Cheat Codes

{{Release | Name=Cheat Codes | Artist=Mike Shinoda | Release=Ziggurats | Cover=Mixtape-Ziggurats.jpeg | Working title= | Recorded=2020-2021 | Released=December 3, 2021 | Format=Digital | Length=0:41 | Stems= | Time signature= | Tempo=95 | Key= | Samples= | References= | Live debut= | Last played= | Writer=Mike Shinoda | Producer=Mike Shinoda | Label=Kenji Kobayashi Productions | Misc=Template:Extra track listing

"Cheat Codes" is a song created by Mike Shinoda, released as one of four tracks on his Ziggurats (stylized as ZIGGURATS) "generative mixtape" in December 2021.

Background

"Cheat Codes" features an abrupt cut at the end of the track mid-vocal from Mike, similar to Celph Titled's verse on "The Battle" by Fort Minor. Over half of the track is composed of Mike scratching before he raps a verse.

The track's title comes from the line "synonymous with rhyming like Konami and cheat codes", which is a reference to 1980s video games where the "Konami Code" (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A) was a way to help you get cheat codes to win games.

The main version of "Genius Bar" samples at least two known Mike Twitch jams:

1) "Trail Mix" from July 30-31, 2020 (titled "7.31 Bhangra Zeppelin Boom Bap 2" by Mike). That day, Mike sampled the "Bhangra/Led Zeppelin/Boom Bap" jam from the previous day doing some scratches to create a new track in the style of the Beastie Boys. After he created a beat with the 808 sounds, he did a poll asking the fans if he had to continue with that style or not, and he did. The jam took different directions and Mike joked about the variety of sounds, so he decided to rename it "Trail Mix" as suggested in the chat by the fans, a nod to Mike often eating trail mix during the streams.

2) "11.2 Masch Plus Cooper Pedal" from November 2, 2020 in which Mike decided to create a song using two new pieces of gear he bought recently, Maschine+ and a Cooper FX Arcades guitar pedal. This was a Freestyle jam Mike made with no specific musical theme.

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Cheat Codes	Ziggurats	0:41	2020-2021	December 3, 2021
Cheat Codes (Radio Edit)	Ziggurats (Radio Edit)	0:41	2020-2021	December 3, 2021	Censored.

Lyrics

Album Version

Oh no, OK, you don't say
I rewrote the code that's controlling the whole game
They wanna start shit dissing me no way
My triangle button's been missing I don't play
So you can put it in sleep mode
Synonymous with rhyming like Konami and cheat codes
Kathy Bates, Misery I de-feet foes
And do it without ever changing outta my street clothes

Radio Edit

Oh no, OK, you don't say
I rewrote the code that's controlling the whole game
They wanna start **** dissing me no way
My triangle button's been missing I don't play
So you can put it in sleep mode
Synonymous with rhyming like Konami and cheat codes
Kathy Bates, Misery I de-feet foes
And do it without ever changing outta my street clothes

Lyrical Annotations

Mike annotated the song on Genius on the evening of December 3, 2021. Mike's quotes are italicized, while others are links or descriptions.

"game" - "look at those triangles" (photo of Play Station controller)

"shit" - "Weird, that looks like a triangle" (photo of smiling poop emoji shaped like a triangle)

"triangle button's been missing I don't play" - ""triangle" again", and link to "I don't play" - you don't mess around or bullshit around

"sleep mode" - "oh, we're back to the computer references?"

"Konami and cheat codes" - "Oh, another play / game reference?" (link to Konami codes)

"Kathy Bates, Misery I de-feet foes" - "Remember the Stephen King reference in the previous track? It comes back here. King’s book "Misery" was adapted into a film where actress Kathy Bates kidnaps a man and breaks his ankles ("de-feet").