cordae & Juice WRLD — “Doomsday”
My personal favorite out of the videos presented here, “Doomsday” takes a simple concept and adds stupendous visual flair with the aid of facial overlay technology. This is how you pay homage to departed artists; Cordae puts on a clinic as both himself and his late friend Juice WRLD, while Cole puts deepfake algos to an actual artistic use that doesn’t require stealing the work of real artists.
1. Juice WRLD — “Lucid Dreams”
The video that put Bennett on my personal radar, “Lucid Dreams” is far from his most stunning. But it’s hard to argue with a billion views; “Lucid Dreams” is the song that made Juice a star, it’s still his biggest song to date, and the video displays Cole’s gift for dreamlike visuals, which also fits the theme of the song.
Central Cee has been pretty prolific over the last couple of months, dropping off singles galore. It certainly has to be an exciting time for Cench fans for this reason, but also because of the roll out he’s in the middle of. Pretty soon, the London, England rapper and songwriter will be dropping CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS, and it’s being billed as his debut album. A release date is still in the works, but with just about two and a half months to go before the end of 2024, we are expecting that news to come sooner than later.
We also foresee that because Central Cee is back with the alleged third single, “Moi”. The track sees him collide with fellow Londoner RAYE, an R&B/pop songwriter, singer, and producer. She’s worked with the likes of 070 Shake, Lucky Daye, Coi Leray, David Guetta, and more. You might have heard RAYE and Shake’s ultra-popular hit “Escapism.” on TikTok or just via a playlist on DSPs. It’s an interesting marriage for sure, as Cench obviously lives in the belly of the drill scene, whereas as RAYE is known for power ballads and dance cuts. Check it out for yourself with the link below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The way that I’m in and out of these countries, f*** and duck, I don’t get to hang Put on my cape and set her free, I’m the reason that she left her man Good things come to those who wait, I don’t believe that, bro, you gotta grind Two iPhones, gotta switch devices, bro’s showin’ me which sticks to buy I’m here tonight but gone tomorrow, if you wanna f***, then quick, decide The United Kingdom tax too high, so I might leave and dip Dubai
Today, he returned with “Moi,” a celebratory new single that compares his past tribulations to his current success. Soul chanteuse Raye joins him on the song’s intro, singing in French over a moody 2-step riddim before the song kicks over into full drill mode, although it stays upbeat and airy, as opposed to the usual heavy bass and dubstep wubs that usually define the genre. Cench reminisces on his sketchy past with tongue-in-cheek liknes like, “I used to sleep on a cheap sofa
‘019 we was kitchen whippin’ / If they had TikTok them times and a man asked me what I do for a livin’ / Then I would’ve started fibbin’.”
However, since then, he’s kept it real, saying, “Broke, I was sharin’ my bredrin’s clothes / Then I got rich and I kept them close / Talk about real, gotta mention moi.”
It remains to be seen whether “Moi” will appear on a new full-length project from the Shepherd’s Bush prodigy, but a new album would certainly be appreciated.
One of the most important names in all of UK hip-hop right now is back. West Londoner Central Cee is here with a new two-pack for us, “Bolide Noir”. It features the title track, which features the Frenchman, JRK 19, and “Billion Streams Freestyle”. The Columbia Records signee has been enjoying a pretty fruitful 2024 thanks to some big singles and a handful of features. When it comes to the former, you have “BAND4BAND” with Lil Baby and now “gen z luv”, which is gaining steam as we speak. As for the latter, he was able to grab a guest spot on J. Cole’s surprise project Might Delete Later. Of course, you also can’t forget about his controversial Ice Spice collab “Did It First”. That led to lots of rumors, confusion and a breakup with influencer, Madeline Argy.
These two singles are the first offerings since that debacle, and they look to be more hits for Cench in the near future. “Bolide Noir” is the banger of the tandem, and this probably the song that’s going to cause a little debate online. In fact, it already has, as DJ Akademiks posed the question with a screenshot of the bars below. Some fans were giving Cee his flowers, while others were quick to dismiss his bold statements. Then, you have “Billion Streams Freestyle”, which sees him in a reflective state talking about how far he’s come and his biggest career accomplishments. “Said that my b**** was gay, got a billion streams, I’m a mainstream rapper“. Check out the Central Cee singles with the links below.
I’m just trying to be direct Rappers see me as a threat, so they’re leaving me on read When they put me on their song They got to write their verse again They got to go pick up their pens
Central Cee is on the come up. He has exploded in the 2020s, reaching a level of crossover success that few UK rappers have. DJ Akademiks went as far as to claim that Cee was a top 5 relevant rap artist in the world during a live stream in June. That being said, Cee is not immune to the mockery of the internet. He popped up in an Instagram video alongside Lil Durk on August 13, and appeared to be rocking a bold new hairstyle. Central Cee got Bantu knots. And social media immediately criticized him for trying to emulate the fashion sensibility of Black artists.
