''23'' is the second mixtape by British rapper
Central Cee
Oakley Neil H. T. Caesar-Su (born 4 June 1998), known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper and songwriter from Shepherd's Bush, London. He rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of the singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". ...
, released independently on 25 February 2022. It was preceded by the release of the singles "
Obsessed with You", "Retail Therapy", "Cold Shoulder" and "Khabib". On 4 March 2022, it debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. It features guest appearances from
Rondodasosa
Mattia Barbieri (born 29 April 2002), known professionally as Rondodasosa, is an Italian rapper. Born in San Siro, Milan, he began his musical career in 2020. He released his debut EP, ''Giovane Rondo'', the same year.
Early life
Mattia grew up ...
, Baby Gang, A2anti, Morad, Beny Jr, Ashe 22, Freeze Corleone and Lil Bro.
Critical reception
PJ Somervelle of ''
The Line of Best Fit
''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music.
It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
'' called the mixtape's "subject matter and approach
..largely consistent with ''
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
''", summarising it as "rapid bursts of tracks, many lasting only a couple of minutes
.. it's clear that this is fast music for the TikTok/streaming generation".
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' complimented Central Cee's "powerful flow" and ability to "turn a phrase", as well as "how good
eis at the business of making records, not just writing" with "really strong musical ideas on display".
Reviewing the album for the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'', David Smyth found the mixtape to have the "murky, rumbling bass of drill music" but that Central Cee's "crisp, rhythmic lyrics are less dense with slang than the standards of the genre and he's more likely to brag about a vibrant sex life than a violent past".
Track listing
Charts
Certifications
References
{{Central Cee
2022 mixtape albums
Central Cee albums
Self-released albums