When Stormzy, Dave and AJ Tracey all performed at a tribute show dedicated to Cadet at Brixton Academy last year, it was a testament to the late rapper’s status in the industry.
British music lost an expressive and well-liked MC when the rapper, real name Blaine Cameron Johnson, died in a car accident in 2019, and now his posthumous full-length debut shows just what kind of future might have been in store.
Cadet – previously a member of South London’s Gipset crew, who also went by the Underrated Legend moniker – was known for his strength as a storyteller, with evocative lyrics on modern relationships and life in the capital. It’s on show on Take the Wheel, which deals with problematic romance and toxic partners (“He would tell you "You're mine” / But never puttin' in money, effort or time”) with a typically candid delivery. The emphatic Gang Gang and the irresistible Do What I Like propelled by steel drums are highlights, too.
The Rated Legend was executively produced by Cadet's cousin Krept of Krept & Konan, who also features on Dope Boy. It’s an appearance from Wretch 32 on Still that hits home most, though. “My brother you’re not an underrated legend, man. You’ll forever be rated under the legend list. God bless you,” he says – a fitting tribute.