Bantu knots are a traditional African hairstyle that have been around for a hundred plus years. The style is especially popular with Black women, which is why so many people looked sideways at Central Cee’s new look. Most of the criticisms leveled at the UK rapper had to do with the fact that he’s seemingly a white artist. “Y’all convinced Central Cee he was lightskin. Now he’s rocking bantu knots looking like an impressive fool,” one Twitter user wrote. Others simply thought it looked bad on Cee. “I’m not even mad at Central Cee for getting Bantu Knots,” another user wrote. “Do whatever you want I guess, my problem is it looks ridiculous.”
It’s worth noting that Central Cee is actually mixed. During a 2023 interview with Vogue, the rapper discussed his specific ethnic makeup. “My dad’s Guyanese and Chinese, and my mum’s English,” he explained. Central Cee had previously been reluctant to specify his familial lineage. He did, however, open up about the experiences he had growing up in a mixed household. “Not having much, my mum’s hardships,” he noted. “I was taking them on myself, subconsciously. I wanted to take matters into my own hands.”
Some social media users defended Central Cee’s decision to get Bantu knots. They were, however, in the minority. The backlash has been pretty deafening, so it’ll be interesting to see if the UK rapper decides to stick with his new hairstyle or abandon it. Keep scrolling to read more social media reactions to the delay. Do you think Cee will prolong his Bantu era? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.
I want to know what was going through Central Cee’s mind when he sat down in the chair and told the hairdresser he wants BANTU KNOTS!!! BANTU KNOTS?!?!?
While Ice Spice certainly possesses a massive fanbase, it feels like the wave of haters is growing by the second. Soon, it may wash away a substantial amount of her appeal as a figure in hip-hop. Overall, a great number of people are becoming more frustrated with the fact that she has become so popular off of what many consider mediocre art. The sales projections and review of her recently released debut album Y2K! are definitely reflecting that sentiment. Also not helping Ice Spice is the mess she has put herself in regarding Central Cee.
Over a month ago, dating rumors were sparked between these two drill rappers after a handful of social media posts. However, after learning more about their relationship, the belief was that it was a result of Cench cheating. The UK artist’s now ex-girlfriend, social media influencer Madeline Argy, has claimed to be totally blindsided throughout this development. After she was played lyrics, possibly from Spice and Cee’s collab “Did It First”, she began to piece things together. While Spice has confirmed that it was more of a PR stunt, Argy was fed up with Cee for hiding all of this information from him.
Because of everything we mentioned, the New Yorker is now more of a villain than ever before. Her latest photo dump on Instagram post her debut LP release and the Cee drama is proof of that. “He got a but he kno i dont tell”, Spice pens. This set a lot of users off, as almost every comment underneath it is one of negativity. Some are calling out for her questionable poop and cheating bars and others are showing love to Madeline Argy instead. “Ok poopy pants”, one hilariously jokes. Another takes it there, writing, “Do you rap about pooping so much bc you’re on ozempic”. The “Argy Army” also gets in on the action, “Atleast madz doesn’t post herself half naked for attention”.
What are your thoughts on Ice Spice’s latest Instagram post alluding to the Central Cee cheating rumors? Do you think that the UK rapper actually ditched his ex for the New York native? Or do you think this is all a publicity stunt for the album? What do you think the career outlook is for Spice right now? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Ice Spice and Central Cee Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Central Cee put himself in an ugly love triangle as of late between rapper Ice Spice and his ex, Madeline Argy. However, it has since been dispelled that a relationship with the fellow musician is non-existent. His “Did It First” collaborator was asked about it in a Rolling Stone interview to which she replied, “We’ve been friends since ‘Munch’ came out, honestly… we’re just twins…”. While that is one less headache to worry about, it appears that he is still without a lover. Ultimately, it will be up to Argy if she wants to take him back after all of the confusion he involved her with. It might be why Central Cee is dropping “gen z luv” right now.
This is supposedly the second single for his rumored LP, CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS, with the first one being “BAND4BAND” with Lil Baby. On this record, Cee is wanting to tell his future how mommy and daddy met. It seems that he feels this generation’s way of finding that special someone is the best and only reliable method. “If it weren’t for the algorithm, I wouldn’t have found my woman“. All of these ideas are splayed out over a moody drill instrumental that sounds an interpolation of the sexy drill wave. Fans have been spinning it quite a bit, however we are pretty lukewarm on it. Still, check it out and see what you think.
When our children ask us how did we meet I’m tellin’ them, “Gen Z love, FYP love, IG love” Saw her on the Explore Page, like, I need to explore deeper Suggested accounts said that we got mutuals But you don’t f*** with them, me neither When I’m with you, I get baby fever
(@queenvictoryy) 
. (@bezorness) 
but he kno i dont tell”, Spice pens. This set a lot of users off, as almost every comment underneath it is one of negativity. Some are calling out for her questionable poop and cheating bars and others are showing love to Madeline Argy instead. “Ok poopy pants”, one hilariously jokes. Another takes it there, writing, “Do you rap about pooping so much bc you’re on ozempic”. The “Argy Army” also gets in on the action, “Atleast madz doesn’t post herself half naked for attention”.