Album Title: Man on the Moon, Vol. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

Artist: Kid Cudi

Genre: Hip-hop/Rap

Sounds like: A darker, angrier Kid Cudi

Soundwaves: 4/5

Release Date: Nov. 9, 2010

Kid Cudi’s new album, ‘Man on the Moon, Vol. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager,’ continues the success of his debut with 2009’s ‘Man on the Moon: The End of Day.’ While it lacks a smash hit to rival ‘Day ‘n’ Nite,’ this sequel is actually a more consistent and complex work than ‘Man on the Moon,’ take one. Cudi takes a step forward, with improved flow and vocal control as he offers intensely dark and remorseful lyrics to mull over.

Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, has risen to the front ranks of mainstream music over the past year — somewhat of a revelation, considering that pop charts are clogged with the likes of Katy Perry and Ke$ha. Collaborations with MGMT and Ratatat on his debut album were commercial successes, and by tapping into the indie and alternative genres, Kid Cudi effectively tagged himself as a rapper with an alternative mindset. His music has incorporated pop, hard rock and electronic elements to produce a new sound for hip-hop — one that transcends typical rap conventions.

‘The Legend of Mr. Rager’ is positive proof, a grungy album full of introspective songs about demons, self-doubt and insecurity. Split into five separate ‘acts,’ Cudi offers us a legitimate concept album. Opening track ‘Scott Mescudi vs. the World’ features Cee-Lo on the hook and draws us into Cudi’s world right off the bat. Familiar notes from ‘In My Dreams’ signal a continuation of where ‘Man on the Moon’ left off, as Cudi asks us ‘What up? How’s everyone doing? You are now in the world I’m ruling.’ And so we are introduced to Mr. Rager, the edgy counterpart to the more naïve Solo Dolo. 

Act Two of ‘The Legend of Mr. Rager’ focuses on drugs and their influences. ‘Don’t Play This Song’ is an anti-feel-good song, with Cudi contemplating suicide and wondering what his music would sound like if he wasn’t on drugs. ‘We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up)’ is a numbing interlude that describes feeling in control, despite being under the influence. This break transitions seamlessly into ‘Marijuana,’ a paranoid cannabis anthem that clocks in at an appropriate four minutes and 20 seconds. ‘Mojo So Dope’ sounds like a Gorillaz track, with Cudi venting about nonconformity and personal lifestyle over a spacey beat. Drugs have clearly altered Kid Cudi’s perspective, leaving him fearful and unsure of himself, which makes for some genuinely creepy music.

‘Ashin’ Kusher’ kicks off the third act, which is dedicated to partying on and raging. Cudi brags about how funky he keeps it, but this is one of the weaker cuts on the album. ‘Erase Me’ is the biggest commercial hit, a shameless Weezer rip-off. Cudi and Kanye West chug along over the guitar riffing, but this poppy track is out of place, considering the dark tone of the rest of the album.

Fortunately, ‘Wild’n Cuz I’m Young’ redeems the party. Strange throbs and blips make up the rhythm over a fat bass line, creating a catchy yet uncomfortable result. ‘The Mood’ sounds like an acid trip gone bad, with creepy laughs and pounding drums creating a distinctly strange atmosphere.

Cudi begins to find resolutions in the second half of the album. ‘Mr. Rager’ describes him going off on adventures, with heaven as the ultimate destination. ‘These Worries’ features Mary J. Blige sharing Cudi’s pain, with tribal thumps and sonar pings forming another jilted beat. ‘The End’ marks the finish of Mr. Rager’s journey, but guest rappers GLC, Chip Tha Ripper and Nicole Wray distract from the solo trip that Cudi worked so hard to take us on.

The concluding chapter begins with ‘All Along,’ with Cudi believing he is destined to be alone and troubled, whereas ‘Trapped In My Mind’ describes a man unable to escape his own insecurities and thoughts. This is Kid Cudi, the lonely stoner who can’t get out of his own head.

Kid Cudi has dealt with a cocaine addiction and the insecurity that comes with fame, and ‘The Legend of Mr. Rager’ reveals him at his darkest and most unstable. The sinister moods of the music and the reflective, hazy lyrics combine to create a fascinating listening experience. Cudi continues to push mainstream hip-hop into new places and blur the subjective lines between indie, hip-hop and alternative music.

ajhaeder@syr.edu

Published on November 15, 2010 at 12:00 pm