Central Cee references a Jay-Z classic in his upcoming track.
On Wednesday (Feb. 18), the British rapper posted an homage to Jigga’s 1996 single “Dead Presidents II” in an Instagram reel. The Reasonable Doubt song prominently samples 1983 Lonnie Liston Smith song “A Garden of Peace,” which has also been featured on tracks by Mary J. Blige, Meek Mill, Fabolous, and Jeezy after being popularized by Jay-Z.
In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, Cench named the 25-time Grammy winner as a rapper he studied early on.
“J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar: I had to go and listen to these people for the first time,” he told the publication. “Even Jay-Z. So that was a fun time, because everything was clicking. I just remember lightbulbs.”
Cee’s new teaser comes less than a week after he dropped “Slaughter” featuring J Hus and “Iceman Freestyle,” a reference to Drake’s upcoming ninth album, Iceman, that was first previewed on Drizzy’s livestream. The two are frequent collaborators, first appearing on a 2023 episode of On the Radar together.
Cench’s upcoming EP, All Roads Lead Home, releases March 19 and follows his debut album, Can't Rush Greatness, that dropped last January.
