The 28-year-old grime star Blaine “Cadet” Johnson died in a car crash last year, leaving his cousin and fellow rapper Krept to shepherd the completion of this posthumous debut album. Cadet was one of the most emotional, relatable artists in a business that often prizes manufactured authenticity over open-hearted honesty. On The Rated Legend, the south Londoner’s verses feel like they came live from the diary to the booth. Cadet was never going to be a top-tier arena rapper, but his growing profile led to finally reaching the charts with closing track Advice’s bouncy tropical trap weeks before his death.
There’s often something a little off about posthumous albums, especially with rappers. Producers grubbing around for a few bars and trying to fit tracks to them, or shoehorning guest vocalists on to unfinished cuts. Sometimes the music dives into an uncanny valley; sometimes it becomes mawkish and awkward. But The Rated Legend avoids nearly all these traps, even if it seems a little insensitive to open with Take the Wheel, and Cadet’s sister’s spoken word contribution is almost impossibly upsetting. A tune-stuffed tribute to a sadly lost talent.