Kid Cudi — Man on the Moon Pt. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Matthew Ritchie, Staff Contributor
Kid Cudi is kind of like the Lou Reed of hip-hop. He raps, talks and sings in an odd sounding baritone, and critics seem to love his music — even though some of it seems like he is trying to sound bad on purpose, which actually makes him sound good.
At the same time, he evokes Parliament/Funkadelic-like stoner rock, while exploring themes of intergalactic travel, introspection, and getting high, which sounds pretty bad. This makes Kid Cudi’s second offering in his *Man on the Moon* series a mixed bag.
His power definitely lies in his schizophrenic rapping. This isn’t like Busdriver, who literally sounds crazy, but allows Cudi to mix from rapping to singing in different voices without missing a step.
But he really needs to put down the blunt in the studio. *The Legend of Mr. Rager* is filled with atmospheric beats, but you can’t really hear them as his vocals overpower the mix, constantly bombarding you until you focus on the lyrics and realize he is ultimately rapping about being stoned.
If you smoke pot, this album will be interesting to you, but sober listens will ruin it.
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