Artist: Kid Cudi
Album: Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Label: Universal Motown
Rating: 3
Kid Cudi produces a dark sophomoric album that not only doesn’t satisfy fans, but also deeply confuses them. Man on the Moon II not only has very little to do with Man on the Moon I, but it also shows a whole different side of the emo rapper.
There is no doubt that Cudi is a groundbreaker in his genre, and everything from his style to his tone is solid, or at least it was on his first album. It’s a hit-and-miss album. The opening track “Scott Mescudi Vs. The World” in which Cudi sticks to rapping and Cee Lo sings the chorus, has a nice traditional flow yet sounds fresh and innovative. “Mojo So Dope” drips darkness as pop culture’s loneliest stoner reflects on reality and fantasy. “REVOFEV” and “We Aite” start out great but seem to go nowhere and never pick up.
In Man on the Moon II, Mr. Rager, Cudi’s self-destructive and unstoppable alter ego, aims to sound soulful and insightful. Instead, he falls flat as he tries to create meaning.
Give these tracks a listen: “MANIAC,” “Mr. Rager”
For fans of: Kanye West, The Roots
– Anastasia Zhuravleva
