- Man On the Moon: The End of Day (2009)
When I was younger and a connoisseur of a certain smelly herb, my high school friends and I often listened to the guru of Ganja himself, Kid Cudi. While I listened to his first two “Man on the Moon” volumes interchangeably, I find the tracks on the first album more iconic and fun. Some of Cudi’s best and largest songs, like “Pursuit of Happiness”, “Soundtrack to my Life”, and “Day ‘n’ Night” put him on the mainstream map. The infectious rhythms of these songs never fail to bring me happiness.
It’s not just the pop hits that stick out, though. “Solo Dolo”, while having Cudi’s infamously awkward vocal delivery, is sanctified in my mind for its epic production. It remains a personal favorite of mine from his catalogue. “Alive (Nightmare)” is a groovy track, and “Cudi Zone” will always be a classic Cudi anthem.
I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover the many bangers on this album. It’s a more than solid hip-hop album. Even the sleepier songs are still quality, which is more than can be said for some of Cudi’s major releases.
Favorite Tracks: Soundtrack to my Life; Solo Dolo (Nightmare); Pursuit of Happiness
Least Favorite Tracks: None
- Man On the Moon, Vol II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Similar to the first Man On the Moon release, I’m a big fan of the The Legend of Mr. Rager. On this album, though, I do hear a drop-off in quality, with the musical titans of the first album replaced with good, albeit less exemplary, songs. That being said, “Man on the Moon II” has some of the catchiest and most exciting Kid Cudi songs out there. Cudi’s flow on “Mojo So Dope” is as smooth as ever, and any Cudi fan will gladly sing along to “Mr. Rager”.
Unlike the first MOTM album, this album does contain so truly intolerable tracks to me. Tropes of Cudi, like the bizarre sampling on “Maniac” or the off-putting vocals on “Don’t Play This Song”, have unfortunately followed Kid Cudi into his future endeavors. Even the bigger hits like “Erase Me” have become more grating than engaging.
I do want to end this review on a positive note, though, because I do like this album. The pathos of “These Worries” and “All Along” still conjure sentimental feelings, and every stoner out there will happily tune into “Marijuana”.
Favorite Tracks: Mr. Rager; Mojo So Dope; All Along
Least Favorite Tracks: Trapped in My Mind; Maniac; Don’t Play this Song
- Indicud (2013)
“Indicud” was the third studio album release by Kid Cudi, and while MOTM II had moments of classic Cudi greatness, this album showcased his continued descent into the unintelligibly experimental. While I do ultimately like this album for the number of good and catchy songs on it, the bad songs are really bad and an unfortunate omen for the future releases of the Cudster.
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