Central Cee - All Roads Lead Home EP (Album Review)
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Written by Jack Butler-Terry
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is a useful idiom when something is working and changing course can only cause problems. It’s advice that has seen millions of people stay on the right path and, in the case of London rapper Central Cee, it has helped him break America and become the international face of UK rap through collabs with Drake, J. Cole, Ice Spice, Raye and, most notably, his lauded ‘Split Decision’ EP with fellow UK rap vanguardsman Dave.
Throw in slew of awards, a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, and his debut album ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ becoming one of 2025’s most celebrated releases and you can understand why Cench was keen to document his rapid rise on international superhit Sprinter: “We ain’t got generational wealth / It’s only a year that I’ve had these millions.”
But there comes a time when if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is a problem, leading to stagnation, complacency and even arrogance — words that come to the fore on his new EP ‘All Roads Lead Home’.
Across seven tracks and barely more than15 minutes, Central Cee drums out the exact same flows he’s been using since his debut mixtape, 2021’s ‘Wild West’, while rehashing lyrics he’s used a thousand times before.
In fairness, when his flow hits, it still really works. But those instances are few and far between here. The J-Hus-featuring Slaughter stands up to repeat listens, the two working well in tandem and playing off each other with texture and interest, but outside of that relative high point, ‘All Roads Lead Home’ is a mess.
DC10 features a stunted, grating beat that offers no cohesion with the vocals, while Wagwan has Cench don a softer tone while reaching for an air of sexiness that instead comes off as low-energy and drab. Feelings is empty braggadocio about cars, money and jewels. Central Cee is a star but ‘All Roads Lead Home’ does nothing to explain why he’s achieved that status. You can’t rush greatness, but it would be cool if it could return to these parts sometime soon.
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