KID CUDI / SONG REVIEW

Background:

Musical artist and lyricist Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, is quickly making a reappearance after his fall back from the revoking of the well-known "Man on the Moon" trilogy. Cudi's debut album, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day", released in 2009, was his first published project of the series and to this day, is viewed as his best work since Kanye West signed him. The album was written about Kid Cudi's early life and was centered around the challenges that were present in his life, some of them being depression as well as the passing of his father. The very next year, after acknowledging the success of his debut album, Cudi was motivated to continue on with his story by releasing the second album of the trilogy, "Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.” Kid Cudi's powerful lyrics and musical intelligence were quickly reflecting on his success. By expressing himself through his music, Kid Cudi was able to battle against his struggles with the help of his fans who supported him. His fans demanded a final album to reveal the ending and answer the question: Did Scott Mescudi ever find happiness? Being tied up with the fame, Cudi forgot his tru passion for music. His real dream was to be a rock artist, which he revealed before the completion of the album. The release date of the final album was set to be in 2016 however, Cudi has confirmed that the final album will not be released.

Months of silence have passed before Kid Cudi was back up on the charts. Cudi has made guest appearances on Kanye West's album "The Life of Pablo" as well as Travis Scott’s' "Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight" and the tracks featuring Kid Cudi on both albums have made the number one spot as the most listened to song in the United States. Cudi was once again inspired to keep going. Announcing his new album on Twitter, “Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ “ has gathered the attention of not only his own fans, but also fans of hip hop music.

The release of the new album has been delayed due to Cudi's recent battle with depression and suicidal thoughts for which he has checked into rehab for. However, Kid Cudi announced that the album was very close to complete and was also able to release two singles which are set to be on the album. The singles appear to be the only indicators of the quality of the album and therefore there's one question that remains... Does Cudi still have the potential to meet our expectations?

Track Review(s):

Frequency: The first released single was released by Cudi a couple months before the announcement of the new album but was later confirmed for the album. Kid Cudi teamed up with a frequent collaborator, Plain Pat, who produced music for Cudi ever since “A Kid Named Cudi” which was Kid Cudi’s first mixtape released in 2008. In the track “Frequency”, Cudi gives off a “Man on the Moon” vibe which is just what the people want. Although this track doesn't outshine Cudi’s previous work, it does definitely present the listener with the old Kid Cudi with a mix of the new Cudi when it comes to the beat. Kid Cudi’s “Speeding Bullet to Heaven” was a mashup of songs with different feels into one project which from a musical standpoint, means nothing to the listener. The album was just flat out random and seemed incredibly rushed. On this track it seems as if Plain Pat chose an unused instrumental from the previous album and mixed it to get a feel of the old Cudi. On a lyrical standpoint, there is something missing. Cudi presents the audience with a catchy hook and although the production sounds good, the lyrics of this track do not stand anywhere close to what Cudi is capable of. Despite the repetitive lyrics and the lack of content, the track does provide a “Man on the Moon” type of feel. And after listening to the song, it seems as if we can expect Kid Cudi to return with a new style for his music and with this track. Cudi provides a snippet of what he is able to do in the future.

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Surfin’: The second single, “Surfin’ “ featuring Pharrell, was released along with “Frequency” and after seeing that Cudi teamed up with Pharrell, we can already expect something new. The track begins with a different type of instrumental compared to Cudi’s previous work. The joyful beat very quickly catches the attention of the listener with its catchy sound. The song was written mainly to address the discord between Cudi and Kanye/Drake. Cudi sings “I ain’t ridin’ no waves…too busy making my own waves” to say that he is not dependent on anyone else’s fame in order to become the best that he could be for himself and the people. Although the beat is different, the meaning behind his lyrics is powerful and the joyful sounding beat leads to a whole new style for Cudi. Furthermore, after listening to “Surfin’ “, it seems that Cudi has good content to deliver in his new upcoming album.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Overall: After reviewing the track list for “Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ “, it seems as if Kid Cudi is teaming up with new artists such as André Benjamin, Pharrell, Willow Smith, and also Travis Scott who have collaborated with Cudi before. Based on the two singles released and the track list, it could be said that Kid Cudi is definitely looking for new ways to give back to his fans and so far it looks like he is building up the hype and excitement for a new style of music. If he takes his time to make sure the album is truly ready, which it seems that he is, we can expect Kid Cudi to make a comeback with the new project.