Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: The End Of The Day Review

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 09.15.2009

After the success of "Day N Nite", Kid Cudi has finally released his debut album! Will it be one to remember, or is Cudi just a one hit wonder?

Much like Kanye West, Kid Cudi is a college dropout, leaving the University of Toledo after his freshman year to pursue a career in music. He eventually released a mixtape called A Kid Named Cudi which was a collaborative effort with New York clothing company, 10.Deep. and featured production prominently from Plain Pat and Emile, who has worked with Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Obie Trice, Ice Cube, Cormega and Rhymefest in the past.

The mixtape caught the attention of Kanye West which resulted in Cudi signing with Kanye’s GOOD Music label, an appearance on 808s & Heartbreaks and more recently on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 album. So what exactly can we expect from Kid Cudi on Man On The Moon: The End Of The Day, a more straightforward hip-hop sound like “Day N Nite”, or more singing in line with his appearances on Kanye and Jay’s albums?



Tracks

Act I: End Of The Day
1. In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)
2. Soundtrack 2 My Life
3. Simple As…

Act II: Rise Of The Night Terrors
4. Solo Dolo
5. Heart Of A Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)
6. My World Ft. Billy Cravens

Act III: Taking A Trip
7. Day N Nite
8. Sky Might Fall
9. Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)

Act IV: Stuck
10. Alive Ft. Ratatat
11. Cudi Zone
12. Make Her Say Ft. Kanye West & Common
13. Pursuit Of Happiness Ft. MGMT & Ratatat

Act V: A New Beginning
14. Hyyerr Ft. Chip Tha Ripper
15. Up, Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)

To define Man On The Moon… is almost impossible apart from the fact that it is very good music. It’s certainly not your typical hip-hop album and it’s probably more appropriate to file it under the “alternative hip-hop” genre than anything else. Broken into 5 Acts, Kid Cudi attempts to give us a look at who he is and what has influenced his life throughout the album.

The opening track, “In My Dreams” sets the mood for the first half of the album, featuring unorthodox production from Emile as Cudi delivers short verses in a half-singing, half-rapping style that appears significantly throughout the album. Common provides spoken word interludes at the end of each Act which are a nice contrast to the varying production you will hear on the album.

“Soundtrack 2 My Life” is Kid Cudi at his lyrical best, opening with “I got 99 Problems, and they all bitches”, a nice reference to Jay-Z’s song and Cudi lays everything out on the table. From the death of his father to dealing with depression, the track really is a soundtrack to Cudi’s life which is nicely tempered by the more uplifting sounding hook. The track does suffer from the beat being a little overbearing though.

Whilst “Soundtrack 2 My Life” spends time outlining Cudi’s problems, “Heart Of A Lion”, one of the standout tracks on the album is a much more inspirational fare as Cudi describes how his past trials and tribulations have shaped him and given him strength to continue on. Cudi brings back the rapping/singing style on “My World” and deals with once again, his life, such as his low self-esteem with ladies, but also his dreams for the future and successes.

Cudi shows that he does have a less serious side on “Make Her Say” which was the second single for the album. Featuring what should be a very familiar sample from Lady GaGa, Kanye West flips the sample giving the song a whole new meaning as Common, Kanye and Cudi rap probably the silliest yet amusing bars they have in a while. The final song on the album, “Up, Up & Away” definitely represents a ‘New Beginning’ as it is much more vibrant and upbeat in terms of both the rapping and production compared to most of the album.

The production on Man On The Moon… really deserves a special mention though. In terms of back to back quality production, no other album I have reviewed this year stacks up to it apart from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. It’s actually very similar to the sounds you hear on 808s & Heartbreaks which may deter some people, but please don’t let that happen. Although production is handled by about 8 different producers, Kanye West, the Executive Producer has done an excellent job in helping to ensure that there is a consistency of sorts throughout the album.

Free School who produce “Heart Of A Lion” and “Up, Up & Away” contributes two of the more upbeat selections on the album. Emile provides us with the opening track, “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “Solo Dolo”, three more somber cuts and Ratatat produce and appear on “Alive” and “Pursuit Of Happiness”, two tracks which definitely show influence from the electronic music duo.

The 411: This certainly isn’t your typical hip-hop album and in the end is just simply, good music. Kid Cudi may not be the most technical rapper around, but he doesn’t try to be as he knows what works for him and sticks to it. That’s not to say he’s a slouch on the mic as he crafts songs that are relatable without being overly ‘conscious’ and blends his singing and rapping together quite nicely. It’s an excellent album that is yet another one that will make many Year End lists, definitely recommended.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]